Gorgeous, expressive playing

Have just heard the Bach and Beethoven, and was knocked out by the beautiful tone, great passagework, and commitment of this young violinist. She may be planning to study with this teacher or that but already plays with more security and emotional content than many I've heard on the professional circuit whose playing is not as interesting. And, yet, I read she is insecure about her technique, which means she apparently aims for the superhuman :-) Well, she's on her way. Just a little work on the handling of long notes and some lighter shades in the Sibelius adagio movment. The sound on the Bach is excellent and though the Beethoven is mic'd a bit close so that it can be edgy, it's very clear (and never dull). Even on double-stopping, her control over pitch is mostly superb. Not easy on a violin.

Posted: 08-Jul-2005 01:20:08 AM

Very good singer

Musicality, attractive voice!, and robust singing are the attractions here.

I think it would be more effective, though if the singer didn't produce his natural well-controlled vibrato immediately upon hitting every note. It takes away from the energy of the notes and melodic line. I'm thinking of woodwinds and any instrument played with breath control, first a solid sound of the note to orient us and to kill us with the beauty of that note and the relationship to the adjoining ones, before the usual needed vibrato.

Pitch sense is very strong, and the only debit there is one common with the best baritones (Fischer-Dieskau), a tendency to go slightly sharp on high longer notes, especially quieter ones.

The singing is otherwise excellent and I wish there were signs of more people giving a listen to some fine singers here like David Newman. I also ask for some songs with more quiet beauty (there are so many) instead of mainly adamant ones.

Posted: 06-Jul-2005 04:17:42 PM

An almost hidden lyric tenor

Joachim Duske's expressive lyric tenor singing (lieder and oratorio) has a very pure quality, excellent pitch sense usually, and a smooth easy movement between notes, even in the more difficult melismas loved by Handel. The high notes in Wolf's "Er ist?" are just beautifully floated. A real find.

Posted: 05-Jul-2005 02:01:28 PM