MOONKYUNG LEE’S TCHAIKOVSKY

ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

 

nv6079-lee-frontcover

Navona Records (NV 6079). Recorded June 20 and 21, 1969 at the Angel Studios in London, UK.

Producer: Kresimir Seletkovic; Engineer: Steve Price

Here’s Moonkyung Lee playing the third movement of the Violin Concerto in D rhttps://youtu.be/diFkV1eK_Lg

Navona Records either surprises the listener by bringing out unusual repertoire – a CD of works for piccolo, for example – or by highlighting young performers on the rise, as is the case with their all-Tchaikovsky CD featuring the enormously talented Korean violinist Moonkyung Lee.

The first track of the album is given to the D Major Violin Concerto – a daunting challenge for any but the most valiant of violinists. I confess not to know whether or not Tchaikovsky indicated any metronome markings on this or any other of his scores, but rather doubt it. One is used to most violinists taking the first and third movements of this concerto at warp speed, even at the risk of loss of clarity and cleanliness of articulation.

Ms. Moonkyung does not fall into any tempo traps, opting instead for a measured approach to the Allegro Moderato of the first movement and the Vivacissimo marking of the third, which allows for graceful transitions in and out of the slower sections that Tchaikovsky positions within each of them. The middle Canzonetta: Andante is taken at a leisurely pace though never a lax one, and the results are satisfying. Ms. Moonkyung  is a sensitive and sensible player that regales the listener with lyrical playing that spares any grandstanding. Yet, when the Big Moments come around, the Korean violinist is ready to deliver the needed fireworks.

The Meditation in D Minor is a midcareer work filled with heartfelt melody and sentiment. It comes from opus 42, titled “Remembrances of a beloved place” Moonkyung Lee gives it an impassioned and delicate rendition. The Bb Melancholy Serenade is perhaps more familiar to more concertgoers. It is, much like the Meditation a one-movement piece with the musculature of a concerto, and in it the Korean violinist excels, giving the CD a lovely closing.

The London Symphony Orchestra, led by Miran Vaupotić provides solid support to Ms. Moonkyung’s world class playing.

May we hope for more from this wonderful artist?

Rafael de Acha

 

Published by ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

Rafael de Acha has enjoyed a distinguished career in the arts as a performer, stage director, producer, and educator. He was born and grew up in Cuba. At the age of 17 he moved to the United States to study Drama at the University of Minnesota, and later Languages at L.A. City College, Music at the Juilliard School of Music, at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, and at the New England Conservatory of Music, from which he received the Master's degree. He has taught courses on the History of Music at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and at Florida International University, and contributed writings and reviews to Seen and Heard International (www.seenandheard-international.com ) and to this blog. He co-founded the award-winning New Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida, where he produced and staged twenty seasons of classical and contemporary theater, including fifty world premieres of plays that went on to have international and national productions on and off Broadway, including Ana in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz (Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2002 and Tony Nomination 2003.) In 2006 he was presented with a citation from The Dade County Cultural Affairs Council for “trailblazing contributions to the arts in South Florida.”

2 thoughts on “MOONKYUNG LEE’S TCHAIKOVSKY”

  1. Don Rafael:

    Thanks for all of your interesting posts! Just a note, my book on conducting and career, “The Beat Stops Here,” has just been published by Oxford Univ. Press. Let me know if you need a copy.
    Regards,
    MG

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