„… Natasha Korsakovas dynamic range, tone and intonation were worthly of the highest praise.“
Yorkshire Post
Violinist Natasha Korsakova Joins Triangle Artists for a Glorious Afternoon of Music
If one believes that art imitates nature, this recital served as the perfect example. Outside St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Raleigh, late afternoon light illuminated the leaves so the colors were spectacular. Inside the nearly packed sanctuary, music lovers listened to great music performed by a stellar group of players. Featured violinist Natasha Korsakova was joined by guest artists Kevin Kerstetter, organ, Ariadna Nacianceno, piano, and Katherine Kaufman Posner, soprano. Natasha Korsakova has deep musical roots… With all this experience and training, she demonstrated a genuine ease on the stage. Engaging with her audience, she has the grace and charm of a fully developed superstar.
Korsakova’s repertoire is impressive, and the afternoon’s recital pieces were well chosen. She began with Tomaso Antonio Vitali’s Chaconne, a piece greatly loved by violinists but with an uncertain authorship because of the unusual modulations. Heifetz, who played lots of arrangements, also performed it. This arrangement with organ worked particularly well in the sanctuary. I closed my eyes, imagining myself in Italy. Her violin sounded beautiful, particularly on the bass side. Her open G string is deep and rich. Notes on the E string shimmered. With flawless technique, Korsakova made the instrument sing. Organist Kevin Kerstetter played with great sensitivity until the very last variation (marked forte), where the organ overpowered the violin. The audience approved, however, and offered plenty of applause. Vitali’s work was just the warm-up for J.S. Bach’s Chaconne for solo violin, one of the great works for the instrument. Korsakova marked it with her own style, playing the inner rhythms with speed and great clarity; like a master painter, she treated the perilous string crossings as if she were dabbing them with a brush. This piece can sound like a labored war horse on a violin with a modern set-up. Not so for this violinist!
Korsakova played two pieces with Adriadna Nacianceno: the famous Ballade and Polonaise, Op. 38, by the 19th century Belgian violinist and composer, Henri Vieuxtemps, and Astor Piazzolla’s „Grand Tango,“ a piece Gidon Kremer made popular with his Hommage à Piazzolla (1996). The two artists played together like dancers, capturing the exotic feel of the tango. I was disappointed in their choice to close the piano lid, which squashed the beautiful overtones, especially from the upper registers. Nevertheless, I was impressed with their fine collaboration and sheer joy in performing together. I hope they do more.
In response to the enthusiastic audience cry for more, the duo returned for an excerpt of „Grand Tango.“ Their performance was, again, marvelous. Korsakova and Kerstetter accompanied the wonderful soprano Katherine Kaufman Posner in „Erbarme dich“ from J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. All told, it was a glorious afternoon of music.
Korsakova will travel to other destinations on the East Coast this month. On behalf of her friends in North Carolina, I wish her well.
CVNC – Online Art Journal in North Carolina
Brahms Violin Concerto with Iceland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by John Neschling
“The piercingly cold wind swept through the western part of Reykjavík on Thursday evening without success, as the flow of visitors to the Háskólabíó concert hall was above average. This was certainly due first and foremost to the evening’s soloist, Natasha Korsakova. After all, we know from experience that top young international talent is more attractive than almost anything else. Moreover, it will hardly have been a disadvantage that this star violinist is also an author, apart from the unwavering popularity of Brahms’ Violin Concerto, which is one of the five most popular works of its kind. Ultimately, the frenetic applause at the end of the concert was not long in coming and did not let up at all when Korsakova conjured up the demanding first movement from Ysaye’s Solo Sonata No. 5 as an encore with absolutely unforced elegance.
Reykjavik Newspaper
Virtuoso Korsakova
Masterful command of the violin. Great performance from Gallardo too. The violinist Natasha Korsakova’s appearance at the last concert of the Gli Incontri dell’Accademia exhibition certainly struck a chord. The Sala Maffeiana was completely sold out, right down to the very last seat. And people’s interest was duly rewarded. The concert violinist proved that she has several strings to her bow – both in terms of her innate musicality and her virtuosity.
With a perfect mixture of spontaneity and tenderness, the soloist demonstrated in the final section of the concert her exceptional command of the instrument, which she no doubt owes to her father Andrei’s tuition, himself a famous concert musician. Under her command, the violin begins to sing, the sound is pure, authentic and so full of intimate expressiveness that the interpretation never once drifts into monotone and weak sentimentality. This rings particularly true in her interpretation of Mozart’s Sonata KV 454 Andante and the Sonata, Opus 12 no. 1 variations by Beethoven, which she performs with great elegance and originality supported by the unusually powerful playing of her colleague, the Argentinean pianist José Gallardo. Korsakova’s enthusiasm is tangible and infectious – which is true for Gallardo, too. He accompanies her throughout with empathy and in perfect harmony.
And yet for Debussy’s sonata in G Minor, the central part of her performance, she even seems to go one better. Her Très anime in the finale in particular – an absolutely unleashed Gigue, interpreted flawlessly with its emphasis of creative momentum and joie de vivre – is astoundingly good. The concert ends with a humorous – and, of course, perfectly executed – allusion to the popular Gershwin of „An American in Paris“ (in an arrangement by Heifetz) and the fantasy of „Porgy and Bess“ (in an arrangement by Frolov). With the famous Summertime theme, Korsakova scales the heights of her performance with great intensity and interpretive skill, Gershwin’s music, however, always remaining centre stage. Both artists received resounding applause and finished with an encore from Lehàr‘s „The Merry Widow“.
L’Arena
All the colours of Gershwin on stage
First the music, then the text. In anticipation of the contributions from the organizers, guests and official artists, the violinist Natasha Korsakova and pianist José Gallardo created a seductive acoustic framework for the official presentation of „America!“ on the stage of the Teatro Grande and whisked the audience away to the staves of the New World.
The short, powerful concert with Jascha Heifetz’s arrangements where the violin has the challenging task of making Gershwin’s melodies blossom in all their tonal shades, sketched what before was an unfamiliar picture of the composer George Gershwin.
They started off with five pieces from the opera „Porgy and Bess“, five wise fragments hovering between European form and American rhythm, José Gallardo at the piano who embellished the tones Korsakova’s violin had delivered in broad spans of volatile and enticing play abound with contrasts.
Sublime contradictions, the hallmark of Gershwin’s music – elite and popular, light and refined at once – which strike a unique and wonderful balance in „Summertime“, one of the better-known and frequently performed works of the American author. Korsakova’s fiery lyricism and bitter-sweet play is irresistible. Gershwin’s music in „An American in Paris“ immediately after, appears more highspirited and less respectful. Originally composed as a symphony and colourful Aladdin’s cave of acoustic invention, the work loses some power and subtle tonal richness in the version for piano and violin. At the same time, the acerbic selfmockery of the American’s dissonant encounter with Europe is made clearer in the musical narration.
A brilliant performance with sparks of humor flying between strings and bow; the quaint sound effects are left up to the ivories.
The finale: two short preludes, fleeting water colours arising from the successful mixture of bright melodic brushstrokes and a constantly powerful, rhythmic bow. Carried away in an intimate and pleasant tête-à-tête with the piano, the violin ignites with folk sounds, enlaced with classical reminiscences and pop echoes.
Finally, genuine applause for the artists and the musical magic of America.
Giornale di Brescia “
… Four songs from “Much Ado About Nothing” by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, an inspirational stroke of genius to which the audience gratefully responded. The entire audience in any case glowed with radiant delight thanks especially to Natasha Korsakova and her violin. The violinist gave a virtuoso performance of the four Korngold songs – attacking, yet tender, spellbinding and bewitching in her charm, and truly moving with her play. Her accompanist on the grand piano, Ira Maria Witoschynsky, also adopted an exquisitely consistent and subtle, relaxed style. All the musicians truly deserved the rapturous applause at the end …”
“Allgemeine Zeitung”
Natasha Korsakova and Robert Pobitschka at Grosser Ehrbarsaal, Vienna
„… If you wish to experience world class, which you often bitterly miss at the great concert halls, you should from time to time cast a look at Wien’s side scenes! A concert hall which has become more frequently a place of great surprises during the last few years is the Grosser Ehrbarsaal in Mu?hlgasse.
Natasha Korsakova and Robert Pobitschka surprised the audience with a concert of exceptional class! In an ensemble play, carried by an inspired conception of themselves, the two artists hypnotized their audience from the very first note. Bach’s Sonata No. IV in c-minor resembled in places a magic incantation, focusing Bach’s nature like a beam into the hall: Bach is a composer made of flesh and blood! The following Sonata-Ballad by Eugene Auguste Ysaye for violin solo was captivating in the violinist’s equally rhapsodic and transparent conception, her technical mastery was remarkable. Beethoven’s Sonata op. 12 No. 1 seemed in some places to be slightly overdone concerning the tempi. But someone’s heart, excessively full of artistic intention, can overflow a little from time to time! The following Sonata in G-major op. 78 by Johannes Brahms was a great success of the two artists. The perfectly synchronous play of them was filled with burning passion and at the same time inscrutably deep, like the master from Hamburg himself might have been…“
Der Neue Merker
Castle Festival Season, with Stunning Finale
„… It was sheer brilliance: the violinist, Korsakova’s contribution to the evening embraced the concert hall with her intoxicating charisma. Her mimicry was rapturous one minute, and resolute, even reserved the next, only revealing her extraordinary empathy and great presence. Her final piece, „D’un Matin de Printemps“ by Lili Boulanger, was a sensational triumph. The Korsakova/Witoschynskyj duet outshone each other with their inspirational and captivating sense of drama, although they were also restrained, until they each finally raised the stakes, unleashing a stunning finale with unbelievable intensity. The two artists achieved unbelievable, almost perfect harmony, sheer excellence, and they are evidently also genuine and delightful personalities, who each deserved the audience’s adoration, the cries of bravo, the encores, and the tumultuous applause. The final evening of the Castle Festival Season was a resounding success.“
Allgemeine Zeitung
Natasha Korsakova, violin
Jose Luis Gallardo, piano
Caspary Auditorium The Rockefeller University
„Natasha Korsakova is an exceptional violinist. She performs with utmost insight into the works she plays, interpreting with a gift for feeling what the composer most likely felt and transmitting it to the audience. Those in attendance on March 11th were in awe of Korsakova’s excellent technique, but even more enraptured and galvanized by her exquisite tone and great personality on stage. It didn’t hurt that her pianist, Jose Luis Gallardo, was in perfect sync with her—both ensemble-wise and personality-wise. They gave consistently polished performances throughout their fantastic recital. In Beethoven’s Sonata No. 8 in G, Korsakova played with a strong, velvety sound. Gallardo provided a light, but distinctive touch, bringing rhythmic excitement to the music without overpowering his partner. Their energy never lulled, a witty sense of humor prevailed throughout, and their phrases were rendered with elegance and finesse. The second movement in particular had an abundance of refined balances, color and tempo changes. The ritardando at the end of the second movement, for example, was perfectly timed—embellishment at all.In the solo work by Ysaye: L’Aurore from the Sonata in G, op. 27 No. 5, Korsakova sounded a bit more cautious, but she pulled off the tricky double stops and leaps without any problems. The following piece: the Heifetz arrangement of Gershwin’s 5 Fragments from „Porgy and Bess“ was brilliantly performed. Korsakova souped up the portamenti (slides) with both flair and taste. And she sounded as if she belonged on stage at the MET with the cast of the opera, as she sang Gershwin’s inspired melodies on her fiddle with loyalty to the text of the original songs and the characters that sing them. She also belted out a big, lush sound. One of the reasons her beautiful sound projects so well is that throughout the program, she always applied a full bow—going from the very frog to the very tip. Naturally, she varied the degrees of the bow’s speed and pressure, providing stylistic and coloristic contrasts that make her the interesting performer she is.The Gershwin was great, but it was amazingly topped by an electric performance of Sofia Gubaidulina’s magnificent arrangement of Piazzolla’s „Grand Tango“. Their playing swayed, popped out and teased, but more importantly, it builded momentum from start to finish, with Gallardo adding climactic, virtuosic touches toward the end. He is a fabulous pianist and chamber music player—technically brilliant, yet both sensitive and energetic when he is not prominently on display. This fantastic pair of performers needs to come to New York again soon. Carnegie Hall, are you listening?“
New York Concert Review
A sinfully beautiful listening experience
„In the play of the violinist Natasha Korsakova and the pianist José Gallardo resounds the fascination of strange worlds.“…. This time it was the exceptional violinist Natasha Korsakova and her congenial partner on the piano, José Gallardo, who set about blasting the concrete of firmly established opinions with an explosive programme of Tartini, Ysaye, Beethoven, Paganini, Saint-Saens and Franck.What appeared from beneath the surface was not only a stunningly beautiful listening but also an exciting aha experience. For when Natasha Korsakova caresses the strings of her violin, nothing remains the same. The grown-up child prodigy from Moscow gives composers and indivudual pieces of work back what the mechanisms of concert business all too often deny: their neglected, sometimes strange sides which are just as much their intrinsic nature. In this way ambivalence and transitions can be felt which are often being covered up by the standard nature of many concerts. The fruitful tension between baroque attitude, gallant embellishment and chromatic passion as it is expressed for example in Tartini’s Devil’s Trill Sonata. Natasha Korsakova does justice to all three facets of Tartini when she liberates him from the stigma of an Italian confectioner with an agreeably unpretentious Larghetto, interpreting him as a forfather of the musical Storm and Stress. It still has a moving, even touching mellifluousness, but it doesn’t develop into cloying sweetness. Or Natasha’s ingenious transformation of Paganini: Under her magic hands the diabolic ecstasy becomes a singing angel whose „Cantabile“ reveals the incredibly sensitive, melancholic gracefulness of the Italian who all too often is being misunderstood as a technocratic exhibitionist. Similarly she deals with Beethoven’s Sonata in G-major, the festive melody of which she intersperses again and again with a dance-like wink and demonstrates with polished position changes that the supposedly introverted misanthrope is also capable of smiling. That Natasha Korsakova time and again accomplishes such unconventional perspectives is of course also because of her wonderful partner. José Gallardo is an ideal of an accompanist, a gentleman pianist: calm, discreet and with the subtle but interpretationally rich art of reduction of the all-rounder he prepares a stage, no: a cosmos of possibilities of development for Korsakova, provokes a dialogue with her, but doesn’t shrink from taking control from time to time. This was wonderfully audible in Cesar Franck’s Sonata in Amajor, that stirring drama of the senses in which formally severe toughtfulness and colourful impulsiveness of the musical language symbolically intensify each other. Franck’s message is also Natasha Korsakova’s and José Gallardo’s this evening: Under the surface of tradition and unambiguity always vibrates the fascination of unknown, strange worlds. Whoever wants to understand those needs courage – and good ears.“
Su?ddeutsche Zeitung
Natasha Korsakova and Oleg Poliansky in Wigmore Hall, London
„… Natasha Korsakova looks straight out of a painting by Augustus John, but there‘s nothing meretricious about her fastidiously sensitive playing. Opening with Bach‘s Chaconne, she brought out the grandeur and sweep of this daunting work – in which the violin must take on all the colours of the orchestra – with relaxed authority… After the interval, fireworks. Korsakova delivered Saint-Saens’s bravura study, the valse Caprice, with impeccable precision and an impish smile. Ravel‘s sonata in GMajor made an exhilarating finale. They gave a Gershwin encore, and then a piece of Grapelli-style swing, as though the party was just getting into its stride. More, please! These charismatic performers should be brought back without delay!“
The Scotsman
Shostakovich First Concert with the Thuringia Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Alun Francis.
A soloist who shines on her instrument and a successful journey to the Orient – what more could you want from a concert
“… Natasha Korsakova thrilled the audience with D. Shostakovich’s 1st Violin Concerto – not exactly an easy work, but played by the soloist with technical finesse on this evening, without losing any of her expressiveness. From the very beginning, she radiated a truly mystical atmosphere with her playing on the G string and slowly worked her way up the pitch range. Sweeping melodic bows, enormous pressure on the strings – Korsakova’s playing was powerful and soulful. She knew how to show the dark music in dark timbres on her instrument (1st movement) or to carry it away in fast runs (2nd movement)…”
Freies Wort
Mozart violin concerto with the Bavarian Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Ulf Klausenitzer
“… The internationally acclaimed “Mozart specialist” Natasha Korsakova played both concertos with first-class technique, a pronounced sense of style, musical sensitivity and a gripping interpretation…”
“… For the two Mozart works, the virtuoso found that delicate mixture of unpretentiously slender tone, musical warmth and absolute intonation security that makes Mozart’s music a true pleasure…”
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Tyrolean Symphony Orchestra
“Violin virtuoso Natasha Korsakova is no stranger to the music scene. The aesthetics of Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s violin concerto found perfection with her. It is not for nothing that the violin concerto is considered to be Mendelssohn’s most beautiful work. The violin’s theme is so elfinly delicate, the orchestra’s second movement so powerful. And this apparent contrast results in flowing melodies of perfect form.”
Kronen Zeitung
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