Jacques Thibaud Trio
The Jacques Thibaud Trio, formed in Berlin eight years ago, and American
flutist Eugenia Zukerman made a perfect team to launch the 2002-03 concert
season Saturday at Georgetown´s Dumbarton Church. Their program, favoring
lighter classical fare, was equally refreshing for a Washington area shrouded
in rain and fear of a monster on the loose ... Zukerman, a flutist who has
long headed the pack, came in for Mozart´s Flute Quartet, K. 285. The
glistening sounds of her instrument, her stupefying lung capacity and her
finely articulated cascades of classical grace closed a deserved tribute to
the concert series´ 25th year.
By Cecelia Porter
The Washington Post
Sunday, October 14, 2002 |
The harp and flute at their best
An evening of chamber music featuring two instruments not known for
great dynamic contrast and with a relatively limited repertoire could spell
``easy listening.´´ But with Eugenia Zukerman and Yolanda Kondonassis, two
professionals at programming as well as at performing on the flute and harp,
there was little opportunity to nod off. ... The hands of a harpist are part
of the musical experience, and Kondonassis´ are powerful, graceful and
expressive. The flutist needs the diaphragm of a long-distance swimmer, and
Zukerman sustains long melodic lines with never a gasp. Kondonassis has a
large dynamic range, and Zukerman´s phrasing and tone quality are
superior ... Throughout the evening, the best of both instruments was seen
and heard.
Martha Erwin
Richmond Times Dispatch
October 3, 2002 |
Flutist reveals concerto´s beauty
By Kyle MacMillan
Virtually all contemporary works at least offer some new sounds, mildly
stimulate curiosity and stir a few emotions. But most are quickly
forgotten.
Christopher Rouse´s Flute Concerto, which the Detroit Symphony
premiered in 1994 and received its first performance by the Colorado
Symphony on Friday night at Boettcher Concert Hall, is clearly an
exception.
Guest soloist Eugenia Zukerman has called it one of the greatest
concertos ever written, and she may well be proven right. It is
unquestionably a powerful, substantive creation. The five-movement work
can probably be included under that amorphous musical heading known as
neo-romanticism but not in any sense that is simplistic, saccharine or
cliche.
It was inspired by Rouse´s Celtic heritage, and it incorporates
Irish folk music in an indirect way. The second movement is based on a
jig, but the dance is torn apart and reconstructed in jarring and
chaotic fashion.
The piece is focused on the long third movement, which is titled
``Elegia.´´ It is dedicated to a 2-year-old English boy who
was brutally killed by a pair of 10-year-olds, a case in the headlines
when Rouse was composing the concerto.
The solo bassoon leads into a solemn opening, which gives way to a long,
reflective flute solo. Later comes perhaps the section´s highlight,
an amazingly sumptuous section for all of the strings that is suitably
elegiac but never morose. |
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Conductor Marin Alsop did a masterful job of giving shape to the overall
architecture of this piece, but her handling of this section and the
beautiful sound she drew from the strings were especially striking.
Zukerman was quite simply superb throughout. The flutist capably handled
all of the many technical challenges, from the twists and jolts of the
fourth movement to the minute phrasings necessary in the first, and she
did it with a warm, inviting and enveloping tone. But what was more
important was the result: a subtle, sensitive and expressive
interpretation that revealed the heart and soul of this deeply moving
music and made it achingly and movingly vivid.
On an imaginatively chosen program of works all related in some way to
the British Isles, the concerto was paired on the first half with
Benjamin Britten´s ``Four Sea Interludes´´ from ``Peter
Grimes.´´ The 1945 piece received an electric performance,
particularly the storm section with its appropriately hair-raising
conclusion.
The concert ended with Felix Mendelssohn´s Symphony No. 3 in A
minor, Op. 56, ``Scottish.´´
Kyle MacMillan
Denver Post Critic-at-Large.
The Denver Post
Sunday, May 20, 2001 |
Press Acclaim as a Soloist
Selected Excerpts
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``Her musicianship is consummate, her taste immaculate, and her stage
presence a sheer pleasure!´´ |
The New York Times
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``Cambridge born Eugenia Zukerman is an international triple threat. She
is a published novelist, a television commentator and, most
impressively, one of the finest flutists of our
time.´´ |
Boston Globe
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``Zukerman´s magic flute is graceful and eloquent ... an absolute marvel
of sensitivity.´´ |
The Washington Post
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``Zukerman´s elegant performance was polished and expressive. Intonation
was impeccable, and Zukerman´s phrasing sounded
effortless.´´ |
The Columbian
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``What made the concert so noteworthy was not only the unusual music
that Zukerman played with world-class virtuosity and musicality, but
also her presentation and stage presence.´´ |
The Capital Times (WI)
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``[An] exceptional musician, Ms. Zukerman gave the beguiling Ibert work
a stylish and virtuosic reading that brought out all of its Gallic
spirit and elan. The enchanting slow movement and a dazzling last
movement cadenza were special highlights of this brilliant
performance.´´ |
Savannah News-Press
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``She was the master of her instrument and performed with facility and
sensitivity, capturing the spirit of the piece.´´ |
Intelligencer Journal
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``The work is Lowell Liebermann´s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra. It
was performed Friday night by flutist Eugenia Zukerman and the DSO, with
Andrew Litton conducting. Ms. Zukerman gave a fluid and graceful
performance of the work, which has two predominantly lyrical movements
followed by a livelier, virtuosic finale.´´ |
The Dallas Morning News
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``Eugenia Zukerman shone as the flute soloist for Mozart´s Flute
Concerto No. 1 in G Major. Zukerman performed with style and precision
in bringing this gem to life.´´ |
Statesman-Journal
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``Flutist Eugenia Zukerman shone brightly throughout her many
complicated passages [of Mozart´s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra K.
313] playing with an ease and delicacy that focused attention fully on
Mozart´s masterful score. Zukerman proved herself just as much a master
of the wind instrument. She appeared immersed in the music,
imaginatively climbing its clefs, willingly trapped in it and by it and
ready to render an excellent rendition of what she was hearing with her
inner ear, thereby sharing her vision of Mozart with
us.´´ |
Connecticut Post
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``A poised and confident Ms. Zukerman captivated the audience with the
freeflowing first movement [of Mozart´s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
in G], a whirl of perpetual motion, and again with the courtly
rondo/minuet finale, contributing mostly her own multifaceted, graceful
cadenzas filled with bravura passagework. Later, the guest artist
returned to emulate the sweetest birdsong imaginable on the short,
romantic Serenade for Flute, Harp and Strings of American Composer
Howard Hanson. This idyll dramatically spotlighted the flute in soaring
melodies.´´ |
Chattanooga Times
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``Zukerman´s enormous energy shone through each soaring line. Her
performance was superb. Whether she was reflecting a whipporwill, as in
a Martinu sonata, or a perky blackbird, as in Messiaen´s Le Merle Noir,
Zukerman´s breath control and digital dexterity were limitless. The real
excitement of the recital was the world premiere of Streams of Tender
Ribboning Time for unaccompanied alto flute, written for Zukerman by
Deborah Drattell. In a departure from the evening´s bravura playing,
Zukerman explored the mellowness of this work with rich and languid
sounds and a lazy vibrato. Zukerman underscored the lyricism of
Drattel´s work and its contemplative mood with a gently placed
tempo.´´ |
The Berkshire Eagle
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``Zukerman, a dazzling virtuoso, makes music as it is meant to be made;
combining a beautiful sensitivity with technical finesse that is almost
unbelievable. Here is an artist who spins with her music a magic web
that she spreads over an audience to pleasantly ensnare it as she offers
some incomparable enrichment. ... the astonishing thing ... was the
artistry of Zukerman, a combination of music and personal sensitivity
with a technique that boggles the mind. The artist combines deftness of
hand with a stunning breath control. The result is an unending flow of
delicate, warm, silvery sound that is hypnotic in its
quality.´´ |
The Sun (AZ)
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``What was immediately striking about Zukerman´s playing was her golden
tone ... Zukerman´s unique timbre is unmistakably her´s. Technical
prowess being second nature to her, she affixed this work [Mozart´s
Flute Concerto No. 1] with an aural smile and a countenance of pure
joy.´´ |
The Salt Lake Tribune
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``Zukerman took the stage for ... Jacques Ibert´s Concerto for Flute and
Orchestra. All of Ibert´s oevre is attractive, and this piece is no
exception. Written in 1934, the flute concerto creates a pleasing
dichotomy between flute soloist and small orchestra. The contrasts so
characteristic of Ibert are abundant. Zukerman´s performance was
energetic but understated, which is essential to the success of this
work (Ibert was after all, a composer of chamber music.) Although the
rhythmic element in Ibert´s music is so strong that there is little room
for rubato, Zukerman found numerous suitable places to introduce it into
the phrasing.´´ |
Kalamazoo Gazette
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``The second work, Concerto for Flute and Orchestra by J. Ibert
displayed the talents of the featured artist ... Zukerman has enjoyed an
extensive performing career and is the music director of the
international Vail Valley Music Festival in the Rockies. The first
movement, Allegro, was very quick in tempo, with fast articulation in
the solo flute. The second movement, Andante, balanced the first
movement, being very serene and pastoral. The last movement, Allegro
scherzando, echoed the first movement and displayed the talent of |
Corpus Christi Caller-Times
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``For the remainder of the program, Zukerman turned to the gold flute
playing often with brilliance and a sensuous glow. Technique she has to
spare and her trills in a Poulenc Sonata for Flute and Piano, with
Victor Rosenbaum as pianist, were spectacular. Here too sharp contrasts
of color, tempos and dynamics occurred with such suddenness and grace as
to heighten the work´s sly charm. For the Vivaldi Concerto in D. Op. 10,
No. 3 and a C.P.E. Bach D minor Concerto, Zukerman was accompanied by
the Longy Chamber Orchestra, directed by Rosenbaum. Her phrasing was
flowing, cadenzas were slick and ... both concertos got warm, lively
readings.´´ |
Boston Globe
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``...Mozart´s bright little Divertimento in D, K. 136 and two Vivaldi
flute concertos exquisitely played by Eugenia Zukerman, showed how good
18th century music can sound on modern instruments ... Zukerman´s
graceful, eloquent performance brought out the descriptive values in
Vivaldi´s La Notte, which describes the atmosphere of the night and Il
cardellino which includes some delectable bird
imitations.´´ |
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The Washington Post |
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