Tseng Yu-chien to take on Beethoven's iconic violin concerto in Taichung
曾宇謙將在台中演奏貝多芬標誌性的小提琴協奏曲
| TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese violinist Tseng Yu-chien (曾宇謙) will take the stage at the National Taichung Theater on Sunday to perform what he calls the most challenging concerto of his career.
Accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Music Director Jun Markl, Tseng will perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s sole violin concerto, the Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61. The second half of the evening will feature Markl leading the orchestra in Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World.” Composed during the Czech composer’s time in the US, the symphony is imbued with a deep sense of longing and nostalgia. The piece stands as one of Dvorak’s most beloved orchestral achievements, reflecting his groundbreaking idea to draw on African American and Native American musical themes to shape an American school of composition, a groundbreaking idea for its era. Tseng described Beethoven’s concerto as a work that lays bare every pitch, tone, and expression, leaving no room for concealment. “Every time I perform this concerto, I discover new perspectives and inspiration,” Tseng said. “In both technique and artistry, it remains the toughest concerto I have faced.” Written in 1806 for a close friend, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto initially struggled to find its audience due to its unconventional form, which contrasted with the flashy virtuosic concertos popular at the time. Its breakthrough came decades later in 1844 when 12-year-old prodigy Joseph Joachim delivered a landmark performance. The concerto is now hailed as a masterpiece, renowned for its innovative balance between soloist and orchestra. Rather than serving merely as an accompaniment, the orchestra plays a vital and equal role. This performance extends Tseng’s recent series of four solo violin recitals held in June, marking his transition from solo performances to collaborative concerto interpretations with a full orchestra. |
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| Charlotte Lee Taiwan News, Staff Reporter | |
| 2025-07-17 |
