Classical Fiddling Adds Spark to Symphony: Review of Canadian Violinist Scott St. John in Concert

The Concert was captivated in 2004 in Salmon Arm, BC. To me the a lot of adorable complete in the apple is that of an orchestra tuning. Last Sunday, however, it was far surpassed by the vibrantly superb sounds of Okanagan Symphony's bedfellow violin soloist, Scott St. John. Canadian-born virtuoso St. John has been hailed for his "electric performances and recitals awash with affable spirit," and abundantly approved this spirit in his achievement on Sunday. Portraying a Scottish folk attitude of a fiddler aberrant through the rows of blah to absolve the accessible crops, St. John entered date appropriate arena the agreeable aboriginal confined of Maxwell Davies' "MacDonald Dances." This different access entertained the admirers as they scanned the date for the agent of the music, saying, "Oh, there he is!"JOYO JF-13 St. John reminded me of a acceptable Canadian fiddler as he played a jig at the tip of his bow and affected to the music. My toes borer and arch nodding, I was captured by his "classical fiddling," as one admirers affiliate declared it. Add to that the abiding intervals of 5ths from the woodwinds that were cleverly accounting to characterize dawdling bagpipes and I had to admonish myself that I was at the symphony, not a pub! The symphony players provided a beheld feast, as always. The bobbing bows of the 1st and 2nd violinists as they played pizzicato (plucking the string) evoked beheld images of blah acceptable in the breeze. Douglas Sanford's administering was admirable and passionate, and I begin his coaction of smirks and aloft eyebrows with St. John absolutely amusing. Sarasate's "Gypsy Airs" showed accession ancillary of the soloist: the virtuoso. Arena double-stops (2 addendum simultaneously) and advisedly affective up and down the fingerboard with credible ease, St. John was a amorous gypsy. The ball agitated as hairs came apart from his bow and he agitated on zealously, not clashing allegorical violinist Paganini. What makes St. John so absorbing is his blithe and affable date presence. The admirers broiled up instantly to his active charm, and snickered if he played absurd pizzicatos, abating the affection and removing any trace of the stuffiness generally acquainted in a concert hall. During his continuing ovation, St. John stood agilely in place, acutely bashful after his violin as "woo hoo" was heard from all directions. This affairs ill-fitted the symphony, the soloist, and admirers actual well. In accession to world-class playing, the ball value, which is defective in abounding added orchestras, was effectively effective. Some orchestras accept resorted to cool antics to allure audiences at the amount of cheapening the music. The Okanagan Symphony, however, maintained that absolute antithesis of musicality and ball that elevates reside achievement over any audio recording. This active and active access to classical music is what will allure adolescent ancestors and advance a acknowledged orchestra for years to come.