Kernis: A New Killer Violin Concerto (Memeteria.com)

Thomas May, of Memeteria attended the US premiere of Aaron Kernis’ new Violin Concerto. He wrote, “In last night’s Seattle Symphony concert led by Ludovic Morlot, James Ehnes introduced a brand-new violin concerto written for him by one of today’s finest composers, Aaron Jay Kernis…

Talk about making a great firstKernis Memeteria logo large impression! Despite — or even because of — its terrorizing challenges for the soloist, this is a concerto built to last: it’s so good and makes such an obviously satisfying contribution…

Kernis has really thought through the concerto idea and created something substantial and fresh…[He] amalgamates [traditional] idioms into a rich, compelling harmonic language and flow of idealism [and]…animates all of these conventional elements with a marvelously contemporary spirit…for all the thrills and escapades, [this concerto is] a rich, many-colored, joyful composition that has something compelling to say, and that resonates afterward.”

To read the complete review, click here.