Spotlighting the elegant violin artistry of Elmar Oliveira and under the direction of Stewart Robertson, Symphony Syracuse brought all the lush color of a Central New York autumn into the auditorium for a vibrant performance.
Oliveira mesmerized the audience on the melodious and fiery Saint-Saens’ Concerto No. 3 in B Minor. A half-hour flew by as his impeccable technical presentation and sensitive interpretation created a hushed, expectant atmosphere among the crowd. The first movement alone was ample demonstration of his versatility in form and his precision in technique. He traveled seamlessly from the opulent melodies and fiery acrobatics of the opening to the accelerating volume and tempo of the coda.
In the second movement, Oliveira’s physicality produced compelling sound on the first theme, leading to the gorgeous middle section, a sweet, sensual melody played by the violins. Finally, his amazing dexterity brought the third movement to a final flourish that had people leaping to their feet.
Linda Loomis, Syracuse.com