Glimmers of light: Oregon Symphony concertmaster Sarah Kwak and guest conductor Markus Stenz tackle Alban Berg's difficult "Violin Concerto" * Oregon ArtsWatch

"Markus Stenz returned to the podium to lead the Oregon Symphony in an outstanding concert highlighted by concertmaster Sarah Kwak giving a superb performance of Alban Berg's Violin Concerto. Stenz, who guest-conducted the orchestra in 2019 and 2024, inspired the ensemble with his intimate knowledge of the program, which included works by Lili Boulanger, Berg, and Beethoven. Each piece received an exceptional performance - even the more difficult to grasp Violin Concerto by Berg sounded top notch and relatable."

"Berg wrote it as a requiem of sorts for Manon Gropius, who died from polio at the age of 18. She was the daughter of Alma Mahler-Werfel and her second husband, architect and Bauhaus School founder Walter Gropius. Stenz passionately introduced the Violin Concerto by describing it as a Romantic work in which the first part optimistically depicts the possibilities of a young, lovely woman."

Markus Stenz returned to the podium to lead the Oregon Symphony, bringing intimate program knowledge. The program included works by Lili Boulanger, Alban Berg, and Beethoven. The concert opened with Boulanger's D'un soir triste, a somber symphonic poem written in her final year; the orchestra delivered a slow, weighty atmosphere that ebbed and flowed with colorful textures and ended with a glimmer of light and hope. Boulanger's piece prefaced Berg's Violin Concerto, written as a requiem for Manon Gropius. Stenz described the concerto as Romantic, with an optimistic first part, a struggling second half, and a Bach phrase suggesting the divine. Concertmaster Sarah Kwak gave a superb, emotionally resonant performance.

Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News