Geneva Lewis has one of the toughest jobs in town this weekend. In two Hough Family Foundation Masterworks performances with The Florida Orchestra, she will try to capture perfection in what is often considered a flawless piece of music: Felix Mendelssohn’s beloved Violin Concerto.
Anyone who attends orchestra concerts knows the work, which makes Lewis’ job even harder because the concerto has to sound fresh, giving listeners something new to chew. But how do you alter or add to a masterpiece?
We asked the 26-year-old musician from New Zealand − who will tackle the concerto on a Guadagnini violin made in 1766 − about her approach to the Mendelssohn and the challenges of performing at such a high level.
The concerto was first performed exactly 180 years ago but still sparkles, almost as if the ink on the score hasn’t dried. Why does this music never seem to age?
I think that the piece belongs to a particular and unique place in time, and part of what gives it this timeless quality is its innovative approach within this context. Mendelssohn’s decision to start the solo line right away and place the cadenza in the middle of the first movement rather than at the end, are a few of the famous innovations that he wrote into this piece.
In a more abstract sense, I think that the buoyancy and vibrancy of the music keep it sounding fresh. There is of course the aspect of being in touch with nuanced human emotions, which keep the music relevant.
For all its lyricism, violinists have said the concerto is incredibly exacting, exposed and difficult to play.
I agree, and the music is so perfectly written that it feels like it stands out to disturb anything that’s on the page. Of course, the effort to execute the music should never come at the expense of risk-taking and full commitment to the music, but I do find it to be a little intimidating.
As you mentioned, the soloist starts to play immediately, rather than following an orchestral introduction. Does this present any challenges?
For me, it’s actually quite exciting; I like the experience of being able to jump right into the piece. Sometimes waiting through long tuttis (full orchestra) at the beginning of concertos feels like it can just give more time for nerves to build, and hands to get cold!
Underneath its upbeat character lies a tangible sense of pathos and melancholy that drives the music forward. How are you able to capture all of this mixed emotion in a performance?
Just being fully immersed in the music is all you can do to try and communicate that. For myself, it’s very important to have a thoughtful and well-crafted interpretation, but also to allow yourself to be swept up in the music. It’s always a subjective experience to listen to and play this music, and I feel that my role is just to try and get inside the music as best I can and communicate it as honestly as possible.
Everyone knows this concerto, maybe too well. Does this encourage you to offer something different in a performance that many listeners aren’t expecting?
I don’t hold an attitude of trying to play differently for its own sake. I believe in the natural subjectivity that each performer has to offer, and hope that my own experiences will contribute to my interpretation being unique. I think familiarity is a wonderful part of classical music and is a big aspect of what we gravitate towards in the first place.
This is one of many concertos you keep in your pocket when you tour. How can an artist like yourself memorize and bring to life so much music by so many varied composers?
I do find it difficult to be juggling a lot of repertoire, but there’s something special and refreshing about jumping around between different pieces. It’s a luxury to be able to really live with a piece for a period of time and commit yourself to getting inside the music. I remember first learning the Mendelssohn concerto when I was young, and that early familiarity makes it easier to keep the piece in my fingers.’’
The program includes William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony and George Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1. Nicholas Hersh, music director of the Modesto Orchestra in California, conducts.
