Pure classical, seriously popular - concerts at Hampton Court and at the Deutsche Oper, Berlin

David Garrett is proving tremendously popular in his homeland, Germany, and is rapidly gaining the same kind of enthusiastic following when he appears in other countries. 

Hampton Court Palace was a wonderful venue for David, when he played the Four Seasons on June 6th. It was a freezing cold evening, and we were so close to the Heathrow flightpath that we were regularly disturbed by low flying planes. 

But none of this dampened the sheer magic. David had joked that he ought to just play “Winter” four times, but he certainly did not let the adverse conditions have any impact on his exciting performance. The orchestra clearly enjoyed it all as much as we did, and everyone was happy for him to give several encores, including the Paganini “Carnival de Venise”. This piece is very well known in Germany and it received a rather more gentle response in the UK – but nevertheless, it showed his pure virtuosity and his relaxed and laid back style of entertainment. 

Three weeks later, I was lucky enough to visit Berlin, where I also went along to “Tosca” and to the Sir Simon Rattle concert with the Berliner Philarmoniker at the Waldbuhne. Both of those were spectacular evenings that will long remain in my memory and in my heart. But up there with those greats was David Garrett himself, performing with the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper,and clearly continuing to steal hearts as he introduces a whole new audience to classical music. 

It was a completely straight classical event – except that it was sold out and there was the buzz of excitement as people arrived in their hundreds, relaxed and ready for a seriously wonderful evening’s entertainment.
The audience was very mixed – lots of young children (many of whom were enthusiastic students of the violin) with their grandparents, lots of women of a certain age who David continues to attract, and alongside these, very happily, was the traditional classical concert audience. 

The conductor was Yves Abel, a wonderfully passionate interpreter of French classics, and the evening started with the overture from Herold’s “Zampa”. This is a fast and furious piece anyway, and it was a rip-roaring start to a great core classical evening. 

David arrived on the stage, to a tremendous welcome, and gave a wonderfully moody and melancholy performance of the “Poeme” by Ernest Chausson. This is a moving and delicate piece which was the perfect foil for David’s gentle brilliance. His light touch, his depth of emotion came through and, although this is not an obvious work for a first visit to a classical concert for some, he totally captured the audience. We were all “blown away”. 

His second piece was a violin favourite, the Meditation from the opera “Thais” by Massenet. I have heard this played so often and so well, but I have never been as moved as I was by this concentrated and intense interpretation. David was made for this kind of emotional outpouring and he took the gentle melodies to new heights. 

Only two encores, sadly, but they were super. He chose the Bach “Sarabande” which he played magnificently. He has often said how much he loves this work and you could tell that he was at his happiest introducing it to people who may not, without him, have experienced it. 

And his final piece was the Paganini again, the “Carnival de Venise”, which was a huge success with the audience who knew it so well and enjoyed the freshness of this new, fun interpretation.
During the interval, David was in huge demand. The queue to have anything and everything signed stretched round the full expanse of the foyer. Apparently, it wasn’t only CDs that people were offering to his pen – bare arms were popular I heard. Even in an extended interval, it was not possible for everyone to get the autographs and there was an announcement that David had to leave for the airport. 

But the happy mood stayed. 

The final piece, the unusual Symphony written by Cesar Franck was a beautiful ending to a perfect evening. It was sad that some of the fans did not stay, but for those of us who were swept on a classical fever, it was a wonderful finale.
David is gaining such popularity in the USA now, with the release of his new album “David Garrett” that we may have to put up with fewer concerts. Sadly, he has none planned at the moment for the UK. We must just pray and hope that will change. 

We need more – and more – and more – of this exceptional virtuoso.

Added: June 25th 2009
Reviewer: Xstatic
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