Toronto Summer Music: Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 & Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 “Eroica”; Kerson Leong, violin, TSM Festival Orchestra, Simon Rivard, conductor. August 1, 2024, Koerner Hall.
When Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major was first performed in 1806, it was met with little to no acclaim. Today, it’s one of the most important pieces in a violinist’s repertoire. Often likened to a revolution’s score, the concerto made its way to Koerner Hall this past Thursday as part of this year’s Toronto Summer Music (TSM) festival.
“Beethoven Unleashed,” one of the last performances in the festival, featured the TSM Orchestra, conductor Simon Rivard, and internationally renowned violinist Kersen Leong. The first half of the program, or the Violin Concerto in D Major (Op. 61), moves through three movements of varying lengths. In Allegro ma non troppo, the longest of the three, Leong enters and weaves seamlessly through the symphony.
The piece demands cohesion; rather than pedestalling the soloist, it asks for a friendship between the two. Closing one’s eyes, the most prominent indicator of Leong’s mastery is the particularly high register that separates him from the rest of the strings. Of course, watching Leong with your eyes open is a different type of awe. Both his music and his movements seem vulnerable, almost romantic.
The program continues with Larghetto and Rondo, the latter of which concludes with thunderous applause and a standing ovation. Someone around me whispers, “I’ve never in my life been forced to attention like I was during that performance.”
Following intermission, the orchestra returns with Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major (Op. 55), known simply as “Eroica,” the heroic symphony. Comprised of four movements, the piece tells the story of Beethoven’s admiration of the French Revolution. The orchestra itself is comprised of musicians both distinguished and on the precipice of launching their classical careers. The young musicians, part of TSM’s Emerging Artist Progam, are particularly fun to watch as they immerse themselves in scores of struggle and triumph.
The night ends with another standing ovation — one of the last ones before the summer festival’s finale on August 3.
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