Nicholas Yasillo wrote:

>It's interesting that Ms.  Hahn has been receiving mixed reviews for
>her current "whirlwind" tour with pianist Valentina Lisitsa.

By my count one rave, three good, one slightly negative and one with
left-handed compliments.  Not too bad.  The reference to coldness or
shyness reminds me of criticism made of Heifetz, who was said to be
cold because of his stiff stance, though blindfolded testing of listeners
showed his playing to have as much "warmth" as other major players.  (She
may well be shy, which can mimic coldness; I confess to finding several
of the photos she presumably authorizes quite dreadful.)

>Both are obviously extremely talented virtuoso artists, but one begins
>to wonder if the days of being a "wunderkind" are over for Ms. Hahn
>and that she will now be held to a higher standard.

With her age 27 and an amazing streak of luck getting recorded, I should
certainly hope that she will be judged by the highest standards.  Sounds
like she already is.  Her Wunderkind days are long over and it is really
good news that she has not burned out or gotten comfortable with a limited
repertoire.  Instead she is still exploring new repertoire, with at least
two commissions of new works; and as the interview shows, she is still
finding new ways to play old work.  I had reservations about her Barber,
avoided her Paganini, and am not looking forward to her Tchaikovsky,
though she may surprise me with that.  The live performance of the Elgar
and Bach concertos I heard her play were splendid and excellent.
respectively.  I love the Meyer concerto she recorded.

Jim Tobin

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