The top Dutch violinist - and I don't know another famous one, to be honest - but the top Dutch violinist of my generation is Janine Jansen.
Unfortunately, the Dutch have a tendency to overhype their top performers at times. I've heard her play and understood it was excellent. But surely, she couldn't be that good.
So after a live performance on tv, which was beautiful, I gave her new album 12 Stradivari a listen. (And Spotify and their ilk is an incomprehensible gift that way.)
Now Janine Jansen is also very subtly commercial. And hey, this is a business, you have to be. But that can lead to some greatest hits programs and since my mother has dragged me to all of those since I was 12, you can get a bit bored by those. I know for many people their familiarity with classical concertos is about as great as mine with heavy metal - I know it exists and I've even enjoyed some of it but do I know the greats or have I attended a concert? Nope. So if you want many people to enjoy it you start with the popular stuff, yeah? Not the hardest fare.
So her opener Danse Espagnole? I'd heard it. Many times. I really like it too.
And it was very good. But not that good, surely...
I've listened to six versions and apart from Ehnes, who uses the same violin perhaps? there was always something ...off. The dynamics. The tempo. The phrasing. Too restrained. Too thin, a sound. Too slow.
And then I listened again to Janine Jansen and thought: holy cow. She's good. She's great, actually.
Why have I been sitting on this? Because she's popular? Because her marketing is good?
And live she is a sight to behold. She just goes all out, completely disheveled, romantic full blown passion.
And I've been too snobbish to buy a ticket.
That's been rectified stat.
It's still cheaper than a Broadway show, anyway.
I am going to listen to Vivaldi played by a genius and I could have done that sooner if I'd simply used my ears.
Don't be a music snob, kids. Maybe Hamilton and Lemonade and Someone Like You and Yesterday and I Will Always Love You are simply good.
And if some of the world's top orchestras are on tour and you can nab a ticket? Go. Go listen to the London Symphony and the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic and the CSO and New York Philharmonic and the Boston Philharmonic and the Yucathan Symphony Orchestra, find a youth and student discount and for the love of music don't miss out.
