James Ehnes and Orion Weiss

James Ehnes, violin
Orion Weiss, piano

Thursday, March 6, 2014. 8PM
James Ehnes and Orion Weiss
James Ehnes; Orion Weiss photo by Scott Meivogel

Event Attributes

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Estimated Length: 
1 hour and 30 minutes including intermission
Program Notes: 

Heralded for their chemistry and coordination, Ehnes and Weiss combine formidable technique with rich musical history.

Ehnes’s playing fully embodies the phrasing and tonal spectrum of a piece. “Simply mastering violin technique is not his first priority. Rather, his playing serves as a bridge between the past and the present, producing a unique sound that is both modern and traditional.” (OberlinReview.org). Weiss, just 32, “has an exceptionally clean technique with virtuosity to spare." (The Washington Post)

Their program at the Center will include Aaron Copland’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, Edvard Grieg’s Sonata No. 2 in G Major, op. 13, Johannes Brahms’ Scherzo in C Minor, op. WOO2, Sonatensatz F-A-E and Franz Schubert’s Fantasie in C Major, D.934.

Review by The Washington Post

That same vital chemistry between the two musicians made Brahms’s compact and intense C-minor Scherzo a wild ride indeed, animated by Weiss’s rumbling left hand, which kept percolating even in the sweeter trio section.

— CHARLES T. DOWNEY, The Washington Post, March 7, 2014