Reviews

The OBC and Childress provided the soloist with a sonic framework full of passion (...) Baeva, in complete agreement with the conductor, displayed a pure sound throughout, imbued with melancholy in the central episode and highly colorful in the finale. The result was an extremely emotional, hypnotic performance, perfectly measured both technically and conceptually.

The soloist was Alena Baeva, who extracted a sound of great purity from her 1738 Guarneri del Gesù, known as "ex-William Kroll." (...) Baeva's performance was electrifying, as can be said of Stephanie Childress's conducting, always clear and precise in showing the different melodic and rhythmic layers with which Glass builds his music.

From the very first delicate phrases on the violin it was clear that something extraordinary was happening: through her remarkable intensity of musical shaping, her simply persuasive musical rhetoric, and the strikingly speech-like control of her expression – or, put differently, through her palpable sense of responsibility toward the music – she tore the listeners out of their customary reserve. Paavo Järvi wove the orchestra sensitively together with the solo part and achieved a subtle musical unity marked by great complexity and homogeneity. The individual voices merged into a richly layered web of sound that allowed space both for soloistic unfolding and orchestral depth. The result was an interpretation that convinced without reservation and revealed new, fresh facets of this concerto.

In the turbulent passages Järvi gave the [Philharmonia] orchestra its head but Baeva responded with plenty of firepower of her own. Formidable technical challenges simply became vehicles for expression … This debutant should be invited back soon, to play whatever concerto she wants.

A perfect Sunday afternoon with the Philharmonia under Paavo Järvi and Alena Baeva's stunning debut … Baeva was fiery, passionate and dramatic in the outer movements and tender in the central Adagio; her rich tone on the lower strings was captivating and her nimble fingerwork and double-stopping on the upper strings held the audience in awe. – John Rhodes

Youthful freshness brought her to the work overflowing with ideas; Baeva showed a lot of excitement and enthusiasm in the long first movement. In the slow movement one could admire a pianissimo tightrope act of the soloist.

That this schoolboy score nevertheless brims with romantic beauty is demonstrated by violinist Alena Baeva with her supple, captivating tone.

Originally, star violinist Hilary Hahn had been scheduled as soloist... Alena Baeva stepped in instead, and what a stroke of luck that proved to be. A violinist with a tone as warm as Russian tea on a cold winter evening, Baeva fit perfectly into this program of Finnish legends, Prokofievian melancholy, and Rachmaninoffian dances. (...) Baeva's technical brilliance dazzled. Yet beyond the virtuosity, it was her warm, intense sound and natural expressiveness that truly fascinated. (...) an evening that touched not only the ears but the souls of the audience. (...) This evening was more than a concert; it was a human celebration of music that connects, heals, and brings a smile. Baeva and Rouvali, supported by the marvelous Philharmonia Orchestra, proved that classical music is vibrantly alive — with heart, humor, and a bit of magic. Frankfurt will not forget this anytime soon.

One senses that the violinist, who lives in Luxembourg, feels very close to chamber music. (...) The Philharmonia Orchestra, under its chief conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali, accompanies powerfully and intensely, with audible delight in Prokofiev's contrasting melodies. (...) A new star in the violin sky?

Baeva impressed most in playful passages and rapid harmonics in which she communicated effortlessly with the orchestra. (...) Baeva never lost sync with the orchestra, at times lunging forward rhythmically with a fierceness that recalled the violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja. In the slow movement, she mastered her instrument's upper range, yet the melting opening melody lacked warmth. Nevertheless, she and the orchestra skillfully brought out sarcastic moments in the Finale. As an encore, Baeva offered the opening movement from Ysaÿe's Fifth Violin Sonata, again displaying her affinity for wild harmonics.

On Sunday 1 with the Philharmonia, the violinist Alena Baeva (replacing Hilary Hahn) gave an electrifying account of Prokofiev's second violin concerto. (...) I hope London hears Baeva play this again – and many other concerti – before long.

There's personality and imagination in abundance in this album from two artists who clearly enjoy sharing an exploratory journey through such well-known and much-loved music. From the very opening of the Spring Sonata Baeva is very much her own woman. The tone she draws from her 'ex-William Kroll' Guarneri del Gesù of 1738 is lithe and slender … Vadym Kholodenko, her high-class piano partner, is with her every step of the way, mirroring and matching her precipitous outbursts or subito drops to a ghostly pianissimo.

Alena's caressing tone is lean and muscular, yet never thin; Vadym's flexible touch is rich in nuance and color. I listened in breathless admiration. I was equally taken by the dynamic approach of Baeva and Kholodenko. Intimate moments provide touching breaths of repose within the intense, dramatic unfolding of the music. Here, Beethoven sounds more revolutionary than ever.

Alena Baeva and Vadym Kholodenko prove that a long-standing partnership can sound even more exciting (...) Beethoven wanted to write music for two that creeps, bangs and pounds like a battalion of paratroopers. Baeva and Kholodenko go even further and fight the battle as a single sound body with paranoid tendencies. Everything exudes self-awareness and servitude: the Frühlingsonate blossoms without proliferating, the Kreutzersonate thunders without crushing. An aphrodisiac for sceptics: the "Rondo" from Sonata No. 3 – muscular grace with a pleated skirt over army boots.

Britten’s Violin Concerto followed, marking the New York Philharmonic debut of Alena Baeva. Immediately her sweetness of tone captured the ear and she proved herself to be an artist possessing both elegance and power. She addressed Britten’s virtuosic runs, double-stops, up-bow spiccato and all manner of technical challenges with precision and flair. Even in the most technically daunting moments, Baeva was completely in control of sound production, tone colour and phrasing, skilfully navigating Britten’s challenges with playing full of purpose and character. The way she pulled sound out of the violin was utterly captivating, and throughout the work, her poise and precision carried through. A standing ovation from many.

Presented in different tones in each piece of this unexpected programme, the notion of ‘fantasy’ seems as limitless as the art of the violinist who performs it. Franz Schubert's kaleidoscopic opus 159 provides a primer of exceptional quality: Alena Baeva makes the melody emerge from a translucent horizon like a mirage which will gradually take shape. The understanding between Baeva and Kholodenko is such that we have the impression that, even when silent, the violin continues to express itself in the piano playing. The duo subsequently multiplies their tightrope walking feats: the bewitching virtuosity of Igor Stravinsky and the whispered dreaminess of Robert Schumann prepare the ground for the mystical exaltation of Olivier Messiaen.

Alena Baeva, making her New York Philharmonic debut, played with assertive beauty and vibrato so quick, at times, that it seemed to disappear. With her understated legato and handsomely voiced harmonies, she made things sound easy. In guttural passages, she indicated Britten’s intentions without compromising her ability to return to lyricism.

A mesmerizing performance by violinist Alena Baeva and spectacular playing from the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

Transfixing playing from Baeva, rendered with searing intensity and purity of tone.

Baeva’s performance under the direction of Minasi, which created a revolutionary new Beethoven sound with dynamic contrasts and a wonderfully free choice of tempo, was a great moment for Ensemble Resonanz.

Alena Baeva does everything, using the freedom in the tempo that Minasi gives her and throwing herself into the contrasts that he demands. The spectrum of her playing ranges from angular fortissimo to the most heartfelt singing. At some points it was as if she were playing just for herself: wonderfully quiet and tender.

Violinist Alena Baeva sparked storms of enthusiasm in Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie: a breath-taking performance. Baeva is completely absorbed in her art but does not lose herself in self-expression, instead constantly maintaining dialogue with the orchestra. A brilliant soloist: you are almost afraid that the violin will catch fire! A fantastic performance that will not be forgotten.

You cannot fault Alena Baeva in her formidable interpretation of Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No.2: dazzling technique, and appropriate colours for the composer, whose sound world demands a certain roughness in some passages and cadences.

There are soloists who distance themselves from this somber work, but Alena Baeva's attitude towards Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No.2 was so vital, dedicated, and warm that it maintained all its purity and all its expressiveness.

The opportunity to listen to a work such as Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No.2 is always an important occasion and, from the first moment, it was clear that Alena Baeva was without question the correct choice of soloist. She has a powerful sound and a suitably dark tonality, and demonstrated a warm phrasing that gave superb results as a whole.

Special mention should be made of the great violinist Alena Baeva, who was faced with a work in which technical mastery must be combined with character and sensitivity. Baeva brought dazzling sparks to this individual work, imbuing every note with clarity and individual meaning.

In the hands of an artist like Baeva, apparently anything sounds interesting. Her playing is mesmerizing…

Baeva charms – sensual and lyrical…. Her technique and tone polish every note and send it out to the audience like a lustrous gem. She possesses awe-inspiring technique, and a tone that is soaring and entrancing.

Thoroughly captivating … a showcase of commanding technique, brilliant clarity, and jam-packed with heart and soul.

The sheer musical brilliance of Alena Baeva’s collaboration with the Orchestra of the 18th Century makes their performance essential listening.

Utterly ravishing and full of melody, Alena Baeva immediately impressed with her tone. I can see why Järvi (among others) is a keen champion of her skills and musicianship – we shall certainly see and hear a lot more of this excellent young artist. Baeva had made her mark with great aplomb.

Baeva brings sweetness of tone, flowing hauntingly before taking off with exciting virtuosity.

Alena Baeva is a violinist of proven musicality and impeccable intonation…. In the cadenza [of the Britten Violin Concerto], she created one of the most attractive moments in concert history. In a work full of connections, Baeva gave an entire articulatory lesson: you could not help but get carried away…

Exuberant – Alena Baeva’s interpretation is impassioned and passionate, inexorably leading to a standing ovation from the audience of the RAI Auditorium. She reveals her personal imprint through an ever brilliant and light sound, accompanied by an enviable variety in vibrato and impeccable technical mastery.

The musical empathy between Baeva & Jurowski was evident, not just in tempos and moment-to-moment detail, but in the very character of the piece. There were muscularity and thrilling virtuosity aplenty, but there was also gentle, intimate playing, drawing the audience into passages with the emotional complexity of chamber music. […] In the second movement, Baeva became a delicate, distant voice, poetic and captivating. In the Finale she let rip – swaggering, heroic, and full of personality.

Fine technique and imaginative phrasing…. In the Canzonetta, her beautiful violin tone and her lovely shaping of Tchaikovsky’s song-like melodies marked her out as an outstanding player, and her account of the Finale was not only strikingly virtuosic but had a compelling quality of joyous abandon.

Everything about the performance seemed to get under the skin of this very familiar work, giving [the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto] more than a new lease of life. The first movement had poise and excitement in equal measure, with Alena Baeva demonstrating an exceptional evenness of tone across all the registers and an evident responsiveness to Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The brief slow movement was given the most sensitive account, hushed and romantic in the most tasteful manner. The finale was everything you’d want it to be, thrillingly fast and technically sure footed, as well as having a true heart in the gentler passages. So, this was an undoubtedly a top-notch performance, making this masterpiece sound even more like one of the composer’s greatest works.

Soloist Alena Baeva had a glowing tone, with which she held sensual command… she formed the sovereign centre of the enchanted world of Szymanowski.

Baeva was a magnetic presence, and the sound of her instrument, the fullness of tone, and her marvelously precise intonation were admirable and beautiful in and of themselves. Her strength and fire made the [Bacewicz] concerto sound like a masterpiece.

Baeva can sing with the violin – a constantly fascinating sound technician, with the highest rhythmic versatility.

The same calibre as Janine Jansen – gripping musicality, warm, sensual, flawless, and accurate.