I mean, let us keep things in perspective. Ms. Chee Yun simply has a figure at least 99% of the ladies in the crowd would kill for. She also happens to be a superb violinist.
Wednesday evening at “Classics in the Garden” series, Ms Chee Yun and her accompanist Mr. Akira Eguchi entertained a most receptive crowd with two and a half hours of solid music. After a week of outstanding jazz, I was most interested to observe the following: generally speaking, an accompanist for a violin recital is there to back up the violin. Period. It is sort of a “be almost heard and not really seen” because the audience is there to hear the violin. Sibellius’ “Violin Concerto in D Minor, Opis 47 actually has a series of piano recitals by Alexandre Gretchaninoff which reminds one of a high class jazz break.
The second item of interest to me, was the fact that this superb musician played a most wide range of music from the classic style of Beethoven to the folk style of Bartok. Her intonation ranged from pianissimo to fortissimo as she picked, plunked, sawed, and stroked her instrument without any hint of mishap. And not once did she stop to announce how accomplished she was; unlike a NuevoRican drummer several thousand people went to see a couple weeks ago.
I was taught anyone could learn to play an instrument loud. Those who can learn to play softly become masters of the instrument. Ms. Yun and Mr. Eguchi meet this criterion with room to spare. Throughout the evening, they varied their music weaving sound poems most enhanced by Ms. Yun’s lithe body English.
It was also nice to notice a young Virgin Islander in the front row with his mother. I have always wondered if it wouldn’t be a good thing for the Arts Council etc. to sponsor musicians of Ms. Yun’s caliber to visit the schools bringing musician models to our youngsters. It is most important our children know there is something more than steel pans and “disk jockey.”
Those of us who spent the evening in the “Garden” had many reasons to be delighted.