A virtuoso without a cause,
Midori can play the telephone book and make it sound like a virtuoso piece, but then, she makes everything she plays sound like a virtuoso piece with about as much meaning as the telephone book. In her recordings of the
Mendelssohn and Bruch concertos,
Midori plays with a strong tone and a terrific technique, sailing through the
Mendelssohn concerto and soaring through the Bruch concerto. But her
Mendelssohn lacks elegant charm and her Bruch wants soulful tenderness, and both of them have all the glamorous allure of a perfectly played technical exercise.
Mariss Jansons is a considerate accompanist who sets the stage but is not himself an actor. The
Berlin Philharmonic plays with its by-now-customary "if we're the greatest orchestra in the world, what are we doing playing the
Mendelssohn concerto?" spirit of professionalism. Sony's digital recording puts all the spots on
Midori and places her downstage center, with the BPO behind her and an empty hall looming in front of her.