James Dong - Violin. Piano at Ten
James Dong is one of Australia's best young artists. In a well balanced programme, that showcases his extraordinary technique and sensitive musicianship, he will play works that are normally associated with the stellar violinists of the 20th Century such as Yehudi Menuhin, Ruggiero Ricci or David Oistrakh. This is an opportunity not to be missed - especially for aspiring young string players but also for all music lovers who appreciate fine music played by outstanding performers. Another talented musician that Arts Bundanoon is proud to present. James Dong commenced his violin studies at the age of 6 and has studied with Sook Yoon, Mark Drummond, Robert Wakely and George Vi. He is currently a 3rd year student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music studying with Ole Bohn. In 2012 he was the 1st place winner of the Kendall national violin competition. In 2013 he won the Gisborne International Music Competition. He was also the recipient of the Australian development prize at the 2013 Michael Hill International Violin Competition. His other music interests include playing the piano and composing, both of which he has won 1st places at various regional competitions.
Concert review Date: Saturday, 1st June, 2013 10:00am
Venue: Soldiers’ Memorial Hall, Bundanoon
The Artist: James Dong (violin solo)
The Program: The program comprised a varied selection solo violin music from the baroque, late classical era and the twentieth century.
1. Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) Caprice E major Op 1 No 1 "L'Arpeggio”.
2. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Partita in D minor (BWV 1004) Allamande Courante Sarabande Gigue Chaconne
3. Fritz Kreisler (1875- 1962) Recitativo and Scherzo Caprice
4 Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) Variations on the British National Anthem, “God Save the Queen”
There was an encore offered, Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) Caprice Op 1 No 5
Reviewer: Neil Mitchell
As noted in the Highlands Times, “Appearing at Arts Bundanoon's Piano at 10 on Saturday, 1st June is the Australian violinist, James Dong. This young man, described as a truly extraordinary music talent recently won the Gisborne International Violin Competition. Described by concert reviewers as "possessing not only a staggering technique but musical perception and understanding normally associated with veteran international artists. His programme to be presented on the 1st June in Bundanoon, evokes the shades of two 20th century stellar violinists - Yehudi Menhuin and Ruggiero Ricci. Mr Dong will present a recital of those works by Bach, Paganini and Kreisler normally associated with famous international artists. This is an essential recital for all music lovers and in particular, those aspiring and established string players of the Southern Highlands.”
Reviewer’s comments
The Highlands Times was not in error. This is the sort of programme that many famous violinists would give anything not to perform. One audience member related that Isaac Stern had omitted the Chaconne from his performance of the Bach Partita in d minor! This is a programme that only a few violinists of the last century could have delivered but Ruggiero Ricci and Fritz Kreisler are no longer amongst the living. Niccolò Paganini was, in his time, seen as a giant without peer who actively promoted a suggestion that he had contracted a Faustian bargain with Satan in exchange for his prodigious talent. There were solo caprices offered today, Number 1 included arpeggionated chordal playing using ricochet bowing and later the use of descending scales in thirds. Number 5 is like a moto perpetuo – an intense version of number 1 but with ascending arpeggios and scales in the introduction. The first of these caprices was delivered with utter precision, the fifth with great artistry. These were not romanticised to any degree. There is little that one can say about Bach, so much having been said in the last 150 years on the subject of this Partita. It is generally conceded as containing one disproportionately long movement, the Chaconne which is regarded as one of the supreme achievements in music, not only taxing the soloist with every technical demand then known in Bach’s day but taking this challenge to epic lengths and providing an artistic challenge in terms of pace and emphasis. The Chaconne has proved irresistible to other famous composers who have arranged it for solo piano and for the organ as well as in piano and violin arrangements. Nothing equals the original. As for today’s performance, Mr Dong played cleanly and masterfully. In the rest of the Partita, perhaps the Courante was a little fast but all movements revealed a musical understanding that one would have expected from much older and more experienced musicians. The epic Chaconne was well paced and played proportionately, saving the intensity for the third and final section. Of Kreisler’s Recitativo and Scherzo Caprice, one need only say that the performance was as ideal as could ever be expected. Mr Dong could do well to become a specialist of Kreisler’s works. Niccolò Paganini’s Variations on the British National Anthem, “God Save the [Queen]” uses a tune that is well known on the Continent under different names and also in the UK and the USA. The variations are very demanding and we received a fine, concise performance of them. The whole work was delivered with disarming ease and conviction. It was, of course, a crowd-pleaser, as was intended. The concert was held before a moderate audience (ca. 74 persons) on a seasonably cold but fine day. The audience was warm and appreciative. There was consistent feedback from a number of audience members, all of whom were delighted by the performance.
General Comments: The artist was well-prepared, more than equal to the demands of the program and had excellent volume and an individual tone. At twenty years of age, he is already a technically secure artist who could have performed a programme like this anywhere on the planet to great success. I am not sure of how well understood it is, at large, that all the artists who have performed this year in Bundanoon are of similar high calibre.