Geneva Lewis brings lyrical flair to varied American violin concertos
New Zealand violinist Geneva Lewis’s Delos label debut, with Gemma New and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, brings together concertos by Barber and Glass with John Zorn’s Partita for the Firebird. The performances pair technical precision with warmth, and the album’s varied American programme highlights Lewis’s expressive range.
Barber’s concerto is presented as lyrical and pastoral, with Celtic inflections that build towards a lively, folk-like finale. In Zorn’s modernist suite, Lewis handles demanding double-stopping and delicate high notes; in Glass’s First Violin Concerto, written in memory of his father, her silvery tone stands out in the reflective slow movement, despite dense orchestral textures.
- Geneva Lewis makes her Delos debut with three American works.
- Her Barber performance blends pastoral warmth and a folk-like finale.
- Zorn and Glass show her virtuosity and expressive range.
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Geneva Lewis is a New Zealand violinist making her debut recording for Delos, a major classical music label. She has recorded a programme of American violin concertos with conductor Gemma New and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
The album brings together works by three important American composers: Samuel Barber, Philip Glass, and John Zorn. These composers represent different periods and musical approaches, ranging from Barber's romantic tradition through Glass's minimalism to Zorn's avant-garde experimentalism.
Violin concertos are a fundamental form of classical music, written for a solo violinist to perform with orchestra, allowing performers to demonstrate both technical mastery and musical interpretation. New recordings of such works by accomplished soloists help audiences understand and appreciate these compositions, and this album's survey of diverse American examples illustrates how different composers have approached and shaped the form.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Geneva Lewis: Barber, Zorn, Glass album review – virtuosity and warmth”.