Here are a few reviews from some of my concerts
Violinist's recital both dazzling, thoughtful
By Gilbert Mott SPECIAL TO THE NEWS TIMES
The young violinist David Gale's recital at the Danbury Music Centre on Saturday was full of dazzling display, with many deeply musical moments as well.
A student at the Manhattan School of Music and the Curtis Institute, Gale is a former Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra Competition winner and has performed throughout this country and abroad. His youthful fire and seasoned interpretive skills made for a pleasing evening of music for violin and piano, with Evan Solomon an able accompanist.
Jean Marie Leclair's Sonata Op. 9, No. 3 led off. Leclair was a leading French Baroque composer, a contemporary of Bach who is especially remembered for his violin music. French courtliness and Italian expressivity combine attractively in his work. Gale showed off a full rich tone from the start, with playing that turned delicate when called for and precise intonation.
The second movement was sprightly and nimble, with accents punched emphatically. One admired the smooth, singing line of the third movement while missing the rhythmic feeling of the sarabande, the graceful dance that gives it its rhythmic underpinning. The finale is another French dance type, the lively "Tambourin." Gale's playing was full of bounce and dynamic contrast, a vigorous, rustic-sounding performance that accelerated to a bravura close.
Brahms' Sonata No. 2, Op. 100 is overall a sunny work, from a happy time in the composer's life. Gale threw off the opening phrases nonchalantly before digging into the first theme (...)
He played an expressively shaped melodic line in the second movement contrasted by airy lightness in the scherzo-like faster section. The violinist's Romantic sensibility, with judiciously-applied portamento (slight sliding from note to note), filled the performance with conviction.
The second half of the recital stayed in the 19th century, starting with the music of one of its greatest violin virtuosi, Pablo de Sarasate. His "Introduction and Tarantella," Op. 43, got a spirited, characterful performance, showy and exciting. According to legend, the Neapolitan dance form "tarantella" got its name from the tarantula, whose bite it was said to cure, and dancing to this performance might well have done the trick.
Dvorak's Romantic Pieces Op. 75 offer the performer many moods to express. Gale played sensitively and songfully in the opening piece, then with full-blooded gusto in the second (...) the slow final piece was a highlight of the evening. Expressively sighing, tragic in tone, the playing went beyond showiness to plumb the depths of the music and hint at the composer's (and performers') soul.
Wieniawski's "Scherzo-Tarantella" Op. 16 (that spider again) closed the program with fireworks and panache.
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“Stars Shine at Belair Center Classical Concert”
by Geno Lawrenzi
Today - St. Maarten, Netherland Antilles
June 4, 2007
Shining stars lit up the stage for the Anastacia Larmonie Vocal Art and Music Foundation’s Midsummer Night Classical Concert at the Belair Community Center Sunday evening.
A packed house responded with enthusiasm to 20-year-old violin virtuoso David Gale. Playing a violin by Nicolo Amati made in 1678(...) Gale stole the show with selections from Sarasate, Mozart, Kreisler and Paganini. He nearly brought the house down with his bouncy rendition of Witches Dance and Theme from “Schindler’s List.”(...)
While the appreciative audience rewarded all of the performers with applause, their clear favorite was young Gale.
Bobbing and weaving like a dancer, he literally made the Amati sing. His body language resonated with the audience, and his performance was subdued, powerful and entertaining. More than a little credit must go to the qualities of the ancient violin that came alive in his hands.
One of those in attendance with her two young children was island architect Sandra Fischer who told “Today” Gale’s performance was thrilling. A group of professional musicians and singers agreed, with one noting, “He is the best violinist I have heard perform on St. Maarten.”
The two hour concert finished on a high note with Summertime, by George and Ira Gershwin, featuring Hazel, Gale and the Vocal Ensemble.(...)
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“Young violinist performs in Caribbean”
By Susan Tuz
The News-Times
Jan 29 2007
Classical musician David Gale of Ridgefield brought in the new year with two weeks of performances on the Caribbean island of St. Martin and in the French West Indies and Netherlands Antilles.
The 20-year-old violinist took part in 11 concerts in 12 days from Dec. 24 through Jan. 5. He played the violin accompanied by the islands' indigenous instrument, the steel pan. Gale played with Caribbean musician Isidore York, also known as "The Mighty Dow."
"Because York was so great, we put things together quickly," said Gale. "He was very adaptable to classical music. We did some Paganini. It was a different mix than I'd ever thought of."
Gale has been performing since age 9.
"It was my grandmother who encouraged me," Gale said. "She wanted me to play violin. My grandfather had classical music tapes and I'd listen to them from the time I was 2. Because of that interest, it was apparent to my grandmother that I should go into music, especially violin."
Today, Gale is a student at the Manhattan School of Music. He has been at the school, first in its pre-college division, since 2001. He graduates in 2009.
Gale has performed internationally since he was 16. He has performed in Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Poland.
In 2007, along with performing throughout the United States, he will be performing in France, Germany, Italy and The Caribbean.
His most recent award was that of top performer and audience favorite at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion International Young Artists Competition in June 2006 in Houston, Texas.
"It was from the moment that I picked up the instrument that I could play the violin," Gale said. "But I didn't see myself doing this to this degree 11 years later."
Professor Lucie Robert, of the Manhattan School of Music, has been instructing Gale since he entered the school. She also travels with him to performances.
"I think he's a fantastic talent," Robert said. "He's likeable, electric, with focus and determination. And he's likeable in a wonderful way. There are a lot of first rate performers and you need that extra factor. He has it."
Robert said it has been exciting to watch Gale "blossom" as a performer.
"He's somebody to watch," Robert said.
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“Violinist David Gale, Ending the Year on a High Note”
January 8, 2007
David Gale welcomed the New Year with an exciting two weeks of performances in the French West Indies and Netherlands Antilles, in recital on the Caribbean island of St. Martin-St.Maarten. Most exciting, his concerts brought together the first-ever
innovative marriage of classical violin and the islands’ indigenous instrument, Steel Pan, in multiple performances with one of the greatest Steel Pan musicians in the Caribbean, Isidore York, a.k.a. “The Mighty Dow.” “Performing with steel pans was a great experience, but performing with an artist such as Mr. York who is so charismatic and a virtuoso of his instrument, made it truly something very special,” David shares of their unique union.
This 20- year-old virtuoso violinist, and Ridgefield resident, David Gale has been playing and performing since the age of nine, and has traveled the world receiving standing ovations wherever he goes. David has often been praised by the press for his “dazzling virtuosity,” akin to a “young Mozart”.
This past September, Gale was accepted as one of 24 participants in the 10th International Violin Competition in Honour of Karol Lipinski and Henryk Wienaiwski, staged in Lublin, Poland. “I have to say, although we were all there competing against one another we all became friends in the end. Even with the intense pressure of the competition, there were plenty of moments of laughter and enjoyment.”
Earlier in July, Gale performed recitals, with solo appearances in the Tuscany Region of Italy, hosted by the Casalmaggiore Music Festival.
His most recent award was declared by the audience as top performer and audience favorite at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion International Young Artists Competition held in June 2006 in Houston, Texas, with his performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s stark Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77. In addition to the competition, David made several solo appearances and performed as chamber musician.
This budding star brought local recitals to Ridgefield and Danbury, Connecticut hosted by the Ridgefield Library and the Danbury Music Centre, plus numerous recitals in New York City and Manhasset, Long Island. He made guest solo appearances with the Danbury Community Orchestra under Maestro Stephen Michael Smith in the Ives Concert Hall at WestConn University, also with the Cheshire Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Richard Brooks in Cheshire, CT. Two years ago, David was awarded Ridgefield’s first Grand Prize winner of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition.
David Gale began studying the violin under the tutelage of Brookfield resident Bonnie Aher, and qualified four years while still in high school at the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division, where he was a recipient of the Hansoree Scholarship.
He entered their College in September 2005 and has been studying with Prof. Lucie Robert since 2003, who continues to push him to the utmost limits of perfection.
We look forward to following his international journeys through 2007 with recitals-competitions in New York, Connecticut, California, Texas, Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the Caribbean.
Written by Caribbean correspondent:
Laura Richardson, French West Indies
Contact: #99 Terres Basses, St. Martin 97150
Tele: 011-590-590-87-32-24
E-mail:
[email protected]
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David Gale presents daring violin recital
By Jan Stribula
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-TIMES
Nov 03 2006
DANBURY--Young violinist David Gale and piano accompanist Weicong Zhang presented a fiery recital at the Danbury Music Centre on Saturday night. With some devilishly difficult pieces in their program, they dared to go where many musicians fear to tread.
Fortunately, they seemed to be having some fun along the way too. In his introduction, John Cherry, secretary for the board of directors of the Danbury Centre, said he hoped everyone would enjoy the performance. Gale and Zhang made that part easy.
The opening pieces featured Gale as soloist. In the first movement of "Sonata No. 2 for solo violin in A minor, BWV 1003" by J.S. Bach (1685-1750), Gale did some interpretive soul searching, almost like a prayer. He used good bow control in the fugue, developing variations on the theme, as one voice became many.
The legendary violinist Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840) composed "24 Caprices for solo violin, Op. 1" knowing that few, if any, of his contemporaries would be able to perform them. Gale performed two of these technically challenging Caprices (Nos. 20 & 23) with a dazzling display of virtuosity.
Gale's left hand was moving up and down the neck of his violin, fingers stretching out for double and triple stopping, glissandos, vibr
atos, what have you. You had to see it, as well as hear it, to believe it.
Pianist Zhang joined Gale in the opening movements of "Sonata for piano and violin in A Major, K. 305" by W.A. Mozart (1756-1791). Both of them are students at the Manhattan School of Music, and the young musicians played well together in this high spirited but balanced duet. With splendid harmonies and rococo embellishments, the piano and violin accompanied each other with a rich sound in the Marian Anderson Recital Hall.
Following intermission, they continued in "Sonata No. 5 for violin and piano in F Major, Op. 24" by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), called "Spring" for its lightheartedness. This juxtaposition of pieces in the program showed how Beethoven developed his piano and violin sonatas in the style of Mozart.
The Scherzo had a musical joke, with the violin playing exactly one beat behind the piano, trying to catch up without succeeding. With sustained lyricism and undulating themes, Zhang and Gale sounded delightful together.
Most violinists approach Paganini's "Le Streghe, Op. 8" (Witches Dance) with caution if at all. Incredibly demanding, just about everything in their bag of tricks is out in the open. Gale handled the roller coaster ride amazingly well, progressing from the majestic theme to the fireworks at the finale, generating a lot of heat along the way.
It's quite a treat to get another visit from a 19-year-old who grew up in Ridgefield, and has already been performing all over the world. Later this month, he'll be competing in Moscow. We wish him our best in Russia, and hope to see him again in Danbury.
