Review: Tonhalle with Semyon Bychkov and Kian Soltani

On February 14 and 15, 2024, under the direction of the legendary conductor Semyon Bychkov, our program included Brahms' 4th Symphony and Shostakovich's Cello Concerto with the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, where I am currently a 1. violinist and was an interim 2. concertmaster in the 2022/23 season. The soloist of the concert was Kian Soltani, one of the most prominent cellists of our generation.

Kian's lyrical playing style has always caught my attention in all his performances I have listened to so far. I have seen that he respects the flow of the music without biting the string, technically very effortlessly, plays with incredible intonation, and due to his orchestral background (he was the solo cellist of the Divan Orchestra directed by Barenboim), he does not just march to his own drum in terms of performance like many soloists today. Kian is a top musician who constantly listens to the rest of the orchestra. The fact that he is constantly invited as a soloist to a high-level orchestra like Tonhalle (especially one with a cello group of this quality) is proof of this.

Frankly, I was a little nervous about Brahms's 4th Symphony, which we would play with Bychkov in the second part of the concert, because I was sitting in the front and I had never played this work before. Sometimes, there may be traditions that have been made over the years in such works found in the standard orchestra repertoire; for example, taking more time in a certain bar, phrasing in a certain way etc. In fact, it is known among musicians that certain orchestras or conductors follow a certain school. At such moments, it is necessary to have eight ears, not two, and listen around, otherwise you may be embarrassed if you enter suddenly while everyone else is still waiting.

I was excited to play with the famous conductor Bychkov for the first time. I really liked this sweet man's kindness during the rehearsals, and at the same time, he made us play the music by simplifying it, without complicating it. In other words, he actually asked us to do what was written in the score, because what Brahms wanted was actually written exactly in the music - not more, not less. When I looked at Bychkov during the concert, I saw an artist from the purest, who closed his eyes and was completely absorbed in the flow of the music, living the piece in the most profound way. Even as I write this, I get goosebumps, because these were two concerts that I will never forget in my life. I feel very happy to have had this experience, because it will help me greatly in my own solo endeavours, especially in my next performance of the Brahms Violin Concerto.

Thanks to my friend Bekir Serbest, who took photos and videos from the concert.