Sublime violin concerto and a cataclysmic symphony herald the return of an old friend

07 Jul 2026, 02:02 by Peter McCallum · WAtoday

10.04am

Gil Shaham performs Beethoven’s Violin Concerto ★★★★★

By Peter McCallum

Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Opera House. July 4

Gil Shaham played Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with a sound of exquisite sweetness and masterly control over every shade to which the violin can give expression, from glowing whispers to resonant grandeur.

With a violinist of his stature, perhaps that much can be taken for granted. What lifted this performance with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under David Robertson (former SSO Chief Conductor and Artist Director and now most welcome guest) was the maturity and shared vision that conductor, soloist and orchestra had toward integrating expression into the work’s grand architecture.

Gil Shaham and the SSO shared a grand vision for the Beethoven concerto.

Robertson began the orchestral exposition with serene, quietly magisterial breadth in which the tempo was utterly consistent, while expressiveness emerged through carefully shaded balance and nuance. Shaham’s entry involved no contorted wrestling, each detail emerging with unhurried clarity.