Orchestral Excerpt Insights: Chen Plays Strauss

CSO Concertmaster Robert Chen performs and guides listeners through his interpretation of the famous violin solo from Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben. “It's very important to be prepared technically to play this piece, but I think the technical and the expression, they go hand in hand,” Chen said. “What I'm doing technically is coming up with certain ways to express in sound the character. To get at a character, I think it's about having a concept of how you want something to sound and really going after it.”
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[@MCMeru]

Holy shit this guy is a legend

[@jesbo5898]

He’s a beast 😮
What a legend

[@moonkim3604]

Hello Chen!
This is the Korean family who met you at Toscana n Pisa in Italy in 2019 summer.
Very nice to see you here with your touching play.
Say hello to your lovely wife.
Take care!

[@rwtrpt]

Gorgeous tone - bravo!

[@massimobernuzzi2594]

great mastery of violin technique, great sound, careful use of vibrato for expressive purposes, impeccable intonation. Chapeau Maestro.

[@fransiscocod]

Hi Mr. Chen , I'm your new fan from Taiwan.

[@mf9881]

Bravo Robert!!!

[@richardlee5348]

Dynamic and emotional.

[@MarcoTurrini]

Hi Chen ...very good!!!

[@amangogna68]

Fantastic !

[@allwinds3786]

Thanks! Wow!

[@WillStephensArt]

We want comment sections on all videos!!

[@the-same-lines-with-you]

Good performance as Strauss means to do so...

[@emmanuelvacakis4463]

It takes lots of guts to put your playing under a microscope. It’s excellent playing. Out of excitement, I noticed sometimes you hit the string from above to make an accent. It might be better to make an accent from the string. And sometimes I noticed some notes go without vibrato. Sometimes you start a note without vibrato and then add it. That I know is intentional and it’s great. It’s important to be aware of all the notes that go without vibrato. I’ve noticed this with Rostropovich that notes went by without vibrato without him being aware of it. But it’s still excellent playing.

[@adastraduo6710]

Slow clap for this astute yet unnecessary comment. 👏.👏.👏.

[@андрейпашкевич-ъ3м]

А еще сильнее бить нс верхних нотах возможно?

[@DanielMasmanian]

I know right, that's some superb power placement