A Concerto for the Spirit of Today
Among today’s mid-career violinists, the Southern Californian Leila Josefowicz proves herself a true tigress. The more challenging the score, the more she relishes bringing it to life. Where others might cringe, she revels. Composer-conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen wrote his violin concerto in 2009, and she’s virtually owned it ever since. Thorny, prickly, super-speed, clashing, call her violin role what you will. No concerto gives the soloist a more preponderant perpetuum-mobilerole and none I venture make greater demands on the soloist. I…