New Century Celebrates Menuhin At 100

Violinist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin cut a musical swath across the entire world, but it was San Francisco that first nurtured the artistic aspirations of the 7-year-old prodigy. Hope, the prolific British violinist, grew up under Menuhin’s wing — his mother, as he related during remarks from the stage, spent her career as Menuhin’s personal secretary — and is perhaps uniquely situated to celebrate the life and musical legacy of this remarkable figure. The repertoire, most of which can be heard on Hope’s heartfelt new Deutsche Grammophon release, included concertos by Bach, Vivaldi and Mendelssohn that had been at the center of the performer’s repertoire, as well as more recent works composed in his honor or his memory. The overall effect of the evening was not merely to conjure up the image of a much-missed musical giant — though it did that as well — but to show soloist and orchestra operating together in a winning spirit of camaraderie and collaboration. Bach’s D-Minor Concerto, BWV 1043, found Hope sharing the spotlight with the orchestra’s longtime associate concertmaster, Dawn Harms; after intermission, principal second violinist Candace Guirao joined him for Vivaldi A-Minor Concert, RV 522. Both performances sounded warm and robust, with brisk rhythmic profiles and the air of theatrical partnership that is so central to these pieces.