NEW YORK—As virtuoso violinist Jourdan Urbach was waiting for the orchestra to finish the opening of the Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5, he did a strange thing before his solo. His eyes scanned the audience, which in turn made him very nervous.
In those precious minutes before a solo, musicians usually enter into their musical world, to become one with the essence and beauty of the piece so that they can share it with listeners. But Urbach did not do that on Feb. 16 when performing with the Ensemble du Monde chamber orchestra, and it cost him.
Urbach’s initial sound was nervous and rushed; it was the sound of a musician who noticed the head-scratchings and knee-crossings of the audience from the corner of his eye.
Some of Urbach’s higher notes were repeatedly off tune. And his playing remained that way until the moment of silence before his cadenza—then he entered into his element. There was a distant look in his eye the second he lost awareness of the audience.
His sound completely changed.
According to his website, a critic has previously called Urbach a “young Paganini.” There is much truth in that statement. His Mozart cadenza was indeed Paganini-esque, and it was captivating.
Urbach brought such tremendous energy to the piece. His cadenza was more thrilling than what most soloists would play for a Mozart piece, and it kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
