[Harp-L] Subject: Re: Midori again

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

and for those who may heed someone else's 'take' on things and not  find out 
for themselves.....here's a small video of Midori & friends  (also found at 
slow speed at  _www.midoriandfriends.org_ (http://www.midoriandfriends.org) )  
the foundation for children  begun by Midori (yes, the same brilliant violinist 
accused here  of 'faking' what she's playing, lol)...demonstrating where her 
primary  passion lies:
 
_http://www.midoriandfriends.org/about/video.htm_ 
(http://www.midoriandfriends.org/about/video.htm) 
 
Talk about giving back and encouraging children into the music field!   Wow. 
Wish we had more harmonica players putting their money where their  mouths are 
the way she does, instead of spending so much time here carping  and 
criticizing.  
 
I do know of a couple who do extend themselves: Robert Bonfiglio  and Claire 
Hoffman who bring music to Native  American youth in Arizona, and Jason Ricci, 
who gets involved with giving  free concerts to raise money for Habitat for 
Humanity and then spending time  with the kids the day after, talking about his 
own time with Habitat, all on his  own dime, as well as those at SPAH who 
make sure to organize the children's day  always well covered by the local news.
 
Out of the many, many superb reviews I've read of Midori as she's  grown into 
a 36 year old adult with an incredibly full concert schedule.....this  one 
(when she was 34) stood out in direct counterpoint to the claim (by a  cello 
teacher and a harp player) of faked emotive playing, and I  include it for the 
archives. 
 
I'm glad audiences around the world who thoroughly enjoy her passionate and  
emotional playing and who give her standing ovations haven't been deprived of  
the joy they derive from her performances as they might have  been had these 
same very subjective opinionated people from  harp-l been in charge of 
deciding her musical fate, and who actually  had the temerity to mention her in the 
same context of young girls  being forced by their parents into playing without 
having the  least knowledge of this particular young woman's life.  Get a 
grip.  Innuendo and gossip aren't seemly when discussing an artist of her  
stature.  Her biography showing the real story of how she began playing  violin as a 
tiny girl makes for a fascinating read: _http://www.gotomidori.com/english/_ 
(http://www.gotomidori.com/english/) 
 
"       
The Australian,  3 July, 2006

By MARK  COUGHLAN 
Midori['s] performance  with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra of the 
much-played Bruch  Violin Concerto was fresh and captivating. With remarkable 
intensity,  Midori shaped every line and crafted every nuance as if her life 
depended  on it, not one phrase delivered mechanically or predictably. Her 
playing  was entrancing.

Rarely does one hear an artist with such an  unwavering musical focus coupled 
with such extraordinary control of tone  and line.

The slow movement, in particular, was breathtakingly  beautiful. Some 
daringly drawn-out passages held the audience spellbound;  her sound pure and 
penetrating, her bowing immaculate.  
Elizabeth    



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