Bella Hristova Thrills in 'Kreutzer'

Bériot, Solo Violin Music, Vol. 1, B. Hristova (Naxos, 2009)

Charles T. Downey, Music review: Bella Hristova
Washington Post, February 23

Violinist Bella Hristova has been making the rounds of Washington’s concert series scene in the past few years. Her latest appearance came Sunday afternoon at the Phillips Collection, where she made a debut noteworthy for its fortitude and technique. Strangely, for a musician with such immaculate tone quality, the results were not always musically memorable.

In the final work on the program, Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata, Hristova was forceful and commanding in the big-boned first theme. Pianist Gloria Chien was equally thrilling in those loud sections, willing to go along for the fast ride required by Hristova’s tempo choice in the closing Presto movement... [Continue reading]

Bella Hristova, violin
Gloria Chien, piano
Phillips Collection

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Joe Banno, In performance: Bella Hristova (Washington Post, April 29, 2010)