Maxim Vengerov/Long Yu
Gateways
★★★★☆
Wu Wei
Silk Baroque
★★★★☆
I don’t know what President Trump’s singing voice is like. But if he wanted to try another avenue for sorting trade problems with China, how about musical diplomacy? East-West musical collaborations are on the rise, partly because big recording conglomerates want to conquer new foreign markets. Besides, ours is a fractious world; crossing borders and shaking hands must be a good thing.
In Gateways we have the first offering in Deutsche Grammophon’s new series with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra (a glittering creature) and Long Yu, the gifted conductor of three Chinese orchestras, who probably conducts a fourth in his sleep. Along for the ride is Maxim Vengerov, fiddling through a recent violin concerto by Qigang