Viulisti Gallup

Kyllähän Linda Lampeniuksen parhaita tulkintoja ovat muun muassa Bartókin toinen viulukonsertto ja Beethovenin Viulukonsertto, jotka kuultiin hänen esiintyessään BBC:n orkesterin kanssa 1999.

Tiedä sitten, miksi EMI julkaisi vain resitaaleja ja kamarimusiikkia sisältävän levyn, koska erinomainen mahdollisuus konserttojenkin levyttämiseen olisi ollut.

Haluttiin pelata varman päälle ikivihreillä (mm. Meditaatio, Cantabile, Berceuse) ja luottaa yksinomaa Lindan seksikkyyteen. Lindasta otettiinkin sitten kaikki irti, ja pian saatiin lukea burn-outeista ja bulimiasta.

Yhteensä neljän levyn sopimus purettiin lopulta 2001(?), koska Lindasta ei ollut täyttämään sen ehtoja, ja ura maailmalla jäikin siihen.

Lindan EMI-levy on kuitenkin kaunis ja varma tuotos, jota toki suosittelen.

Gramophone Magazine
-------------------

Linda Brava

This is a delightful recital, lightweight to be sure, but played with such warmth, and an eloquent simplicity of line, that the ear is instantly beguiled.

The opening Elgar Salut d'amour is pleasing enough but the following Fauré Berceuse is utterly winning, and the famous 'Méditation' from Massenet's Thaïs soars aloft without being the least sentimentalized. It was Brava's physical charms that first caught the public attention in Finland during a telecast, while she was playing in the ranks of the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra, but one enjoys a CD with one's ears, and mine tell me that the central performance of the Grieg Sonata is strong, passionate and most compelling.

The central Allegretto espressivo alla Romanza (pure mountain-stream Grieg) is exquisitely played, and how beautifully the excellent pianist, John Lenehan, prepares the way for his soloist's warm-hearted entry. The finale has splendidly gutsy, folksy impetus and plenty of light and shade. Both artists are very well recorded and the balance is excellent. I suspect Brava's tone is comparatively small (although the second subject of the finale brings a boldness and opulence that really communicate); but her finished timbre records very well indeed and the playing itself is nicely polished as well as musically sensitive. A wellcome collection.

-Ivan March-


Whatever advantage Linda Brava's drop-dead gorgeous looks have given her musical career, they've also created a prejudice for her to overcome. Let's face it: No one really expects someone who's being marketed as the blond bombshell of the violin to actually be able to play. Happily, her debut recital album proves that she can, and most appealingly at that. Her virtuosity may not be as scorching as her publicity shots, but she has many musical strengths, and this program makes a winning showcase for them. Her tone flows with the purity and clarity of a mountain stream, an ideal sound for the Scandinavian works the Finnish violinist features here. Grieg's Sonata No. 3 is the meaty centerpiece, and Brava warmly sings its enchanting melodies and playfully captures its folksy qualities. Three charming miniatures by her countryman Sibelius further prove her affinity for the Nordic repertory. The rest, a half-dozen popular bonbons by Elgar, Fauré, Massenet, Kreisler, and others, are played in an innocent, natural manner, without excess sentimentality. Pianist John Lenehan, who has also recorded with celebrity violinist Kennedy, is an eloquent partner to Brava's delicate lyrical voice. Don't judge this one by its cover; it's a refreshing dose of joyful musicianship that will delight any lover of the violin.

-Scott Paulin-


The Straits Times Singapore
---------------------------

"Brava's is both a musically satisfying and technically commendable performance.



Evening Standard (UK)
---------------------

Her best playing comes in the three short pieces by her countryman Sibelius: the skittish Rondino extracts her quickest fingerwork, the Humoreske Op.87 No.1 wins her most tortured expression and the Romance Op.78 No.2 sings under her confident touch.

oistrah puhisee vakuuttavimmin

Kuulin ja näin, kun Linda esiintyi vuonna 1999 Kiasmassa järjestetyissä juhlissa, ja voitte vain kuvitella, kun kaunis vaalea viulisti seisoo lasiseinää vasten, ulkonaa sataa vettä ja on pimeää, ja kuulemme muun muassa aivan mielettömän tulkinnan Griegiä! Siis kaikki paikallaolijat olivat kyllä erittäin vaikuttuneita!