"Exceptionally talented on the violin"

In Autumn 2019, two CDs with Antje Weithaas were released: a recording of the Violin Concerto by Robert Schumann and the Double Concerto by Johannes Brahms with the NDR Radiophilharmonie, Maximilian Hornung (violoncello) and condcutor Andrew Manze as well as a recording of the Violin Concerto and the Concert Rhapsody by Khachaturian with the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie under the baton of Daniel Raiskin.

Both recordings were presented in detail by Christiph Vratz in the programme “New Recording” at Deutschlandfunk.

"Egal ob bei Musik von Chatschaturjan, Brahms oder Schumann, Weithaas überzeugt durch makellose Technik und durchdachte Interpretationen", zeigt sich Christoph Vratz begeistert. Über das Violinkonzert von Khachaturian, das von Motiven armenischer Volksmusik durchzogen ist, sagt er etwa: "Von Schmelz- und Schluchzlauten cineastischer Ergriffenheits-Ästhetik ist jedoch bei Antje Weithaas in diesem Violinkonzert nichts zu spüren. Schnörkellos formt sie die Themen mit einer technischen Makellosigkeit, die staunen macht." Auch Antje Weithaas' Interpretation des Violinkonzerts von Schumann überzeugt: "Man sollte erst gar nicht mutmaßen, wie viel Zeit Antje Weithaas ins Nachdenken investiert hat, um dieses Maß an Natürlichkeit zu erzeugen. Alles ist da: Nervosität und Klarheit, Beweglichkeit und Transparenz, Spritzigkeit und Raffinement und über allem eine makellose Technik." 893 / 1024

“Whether with music by Chatschaturjan, Brahms or Schumann, Weithaas convinces with impeccable technique and well-thought-out interpretations”, says Christoph Vratz enthusiastically. Concerning the Violin Concerto by Khachaturian, which is permeated by motifs of Armenian folk music, he argues: “There is no mawkish or sobbing, cinema-like sentimental aesthetics in this interpretation of the violin concerto. Antje Weithaas shapes the themes technically flawless which leaves you in awe.

Weithaas' interpretation of Schumann’s Violin Concerto is also convincing: “It should not be guessed how much time Antje Weithaas has invested in thinking about this work in order to create this degree of naturalness. Everything is there: nervousness and clarity, agility and transparency, splashiness and refinement and above all a flawless technique.”

Listen to the review with a lot of musical examples (in German)

The CD with works by Schumann and Brahms also convinced Friederike Westerhaus from NDR Kultur so that she chose it as “recding of the week”: “Two concertos and approximately 64 minutes which you cannot stop listening to”.

Listen to the review at NDR Kultur (in German)