Neue Zürcher Zeitung, June 1, 2000

The imperturbable soloist

Lara St. John with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra

Sometimes also in the arts things happen differently that scheduled. Because the soloist [Julian Rachlin] had to cancel his performance with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra at the Tonhalle at short notice due to illness, the Canadian violinist Lara St. John stepped in.

Only because she managed to perform with only one rehearsal - she arrived from New York on the day of the performance - the Violin Concerto No. 1 by Max Bruch could be played. In the evening's performance she soon made clear that she intended to convey a very individual and personal interpretation of this famous concerto.

She played the Allegro moderato in a very resolute manner and gave this ballad-like movement very strong colors. All the more surprising then the caressing and tender sounds she elicted in the Adagio, the central movement of the concerto. And then it happened: the e-string snapped. But the soloist remained completely cool: without missing a beat, she finished the movement playing the violin of the concertmaster, and was not even perturbed when she had to retune the meanwhile newly replaced string of her own violin during the third movement. She expressed her thanks for the long and demonstrative applause from the audience with the d-minor Partita by Bach.