Artis—Naples brings in Gil Shaham and three star works for an epic program

Gil Shaham can stretch notes on his Stradivarius for days, control volume in soupcons of a decibel and plumb soul-deep interpretations of the classical violin canon.

Palmetto bugs he's not so great with. 

Shaham, who is in Naples to perform Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 6-8,  recalled, among his more unusual concerts, a "bugged" Prokofiev Violin Concerto performance.

'"I do remember being onstage when this enormous palmetto bug made his way over in front of everyone. At one point, the concertmaster turned to me and kind of pointed at my shoe with his bow," Shaham recalled.

Shaham saw his visitor and reacted as most people would.

"I kind of look pretty spazzy when I play anyway, but this I understand was more embarrassing than usual," he said, chuckling. "I ended up flinging this bug over the viola section, who responded in turn with similar convulsions. We spent 20 minutes onstage in 'orchestra versus water bug.'" 

Shaham, unbugged:Listen to Gil Shaham perform an impromptu rendition of Bach

Shaham plans all the excitement during his performances in Naples to be with the music. He's a fan of the Dvorak Violin Concerto he'll be performing and hopes to expand that fan base in Naples. 

"I think this violin concerto may not be given enough credit. People play the cello concerto, and it's a great masterwork, of course. But it's a little bit of a pity the violin concerto might be in the shadow. It's a masterpiece in its own right."

Dvorak takes the audience on a musical flight

This concerto was a test of stamina and patience for the composer, who had to revise it three times before it was published. For the final revision, Dvorak cut a chunk of its last movement. The originals have apparently been destroyed. 

"I would have loved to (have studied earlier drafts), but I've never seen, in this case, the previous versions. I think we don't have it," he said. "It's amazing to see how accommodating Dvorak was and how influential Simrock (his music publisher) was."

Where Dvorak stood his ground was joining the first and second movements, which audiences will hear. Another unusual thing about this violin concerto is that it has no opening movement cadenza, the interlude during which the soloist performs without any accompaniment.

Perhaps that lack of a starring moment has moved it down on the list of works other violinists choose, but Shaham has it firmly in his repertoire.

"I love playing it," he said. "It does what great music should. It takes you on an amazing journey. So when your're done with it you feel like you've read a great novel or you've had the satisfaction of hearing a great story.

"But he also has this amazing gift for melody, in his traditional Dvorakian way. It starts on violin in the lower register and it keeps spinning, and it's like it's spun out of gold—one thing after another."

Shaham commands the same reverence as he gives his music: He's won both the Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Avery Fisher Prize. In 2012, he was named “Instrumentalist of the Year” by Musical America. He's won multiple Grammys, a Grand Prix du Disque, Diapason d’Or, and Gramophone magazine Editor’s Choice awards.

He has more than two dozen discs to his name.  Name a world-class orchestra and he's performed with it: Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, and San Francisco Symphony as well as multi-year residencies with the Orchestras of Montreal, Stuttgart and Singapore. 

Stradivarius came from 'good people' helping

He has a violin to match, the "Comtesse de Polignac" Stradivarius of 1699. Acquiring that violin, which had been on loan to him, at age 17 was an ordeal more nerve-wracking than facing a million palmetto bugs.

"I like to tell the story because when people are kind and do good or help, it has a ripple effect," he said.

"I was very lucky. The man who sold the violin to me was a businessman from Chicago. He was a very kind and gracious. He was a supporter of the  the orchestra — the Chicago Symphony — he supported the Lyric Opera (of Chicago). He was a patron of the arts.

He had lent Shaham to play, but shortly after that decided to sell it, and offering Shaham the first right to buy it. Shaham felt the price was generous  — "I don't really think he was making any money on the sale. He sold it to me for the price at which he bought it" — but still, for a 17-year-old, nowhere within reach.

"I thought this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I started calling banks," he said. "I wasn't getting anywhere. I guess lenders are reluctant to take violins as collateral because they move around. It's not like real estate."

To add to that, this violin was worth more than many homes in the U.S. Then, he recalled Swiss banker Hans Baer, of the powerful private Bank Julius Baer,  offering his card after Shaham performed in Zurich. Baer told Shaham to call if he ever needed assistance.

"People say that, but I wasn't sure what he meant," he recalled. But the young Shaham summoned his courage and called.  And Baer reiterated his pledge: Shaham got a mortgage, not for a fashionable home, but for his violin.

"That was more than 30 years ago. I'm happy to say I'm off the hook and also the violin is mine — all because I was very lucky to have people help me along the way."

"There are some amazing people out there who are really very generous and good."

Triple threat concert

The Naples Philharmonic has scheduled three Masterworks concerts this coming weekend and for good reason: It has two guest stars, violinist Gil Shaham (see accompanying story) and literary lecturer Elaine Newton.

Newton, who's familiar to Artis—Naples patrons as leader/facilitator for the "Critic's Choice" book lectures and "Four O'Clock at the Movies," will narrate Karel Jaromír Erben's Czech tale of "The Water Goblin," during Zdeněk Fibich's 16-minute work of the same name. The latter is built around a recitation of the poignant and somber fairy tale of a young girl who is forced to become the bride of the water troll. 

The entire second half of the concert is devoted to Sir Edward Elgar's best known work outside his "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1,  The "Enigma" Variations. Its engaging themes were written about friends and family, painting an audial picture of them all without identifying them. 

Sublime sample:Hear 'Nimrod,' from Elgar's 'Enigma' variations

Masterworks No. 3

Shaham and Engima

What: Masterworks Series concert featuring guest artist Gil Shaham on the Dvorak Violin Concerto and Elaine Newton as narrator for Fibich's "The Water Goblin," and Naples Philharmonic and Music Director Andry Boreyko; also, Elgar's "Enigma" Variations 

When: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 6-8; pre-concert talks at 7 p.m. each night

Where: Hayes Hall, Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples

Tickets: $15-$72

To buy: artisnaples.org., 239-597-1900 or at the box office