Press
Reviews & Quotes
Solo Violinist delivers virtuoso performance before Forum crowd
By Zachary Lewis of The Patriot News (April 27, 2003)
“You haven’t heard Odin Rathnam until you’ve heard him this weekend. Rathnam…was a newly shining presence last night at The Forum as the soloist in Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto…Rathnam recalled the legendary violinists of past generations as he performed this lush, even visually evocative score. His interpretation was notable on many accounts, but primarily for its restraint. His tone was unfailingly centered and direct, his tempos flexible but still tight. When dipping into a phrase, he went only so far. The second movement, derived from the composer’s music for the 1936 film “Anthony Adverse,” was a model of artful control, emotional but not maudlin. Here, too, the orchestra was the most sensitive as an accompanying body. Rathnam demonstrated his virtuoso prowess in the bursting notes of the finale, but again, the violinist pulled back from showy excess. He was rewarded by vociferous applause.”
Harrisburg’s Virtuoso
By John Zimmerman of Harrisburg Magazine (Cover Story Sept. 2002)
“Charisma. Authority. Passion. Enthusiasm. Incredible Talent. These are but some of the words you will hear repeatedly if you ask about Odin Rathnam. He is perhaps most visible in the Central PA region as the concertmaster of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. But that is only one of the many hats he wears, not just in the music community, but in the community-at-large. After conducting numerous interviews with members of the artistic realm, both in this region and throughout the Nation, it became increasingly difficult to approach this profile. Not because there was a lack of information. On the contrary, the magnanimous response to questions regarding Rathnam’s abilities as a musician, as a leader, as an innovator, and as a member of the community, became almost overwhelming. While it may sound a bit cliché, he seems in many ways, larger than life.”
Tony Award winning conductor Stuart Malina (excerpt from same article) “He’s a phenomenal violinist. We’ll start there. He’s constantly striving to grow. Accordingly, he’s constantly open to ideas”…Malina notes that Rathnam’s awareness of different approaches to bow technique and phrasing is invaluable.
1993 Lincoln Center Recital Debut
By Harris Goldsmith of The Strad Magazine (Winter 1994)
“…there was a healthy projection to his 28 October debut at Alice Tully Hall. I especially liked the alert, upbeat tempos he and his excellent pianist, Rohan De Silva, took in the first Beethoven Sonata (op. 12 no. 1) and their whirlwind treatment of the finale of Saint-Saens Sonata no.1 in D Minor op. 75. Works by Stravinsky, Schumann, and Kreisler were similarly heard to advantage……rock solid…”
Magic of Strings
By Lavina Melwani of India Today Magazine (December 15, 1993)
“As 28-year-old Odin Rathnam finished his debut violin performance at Alice Tully Hall in New York’s prestigious Lincoln Center last month, the audience stood, cheered, and asked for an encore…”
Jyllands Posten
By John Christiansen (July 1988)
“…in rare cases the joy of music making is captivating, as with the American Odin Rathnam.”
Brilliant Presto
By Rob Small of The Algarve News (July 1990)
“The breadth of tone achieved in the adagio [Bach Sonata in g minor for solo violin] was equally matched by the clarity of the themes and expositions in the fugue. The work ended with a brilliantly played presto. Odin then played solos by Kreisler, Veracini and Ysaye, producing shimmering cascades of semi-quavers in the Kreisler; illusions of triple-stopping in the Veracini and impossible feats of technique in the Ysaye.”
Between Forte and Piano
Swiss national press (Boswil Festival 2004)
“Violist Odin Rathnam and Michael Wendeberg (piano) presented with striking effects a refined reading of the ‘Marchenbilder’ op.113 in four movements by Robert Schumann. Radiance enveloped the piano playing and then there was the delicate, thoughtful yet emotionally formulated phrasing of the viola! One was deeply touched by their penetration of Schumann’s sound language, which in its demanding realm of interpretation oscillates between lyrical cantabile, formal strength, beauty and explosive expression.”
Boswil Festival Final Concert 2004
Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and violist Odin Rathnam
“Mozart’s wonderful ‘Sinfonia Concertante’ for violin, viola and orchestra was presented with unrelenting force and vigor….The young violinist produced a clear and focused tone. She is a spirited bundle of energy and throws herself with great passion into the musical moment, expanding, urging, and then taking back. Violist, Rathnam, equally risk-embracing, delivered in kind and proved himself a worthy partner…Mozart would have approved wholeheartedly of an extraordinarily innovative and riveting performance.”
First Concert in new Lagos centre a huge success
By Kerry Drew of the Anglo-Portuguese News (February 25, 1993)
“…The tall and handsome Odin Rathnam and the beautiful Raquel Correia initially gave a slight hint of shyness. However, this impression was fleeting and soon belied by the confidence and the magic of their performance. As we progressed through the Introduzione, the Serenata, and the Tarantella of Stravinsky’s ‘Suite Italienne’ it became clear that we were witnessing brilliant technique and musicianship of the highest order…there was no doubt that we were being entertained by a master…Although my personal preference is for a little more flamboyance, Odin’s melodious impact was flawless and the audience was even more enthusiastic for Schubert than for Stravinsky. Many ‘bravos’ and cheers preceded the intermission…The progressive intricacies further demonstrated the immaculate artistry of the violinist throughout the two movements [Saint Saens Sonata for Violin and Piano, op.75 no.1 in d minor] and the audience was captivated. The highlight of the evening was the fourth program item: Ravel’s ‘Tzigane’, a concert rhapsody for violin and piano…the applause was overwhelming, ensuring two encores.”
Violinist spectacular in concert preview
By Sandy Cullen of The Patriot-News (October 10, 1992)
“An astounding display of energy and endurance provided a spectacular local preview of violinist Odin Rathnam’s New York recital debut. Rathnam, concertmaster of the Harrisburg Symphony, thrilled an audience Wednesday at Market Square Presbyterian Church with the dynamic program he will perform at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall at 8pm Oct. 28. For those who missed the recital here, it is well worth a trip to New York City. Rathnam pairing with pianist Rohan De Silva made for a magical combination in an incredibly invigorating program that grew continually more exciting as it progressed. Stravinsky’s ‘Suite Italienne’ which opened the program, demonstrated the versatility of the violin as well as of the violinist, who plays with gusto. From a lovely and rich sound producing a sense of longing, played with remarkable and mesmerizing sensitivity, Rathnam unleashed his amazingly rapid bowing, intently performed with seemingly effortless vigor. Rathnam’s bravura was matched by De Silva’s powerful piano playing. Together the two shared a sense of timing that provided wonderfully dramatic punctuation. In Beethoven’s ‘Sonata No.1 in D Major,” Rathnam evoked the feeling [of] a restless spirit manifesting itself in the form of beautiful music, conveying sensitivity without sentimentality. Rathnam began the second half of the program with brilliant solo performances of Kreisler’s ‘Recitativo and Scherzo Caprice’ and the Intermezzo from the ‘F.A.E. Sonata’ by Robert Schumann. In his riveting performance of the Kreisler, Rathnam again exhibited masterful bowing, holding together discordant phrases while maintaining a wonderful tension. The Schumann gave Rathnam the opportunity to combine his vigorous and sensitive playing, producing caressing and cascading melodies and a lovely, full sound. But Rathnam saved the best for last with Saint Saens ‘Sonata No.1 in D minor,’ where he once again marvelously paired with De Silva. Beautiful solo violin passages proved Rathnam can be as riveting in his slow and sustained playing as in his awesome and electrifying finale that brought the audience to its feet.”
Strauss and Schoenberg CD review (Kleos Records)
By Calum Macdonald of BBC Music Magazine
Odin Rathnam, violin with Concertante
“[Concertante’s] performance [of the Strauss, Metamorphosen] is white-hot, so intensely felt and so superbly realized technically as to be almost beyond praise; they create their own benchmark in this version.”
Tivoli Festival 2007 [Prokofiev Sonata for Two Violins with Nikolaj Znaider]
Kristelig Dagblad
“…outstanding, full-blooded romantic violin playing by both players.”