The Best of Gil Shaham

This is Gil Shaham, an Urbana-born Israeli violinist at the age of 38. He made his debut in 1989, subbing in for Itzhak Perlman, who was sick, and flew to London after one day's notice to perform Bruch and Sibelius.

Let me begin in saying that Shaham is easily my second favourite violinist, the first being Perlman. His technique is so precise that you can distinctly recognize each note in the fastest of passages. His tone is so pure and concentrated that it cuts through the air in brilliant splendor. His passion burns deep, and this is evident as one listens, especially as one watches.

Praises aside, I think the one thing hindering him is the fact that he doesn't ever get rough with his playing. He handles his pieces so delicately and precisely that there is no grit to his playing. This usually isn't an issue, until he tackles a piece such as Bartok's second violin concerto. I have a recording of Isaac Stern's Bartok, and I consider it by far the definitive interpretation. Stern plays with such authority and knows when to get down and dirty. There's a rough texture to Stern's interpretation and when paired with perfect technique, one cannot help but beg for more.

Shaham's interpretation, on the other hand, is so clean cut (as is the orchestra's performance,) to the point where it's absurd. Bartok's music is folk music-derived, so shouldn't it be a bit coarse and crude? It's not like the opening bassoon solo in Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, where Stravinsky added all those ornamentations to force the melody to be primative.

Regardless, Shaham is a top-notch world-class violinist, and here are what I consider to be his top three recordings.

#3 - Camille Saint-Saëns

Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in D minor, op. 75

II. Allegretto moderato - Allegro molto

Link

This movement has two faces, the first of which is light, almost elegant. Already here you can hear Shaham's great precision and how calculating he is with his right hand. Isn't his spiccato fantastic? The production is very intimate, I feel, as you can really get the sense that Shaham and his collaborator Gerhard Oppitz are really in tune with one another. As if the first section isn't dazzling enough, the movement kicks off into an allegro molto where it speaks volumes more for Shaham's technique. The synchronization between him and Oppitz is just fantastic, especially in the dazzling finale. How can one not fall in love with Shaham after listening to this?

#2 - Erich Wolfgang Korngold

Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35

II. Romance: andante

Link

So I've made it clear Shaham can play fast, and he can do it well. However, it's always the slow pieces that really seem to showcase one's skill. I really have to praise the London Symphony Orchestra (under the baton of André Previn) for its sensitive touch, from the very first Gmaj7 chord. After the eight introductory measures, one has no choice but to lose his or her breath with Shaham's first D. It pierces the pristine air with such clarity and lightness that it stirs something deep within. As the movement develops, so does Shaham's tone, waxing and waning as Korngold dictates on the score, with the orchestra in perfect harmony. Even the poco meno section leading up to Avanti! is done with such precision, one cannot hope for more!

#1 - Sergei Prokofiev

Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, op. 19

I. Andantino - Andante assai

Link

This is the recording that got me hooked on Shaham. Friends, this is the definitive interpretation of Prokofiev's first violin concerto. The way he handled Prokofiev really makes me wish Shaham would do Walton. I get very excited thinking about how Shaham's Walton would sound, which I would like to believe would surpass Heifetz's Walton (though would that be too much to ask?). Shaham is so disciplined in that he holds back his emotions in the beginning melancholic theme until Prokofiev deems it appropriate to get excited. The middle section is so well calculated and really captures Prokofiev's sarcasm and wit perfectly. Every accent and stacatto is accounted for, and the ending will simply melt your heart in how bittersweet it is. Mr. Shaham, this is a BRILLIANT performance of Prokofiev's first!

Ironic Fates

Proverbs 1:8-19 (NIV / NASB / ESV)

Biblical wisdom can seem to be counter-intuitive yet never fails to yield surprising results. For example, in Luke 14:12-24, a parable of a great banquet is told. Those famaliar with this parable will know that at the end, the parable teaches us to be humble and that when we lower ourselves that we will be honoured and recognized. It would seem that one initially loses, but then eventually wins.

These verses in Proverbs show that the opposite is true, in that when one initially seems to win, in the end he or she loses. The verses show sinners that seek the blood of others and waylay harmless souls, yet in the end, they yield their blood and waylay themselves.

Whenever we pursue our sinful desires, in one aspect I think it's because we have a false sense that we will be better off if we give in to them. Whenever I do something questionable according to the scriptures, I always find myself appealing to my worldly logic, and try to justify my own sins. Fei, in Bible study last night, said something insightful, in that it's terrifying that we can even distort scripture to justify our sins. That really made me realize that we really are fools, in that we think our reasoning is above the commandments in the Word, and that by yielding to our fallacy-ridden reasoning, we believe that we will reap better rewards.

In a sense, we could reap rewards, but only rewards that will last in our lifetime. In the end, when our bodies expire, those rewards will disappear, and when we come before God to be judged, those worldly treasures described in verse 13 will not matter. This plunder that we hoard, is described as ill-gotten, and that it will ultimately lead to our demise. This counter-intuitive truth is ironic, in that though we believe we are well off, we are the exact opposite.

Matthew 6:19-21 clearly states that these worldly treasures will be susceptible to things like rust and thievery, but that our heavenly treasures will be untouchable. If our hearts lie with our treasures, then is it not clearly wise to accumulate as much heavenly treasures as possible? If our hearts are stored within the worldly treasure, when they wear down and turn to dust, so will our hearts, leading us to our own destruction.

I pray that regardless of how enticing sin may be, that I would have the wisdom to deny myself the worldly gains in order to accumulate spiritual wealth. May I find rest in the fact that Jesus will help me fight against my sinful urges, that he will give me power and the conviction necessary. Do not let me fall victim to sin and become waylayed by myself. Do not let me put my hopes into my worldly goods, for when they perish, so will my soul. Rather, let me put my faith in God knowing that He will reward me with everlasting gifts in heaven.

Spiritual Enlightenment

Proverbs 1:1-7 (NIV / NASB / ESV)

I'm thinking that Mondays are going to quickly become my favorite days of the week, as far as summer is concerned. My coservant Steve Xia picks me up for morning prayer. We go every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday together, and though it's hard to get up at 5:45 AM, I really think the benefits obtained by starting the day off with morning prayer surpass my feelings of tiredness from waking up so early. Fei Zhao, my leader, and other members that made it out join us as we pray for the upcoming day and our small group. Steve drops me off at Wesley for CFC summer school and I get to serve cute adorable little kids, and after that, I go to work. My break involves going back to summer school and cleaning up, but serving with friends redeems the fact that I'm wiping down tables. If anything, I do get fed lunch, and after cleaning, I return to work.

After working, I go to Bible study, which is really challenging and stretching my faith. It's no longer as simple as explicating a passage from the Bible, but rather, questioning what comes out of our mouths to see if what we say is really what the Bible is trying to tell us. There's a lot of emphasis on applications, and this was especially true tonight.

Last night I was in one of those provocative mental states, just thinking about what I wrote last night, about how I wanted spiritual wisdom. From tonight's Bible study, I realized that spiritual wisdom can be reflected through our character. It is clear to me now that I need to study the Word harder, pray more earnestly, surround myself with accountability partners if I even want a chance in changing my character.

As it was previously stated, I think that gaining spiritual wisdom is one way in which our character can change for the better, and last night I decided for my quiet times, I was going to begin meditating on the book of Proverbs. Morning prayer turns out, right after the mini-sermon, to be a great time to do a quiet time.

These opening verses of Proverbs immediately makes clear the purpose of this book. Among the many benefits are attaining wisdom and discipline and acquiring a disciplined and prudent life. Proverbs already sounds pretty exciting, right?

There are a couple things I wanted to point out, the first of which is the emmphasis on how young people are emphasized in the fourth verse. It really shows that as young people, we do lack knowledge and discretion. Like I said last night, it's getting easier for me to think that I'm all-knowing, that I've experience most there is to life, yet I'm still an undergraduate student in college. I haven't even stepped out into the real world! I am much more foolish than I think.

Proverbs, I feel, will help me explicate other passages of the Bible because verses 5 and 6 state that through studying Proverbs, I will acquire wise counsel to help me understand other proverbs, parables, sayings, and riddles. That further emphasizes the importance of diving into Proverbs before tackling more difficult books in the Bible. I feel that by reading into Proverbs, granted I study it earnestly and whole-heartedly, I will undergo a spiritual enlightenment that will bring new depth, meaning, and significance to the Word.

These teachings of wisdom are potent, in that even the most simple-minded will benefit and become wiser. However, we need to be wise enough in the first place in knowing that we must have God in our hearts and fear him. To fear God is the first step towards gaining wisdom, and it is the only way we receive further wisdom. With all that said, I'm excited to study Proverbs.

I pray that the Lord opens my heart to invite him and have him dwell within me, my eyes so that I may see the depth of his wisdom contained within the Bible, and my ears so that I may be continually listening for his words of wisdom and instructions as I live each day. God's power is amazing, beyond human understanding, so may I learn to fear and respect him, lest my daily studies bear no fruit, for fearing God is the step towards obtaining wisdom. May these words not simply pass through, but really dwell within me so that the lessons learned become an integral part of my identity and character, that I may live my daily life according to the instructions contained within the book of Proverbs. By living according to the Word, may I be an example, acting as the light to show others God's wisdom and glory.

Perfect Obedience

Luke 2:41-51 (NIV / NASB / ESV)

It seems that it takes something dramatic for a certain messages to penetrate my thick skull. Ask my parents and they'll definitely agree that I'm one of the more stubborn humans in the population, and apparently to my Mom, my naturally curly hair acts as further evidence in cementing this undeniable truth. Whether this is a real Korean belief, in that how curly one's hair is positively correlated with how stubborn one is, or something she completely made up is beyond me. Perhaps someone can shed some light upon this matter.

This weekend I went home to help our first ever garage sale in the history of the Park family. I came in with positive expectations but I was not prepared for how turbulent this seemingly innocent visit home would turn into what was undeniably the most painful interfamily conflicts we had to overcome.

Being a respect-me, it's hard for me to subjugate myself, especially in situations when I believe I am in the right. Since entering high school, I've had this mentality that I've been catching up to my parents in terms of wisdom. I felt closer in wisdom than ever before having taken a leadership course, reading books such as Crucial Conversations and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. What I didn't realize, was that I was relying on shakable, worldly wisdom, and that I was putting that in front of unshakable, heavenly wisdom contained in the Bible.

The matter of the conflict isn't of issue, nor is the fact that I thought my actions and words were completely justified. The Bible clearly states that we, as children, are expected to practice perfect obedience towards our parents. Though it's a command found in the Bible, I always find this instruction to be one of the hardest to accept. For me to let go of my pride and stand down to obey is extremely difficult, because usually I find my way or options to be superior to that of my parents.

This passage found in Luke I find to be really helpful when it comes to struggling with my parents. It's not like other passages found within the Bible where it explicitly states that children must obey their parents, but actually accounts a story when Jesus himself obeys His parents!

When I am told to do something that I deem unreasonable or illogical, I try to press my stance against my parents, claiming that my wisdom should be considered over theirs. Yet we see Jesus here, the mighty saviour that washed away all the sins of humanity, obeying his parents without question. Why do I believe I can rebel against my parents, thinking that I am so wise, when Jesus, who is infinitely wiser than all of us, submits to His parents? Because of his obedience, the passage says that his mother was blessed. I want to bring that type of blessing to my parents.

I think it's important to observe that Jesus obeys not only his worldly parents, in that He returned to Nazareth with his parents when He was instructed to do so, but that He also obeys his heavenly Father, who is father to all of us. Jesus stayed in Jerusalem because He knew that He had to stay in his Father's house, the temple courts, to listen to the Word in obedience to God's commands. Those commands set forth by God, surpass the commands that pass the lips of mere humans, and it is within God's commands that we are to obey our worldly parents.

In the end, all conflicts were resolved. The entire family got involved, all of us yelling at each other, and the funny thing was, it took the outburst of my youngest brother Seth and his one request for us to listen to his words for us to make amends. He spoke of how God put us into one family for a reason, and that by arguing and fighting, we were breaking the bonds God granted to us. While everyone was yelling and advocating their own worldly wisdom, Seth advocated God's wisdom, and it was those potent words that settled our hearts and brought light to the folly of our wordly wisdom.

I pray that I can bring blessings upon my parents by listening to them and practicing perfect obedience. Instead of cherishing my own self-proclaimed worldly wisdom, may God grant me in his grace his heavenly wisdom so that I may not refute my parents' commands. May I also obey the commands set forth by my heavenly Father, and that by doing so, I can eventually raise my own children in the Word to obey and bring glory to God. Help me realize that it is God's instructions for me to obey my parents, especially when the times are tough and when the situation seems unreasonable. Let me internalize the irrefutable fact that by disobeying my parents means I am going against God's Word. May my obedience to my parents bring blessings upon them, and may my obedience to God bring him glory.