Violinist Anna Lim Selects

About the Playlist

August 27, 2020

This week we celebrate the 25th playlist in our Collective Listening Project with curated selections from violinist Anna Lim—a frequent collaborator on the Richardson Chamber Players series, a partner in our wonderful Neighborhood Project, a beloved violin instructor in the Department of Music, and a terrific violinist.

LISTEN TO THE PLAYLIST>

When Marna Seltzer asked me to create a playlist for Princeton University Concerts, I thought it sounded like an interesting endeavor. I didn’t realize how hard it is to select a few recordings out of the thousands that I love. So after a lot of hemming and hawing, I’ve settled for a few favorites that I think will make for rewarding listening.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Piano Concerto in C Major, K. 467

This crackling performance by my gurus—Sándor Végh conducting (my teacher) and pianist András Schiff—is one of my favorites. As a student at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, I was lucky to be playing somewhere in the second violin section on this recording. In the difficult times we’ve had globally, Mozart seems especially relevant—uplifting, energetic, hopeful.

FRANZ SCHUBERT String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D. 887

I have come back to this piece many times in my life. The music seems to encompass all human emotions and experiences in one work. (It should really be called the G major-minor quartet, for its Schubertian way of continually threading together light and darkness.) I especially love this recording for its many transcendent moments. Played by two of my favorite violinists, Gidon Kremer and Daniel Phillips (viola and cello also not too shabby, Kim Kashkashian and Yo-Yo Ma).

FAUSTO ROMITELLI La sabbia del tempo

If you’ll follow me off the beaten path for a moment with patience and open ears, I think you’ll enjoy the imaginative, nuanced sound sculpture by this Italian composer. I won’t ruin it by attaching any labels…but his music was a revelation to me. This is a recording by the wonderful NYC-based new music group, Talea Ensemble. Listen to this one on YouTube>

JESSIE MONTGOMERY Strum

I only recently became aware of Jessie’s music—crazy, since she is a stellar member of our own Princeton music department. I love her string sound and string imagination. And like the Mozart, it’s upbeat, energetic and hopeful.