Nicola Benedetti, City Hall
THESE two concerts, part of the outstanding young violinist's 48-hour residency, while maybe not faultless, represented music-making of the highest order.
After a cleanly articulated Chaconne from Bach's solo Partita No 2 with exquisitely executed passages at the first one, she lavished the same even, quality of tone on a wistfully beautiful Brahms Sonata No 1 with her skilled, secure and sure-fingered pianist Alison Rhind.
Brahms' Hungarian Dance No 5 and Saint-Sans' Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso were tossed off with technical bravura and security before Vaughan Williams' Lark Ascending did so with breathtaking beauty.
After which, Heiftez's transcription of It Ain't Necessarily So and a saccharine-free Meditation from Massenet's Thais were the calm before the storm of a fiery, finger-bursting Ravel Tzigane.
A super Arrival of the Queen of Sheba and Mozart K285 flute quartet – Guy Eshed's flute entrancing everyone, from Ensemble 360 musicians heralded Nicola's second appearance to play Bach's Violin and Oboe Concerto with Adrian Wilson and the Elias 'Quintet', double bassist Laurne Durantel being a permanent member on this occasion.
With the liquid-toned oboist at his considerable best and the violinist's trademark-feel for music and tonal contrasts it was beautifully played, as were lovely performances of the two Beethoven violin Romances and the one by Dvork with the temporary string quintet, flute, two oboes, bassoons and horns – guests were the additional musicians.
Naomi Atherton then tackled Cherubini's two difficult Horn Sonatas with full, firm line (forgivably faltering once or twice) and string quintet before the supremely gifted violinist returned for a superbly controlled account of Tartini's 'Devil's Trill' Sonata with strings and pinpoint intonation capped with thrilling execution of the cadenza
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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