ELIZABETH
BASOFF-DARSKAIA
Violin Recital with
JONATHAN SHIN, Piano
Lee
Foundation Theatre
Sunday (26 July 2015 )
This review was published in The Straits Times on 28 July 2015 with the title "Violinist and pianist display solid technique".
There are so many incredibly talented
young violinists studying in conservatories around the world that it is
impossible to count them all. Just witness the Singapore International Violin
Competition in January, where margins separating each artist were so fine that
the decisions to reward some and eliminate others seemed almost arbitrary. So
count oneself lucky to have even heard any of them perform, and the same would
apply to young Russian-American violinist Elizabeth Basoff-Darskaia who made
her Singapore
Her teachers are a Who's Who of the
instrument, including Ruggiero Ricci, Aaron Rosand, Pamela Frank and Boris
Kuschnir. Perhaps one of them might have advised on her sequence of
programming, because it is murder to open a recital cold with Brahms' demanding
Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor
(Op.108). Both performers and listeners have yet to fully warm up, and the
results could be half-cooked or disappointing.
Thankfully, she had the technique to
sustain its four movements with a sweet and somewhat slender tone on the 1745
Carlo Bergonzi violin on loan from the Rin Collection. The faster outer
movements fared best while the slow movement came across as prosaic, and the
playful scherzo on the staid side. By the time of Saint-Saëns' Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso,
she had fully warmed up and pulled out all stops for a virtuoso display.
For her unaccompanied segment, Paganini's
Caprice No.19 sounded exposed at its
fastest bits, where the running notes were a blur. Much better was the Bach Chaconne in D minor which confidently
opened the second half, with a more fulsome tone, perfect intonation and
masterly pacing. This was the work she should have begun her recital with.
What followed was a lovely reading of
Mozart's Sonata in B flat major
(K.454), which displayed sensitivity and utmost sympathy for the Rococo style.
Simplicity of form and beauty of lines ruled here. By now, one would have
wondered who the pianist in the recital was. Young Singaporean pianist Jonathan
Shin was every bit an equal partner in Mozart, Brahms and Saint-Saëns, a solid
rock upon which the recital stood. So why was he referred to as just an
accompanist and his biography not included?
The recital closed with the Carmen Fantasy by Hungarian violin
virtuoso Jenö Hubay, a refreshing departure from the frequently-heard Sarasate
and Waxman incarnations. This version was more improvisatory, had more showy
cadenzas, and included the Fate motif, Micaela's
Air and Toreador Song before
romping home with the scintillating Bohemian
Dance.
Both performers received the loudest
cheers and rhythmic applause. As there was no pre-prepared encore,
Basoff-Darskaia emerged from the wing sans violin to play Chopin's Étude in F minor (Op.25 No.2) on the
piano flawlessly and with teasing rubato.
Further cheers brought out pianist Shin and the finale from the Brahms sonata
was reprised. This time it sounded well done, and close to perfection.
 |
| A meeting of Russian virtuosos: Elizabeth Basoff-Darskaia with former SSO Concertmaster Alexander Souptel. |
No comments:
Post a Comment