CLASSICAL MUSIC: Coenraad Visser
TWO outstanding soloists and an orchestra still inspired by Gerard Korsten’s recent visit marked the first two concerts conducted by Vladimir Simkine, the Russian conductor currently on the podium in front of the National Symphony
First Tasmin Little gave a breathtakingly lyrical account of Beethoven’s violin concerto. Her articulation was always clear and clean, and the outer movements were urgent without being wilful. But perhaps the purest magic came in the central slow movement, pensively tender but never rambling aimlessly. This was a performance to treasure for a long, long time.
By contrast, Philippe Bianconi was mainly fire and brimstone in Rachmaninov’s third piano concerto. His was an electrifying performance, displaying in abundance the prodigious technical qualities the composer demands. Yet, in quieter moments Bianconi gently tugged at the heart strings. In the end, what was most impressive was his complete knowledge of the score. This enabled him to judge perfectly the dynamic levels required of the pianist, a rare achievement in the densely orchestrated
In two Russian masterpieces, Scriabin’s Symphony No 4 (Poem of Ecstasy) and Khachaturian’s second symphony, Simkine showed considerable flair and the ability to marshall his extensive forces. The results were powerful and idiomatic, even if the sound balances between orchestral groups were not always carefully judged.
Richard Cock conducts Orff’s Carmina Burana at 8pm on November 29 and 30 in the Johannesburg City Hall