Violent String Attack at City Hall Waterford

Photo Fiachra O Ceilleachair

@Waterford_Music ZAIDE QUARTET wowed in Large Room. What virtuosic variety. Angry Shostakovich, bubbly Mozart and Scary Bartok trick treat

— LIAM MURPHY (@liammunster) October 15, 2015

The young Paris based quartet  knocked us out in The Large Room with the sound of their sixteen resonating strings combined. They were so young and so good with  such colour and energy in their playing.  Little wonder then that they are winning all round them at international competitions and are playing prestigious venues as recipients of the ECHO Rising Stars. Leslie Boulin Raulet with charm introduced the programme in  clearly enunciated tones and the ladies  as you would expect, looked trés chic . The quartet wore quite the most stylish high heels we have seen in the Large Room for some time. If you missed them tant pis! Have a listen to them in the video below.

Watch out for Liam Murphy's review in the Munster Express soon.

Convincing Crusaders: Sidorova and Avital at Waterford City Hall

There is something so ephemeral about the notes emanating  from the instruments heard at City Hall, Waterford  last night. The diminutive  mandolin,  produces the most fragile of string timbres demanding quite furious finger plec action to keep the sound waves aloft. We don't think of the accordion as being delicate but from the first squeeze on the bellows, the sound is on a countdown to extinction. The collision of these two vaguely deliquescent musical forces is a rare enough occurrence.  The combination  mixed with  double measures of the platform charisma of Avi Avital and Ksenija Sidorova proved an explosive cocktail.

Much of the first half  presented a fresh take on familiar violin repertoire. Most of it worked brilliantly. Bartok's Romanian Dances sounded as though they might have been  original conceived for such a duo.The familiar gems of De Falla's Spanish Dances shimmered and  Kreisler's Prelude and Allegro lost some of it's pomposity- no bad thing at all. Only in a Bach Partita transcribed for solo mandolin, was I conscious of the limitations  of pizzicato strings to produce the sostenuto needed to fully express the depth of Bach's Chaconne

Ian Wilson 

Composer, Ian Wilson was in The Large Room to introduce his piece Spilliaerts Beach,   a neo- impressionistic musical response to the painting Moonlit Beach by the Belgian painter. Wilson has two pieces premiering next week, at Drogheda and Cork Choral Festival.
Schnittke sounded a bit daunting
Not a bit.

Soloists with Latvian guests

Revis Fairytale was a smashing showcase for solo accordion evoking the humour and pathos of Gogol's stories, delivered with great charm and flair by Sidirova. Then it was off to a more grown up milieu  of Buenos Aires nightlife for a slice of   Piazzola's, Tango Nuove The final concerto by 20th century composer Budashkin gave both a chance to show off their impressive virtuosity and drew the audience to their feet.  Following sustained applause there was  a Czardas lollipop before the charismatic duo  were released from the podium  to meet audience members.

 Photo Plaza Waterford Peter Crann 

With their great flair, skill and charm,  Sidirova and Avital are bright sparks on the classical music scene and  convincing crusaders for these somewhat exotic instruments.  A wonderful,  entertaining  finale to the 73rd Waterford-Music season.

Related Posts Preview Cathy's Reviews http://cathydesmond.blogspot.ie/2015/04/accordion-and-mandolin-globe-trotters.html

 several radio interviews  Marty /Arena




Béla Bartók (1881- 1945)
Romanian Folk Dances
Jocul cu Bâtă | Brâul | Pe Loc | Buciumeana | Poarga Românească | Mărunţel


Manuel de Falla (1876–1946)
From “Siete Canzoni Popolari Spagnole”
6 Canzoni Popolari Spagnole
El Paño Moruno | Asturiana | Jota | Nana | Canción | Polo


J. S. Bach (1685 - 1750)
Partita BWV 1004 in D minor / Chaconne
Fritz Kreisler (1875 - 1962)
Prelude and Allegro
Ian Wilson
Spilliaert's Beach

Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998)
Revis Fairytale
1. Chichikov’s Childhood 2. Officials 3. Waltz 4. Polka

Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
Histoire du Tango
Café 1930 | Night-club 1960

Nikolai Budashkin (1910-1988)

Concerto in A mino

Finale 

The French Connection: Spirited Swiss Duo at Christchurch

Rachel Kolly D'Alba  & Christian Chamorel at Christchurch Cathedral 

Fauré  Sonata in A 
Chausson Poeme op 25
Franck Sonata in A 
Raymond Deane Petit Phrase
Ravel Tzigane 

 Hearing  Suzy Klein interview Swiss violin and piano  pairing on a BBC radio programme ahead of their Wigmore Hall performance last week had heightened my sense of anticipation for Rachel Kolly d'Alba and Christian Chamorel's appearance in Christchurch Cathedral,  Waterford tonight. It did not quite prepare me though for the full impact of the live experience    It is not often we get to hear an authentic 18th century Strad. in Waterford but I suspect that the flame haired virtuoso could have made a factory Skylark sound sizzling.  The hallmark of this virtuoso  is not so much an genteel beauty of tone,  but more an unbridled, full blooded and  triumphant playing style that makes you cling on  to the side of your pew. With Chamorel,  they made a bracing pair of duetists with never a dull moment.

I was too late to hear more than the end of the Fauré but the rhapsodic Chausson was plenty hearty fare  to be going on with. The work was composed, the programme notes by Pat O Kelly informed us, at the behest of  French virtuoso, Ysaye. A second A major Sonata, composed as a wedding present for the same Ysaye, by Cesar Frank formed the mainstay of the second half.  A work by Raymond Deane was included with the customary opaque programme note. Petite Phrase  in Deane's own words was 'defined by the productive friction of contradictions' with some  allusion or other to Proust.  This was followed by a refreshing burst of violin  showmanship in Ravel's gypsy rhapsody, Tzigane.

Dressed in  a  vivid  floor length emerald green frock, Kolly d'Alba cut a colourful and  vibrant figure that could have stepped from a Pre Raphaelite canvas.  Have a look at the video for a glimpse at what you missed. If you are  the South East, you can still catch them in Wexford on Friday .  Among the afficionados we met were pianist Finghin Collins who has performed at Chamorel's Mont Musical Festival in Lausanne. It was  to good to meet local resident  violin virtuoso Teresa Costello of Waterford Concert Orchestra.

The pair are on an extensive tour that takes them to Donegal, Cork, Wexford and Dublin Full dates here http://www.musicnetwork.ie/events/details/april_tour_2014_rachel_kolly_dalba_christian_chamorel/


Venue Notes: I like a 7.30 start time but it is escaping patrons attention, particularly when the rest of the tour dates are at 8pm . A significant percentage of the audience missed the opening sontata which was a pity.