Guernsey Gazette May 2001
An enthusiastic performance
VIOLINIST Marat Bisengaliev hails from Kazakhstan, a country vast enough to swallow Guernsey a thousand times without losing its appetite. He and Benjamin Frith, whom many will remember from his solo piano recital here last September, gave a splendidly virtuosic recital at St James, presented by the Channel Islands Music Council, as part of a Channel Island tour. They were well matched, both technically and in temperament, choosing some of the greatest challenges in the repertoire to demonstrate their skills. Mr Bisengaliev played everything from memory. He had the personality of a showman and responded to his audience as much as we responded to him. A Chaconne by Vitali was made to reveal new vistas at each 'turn of the wheel.' Here is an artist who can paint pictures with notes. The well-worn paths of Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen were traced with new insight. Using a mute in the 'Golden Earrings' section, he achieved a beautiful veiled tone. The finale showpiece was given a dazzling rendition enjoyed as much by the performers as the spectators. Amid a storm of applause, they returned to encore the Prestissimo. Mr Frith then played an unscheduled, but very beguiling, Intermezzo from opus 117 by Brahms to 'calm things down a bit,' as he termed it.
The programme was a showcase for violin technique. The house fell silent, as did the piano, during the 'Devil's Trill' cadenza of Tartini's G minor sonata, which involves double or triple-stopping trills, executed at considerable length.
If that was impressive, so was the account of Tarrega's Recuerdos de la Alhambra in which the unaccompanied violin supplied the melody, bass and the mandolin in the middle simultaneously. A set of Variations by Polish violinist Wieniawski - not often attempted in public, we were assured - involved leaps of two octaves or more, done with great accuracy, spiccato, saltando, mixing pizzicato with normal blowing and doubtless many other devices too arcane for the lay person to spot. Nor was this the end of his range. A Bach sonato was performed with the strict clarity of a disciplined player willing to let the notes speak for themselves. In a Poema by his compatriot Tulebayev and again in Legend by Havergal Brian, he drew magic from the pianissimi. Elgar's La Capricieuse opus 17 he played with great delicacy and expressiveness, matched by the pianist.
In addition to this, and a fast and furious Spanish Dance by de Falla, they gave us three encores: Wieniawski's Capriccio Waltz, Paganiniana by Nathan Milstein and a Serenade by Elgar. This was their final recital of a strenuous tour, but still they had enthusiasm to spare. Mr Bisengaliev's bow once belonged to Elgar. It is in good hands.
by Christine Le Poidevin
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