Kentish gazett. 14.12.2000
Lost for superlatives by duo's recital
Canterbury Music Club St Peter's Methodist Church
MARAT Bisengaliev and Ben Frith left a capacity Canterbury Music Club audience lost for superlatives.
It was a night no one will ever forget. I have never enjoyed any recital as much and can only compare them with Heifetz and Horowitz.
Composers from Asia and all parts of Europe, spanning three centuries, were represented in a wide variety of moods.
Bisengaliev's stunning power and articulation were immediately apparent and Ben Frith was equally impressive in this virtuosic concert during which the violinist played from memory throughout. Enjoying their love affair with the music, the duo opened with Vitali's Chaconne, climaxing with astounding volume.
Brahms' mighty 3rd Sonata provided a fine vehicle to display the violin's full spectrum of mood and timbre. Its passionate conversation with the piano was offset by great tenderness and eloquence.
We had seduction and wild gipsy excitement in Hungarian and Spanish Dances, before the mood changed with the lovely Poeme which Marat premiered for his fellow Kazakhstani, Tulebayev.
Then, mere virtuosity was left behind, as we experienced quite unbelievable feats of sound.
Sarasate's popular and passionate Zigeunerweisen transported us into the world of erotic dreams. The muted strings sounded like magical, angelic fluted voices until the Vivace Coda whisked us into a breathtaking Bacchanale.
One felt one's ears were deceiving one in the well known Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Tarrega when there seemed to be two exceptional violinists playing. Marat left until the last, in Wieniawski, his most magical sound of finest gossamer silk, like the most delicate spiders web shimmering in the morning dew.
At the end of the concert a standing ovation said it all. We had heard nothing quite like it and were never likely to do so again. The concert was sponsored by Autocare (Canterbury).
Tony Hickson
|
