The Strad
Marat Bisengaliev (violin) - The Millennium Sinfonia.
James Kelleher. October 1995.
St James, Piccadilly, London.
Reviewing the recent recording of the 1 Havergal Brian Violin Concerto (Marco Polo 8 223 179), an hilluciitial American critic described the work as the fourth ,great English violin concerto, joining those of Elgar, Walton and Britten. The soloist on that disc. Marat Bisengaliev, gave the British concert premiere of the original score, in a programme devoted to Brian's music given at St James. Piccadilly (27 May). Indeed it lead only received one prior public performance, with the soloist Ralph Holmes deciding lei discard sonic of the enormous difficulties of the solo role. Watching Bisengaliev only made you sympathise with Holmes for not only does Brian present the soloist with fiendish technical hurdles, but for long passages he unleashes the full orchestra against the violin. Had he heard the work he may well have sanctioned changes, but its its present format it is still it rivetting score, the drama and colourful scoring punctuated with passages of the most tranquil beauty. The slow mm movement, a theme and 15 variations, is certainly able to stand comparison with any violin concerto.
Bisengaliev 'gave a brilliant and totally committed account, and he received magnificient support front the relatively young musicians of The Millenium Sinfonia conducted by James Kelleher.
DAVID DENTON
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