A suite of delights: Jörg Widmann and Lisa Batiashvili in Berlin

By Elena Luporini, 12 April 2024

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“approached this fragmented form with irony, ready to pursue its lyricism into unexpected twists”

Reviewed at Philharmonie: Kammermusiksaal, Berlin on 10 April 2024

Widmann, Tränen der Musen

Zedginidze, Impromptu for solo piano

Zedginidze, Sonata for violin and piano

Debussy, Violin Sonata in G minor

Widmann, Zirkustänze for piano

Prokofiev, Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op.34

Lisa Batiashvili, Violin

Jörg Widmann, Clarinet

Denis Kozhukhin, Piano

Tsotne Zedginidze, Piano

Alessandro Cappone, Violin

Rachel Schmidt, Violin

Micha Afkham, Viola

Solène Kermarrec, Cello

“Iron Man” Kozhukhin dominates in Prokofiev

Néstor Castiglione, 6th August

Denis Kozhukhin crushes Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto, but guest conductor Ryan Bancroft is overwhelmed in Shostakovich 10.

***11

Vasily Petrenko delivers an Elgar 2 of rare distinction with the RPO

Alexander Hall, 27th March

Romanticism is the obvious link between Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto and Elgar's Second Symphony in this absorbing evening's entertainment supplied by Denis Kozhukhin, the RPO and its Music Director, Vasily Petrenko.

****1

Passionately committed Brahms from Janine Jansen and friends

Nick Boston, 21st December

Timothy Ridout, Daniel Blendulf and Denis Kozhukin join the Dutch violinist for intensely passionate performances of Brahms chamber works.

*****

Extrovert Rachmaninov from Kozhukhin and the Belgrade Philharmonic

Peter Connors, 6th October

In addition to Rachmaninov, the Belgrade Philharmonic and Jaume Santonja play Stevan Hrstić's atmospheric In the Countryside and excerpts from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet.

****1

Ice but not much fire from Hannu Lintu and the BBC Symphony Orchestra

Alexander Hall, 17th February

Nothing quite ordinary or indeed comforting here, the heavy mixture of acid colouring in Lindberg, Ustvolskaya and Stravinsky not tempered by any opulence in Rachmaninov.

***11

Zinging strings: Janine Jansen leads an all-Stradivarius octet

Mark Pullinger, 19th December

Violin dealers J & A Beare celebrate its 130th anniversary in lavish style by bringing together eight of the Cremona luthier’s exceptional instruments for a concert directed by Dutch violinist, Janine Jansen.

****1

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Elena Luporini

After completing their Master's degree in Musicology in Rome, Elena has now moved to Berlin to dedicate themselves to more things musical. With a publication on Béla Bartók and a seminar at the Humboldt-Universität underway, their interests mostly veer toward 20th-century opera, with some forays into queer musicology. Some of their latest undertakings also include oboe lessons, stencil-making and tea-making.