Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky.. all provide us with the brass-busting frills and drama of the Russian composer. It therefore came as a surprise to me that Shostakovich’s 2nd Violin Concerto should hold such inwardly lyrical passages, subtle delicacies and softness that seem to ignore the genre of the Russian Violin Concerto entirely. But with the strong army of the London Symphony Orchestra behind him, Sergey Khachatryan proved he did not need the showman’s tricks to prove his talent.
The fresh-faced Armenian violinist displayed a maturity and understanding of the subtle nuances of piece, written in Stalinist Russia, with much more ease and ability than some of his older competition. What was most impressive was the cadenza in every movement, showing a level of technicality which even the master David Oistrakh believed to be unattainable. This did not seem to faze the casual Khachatryan, who flung his bow onto the string with casual ease and youthful vigour during the second cadenza, conversing between the brass, percussion, and wind solos which seemed to appear out of the darkness. He did not even break a sweat in the final cadenza, which flew at an unstoppable speed, and roared into a reckless and jerky finish. The audience could not let him go now. After a fair few rounds of bowing and applause, he returned to show us his truly awe-worthy musicality with a touching Bach sonata. His version, shimmering and yet solemn, is one of the most moving interpretations I have ever heard. As the audience around me made their way out for the interval, I felt they were experiencing my same glow at having shared some of his magic in what was a whirlwind dream of music.