sat 02/11/2024

Leonidas Kavakos, Enrico Pace, Wigmore Hall | reviews, news & interviews

Leonidas Kavakos, Enrico Pace, Wigmore Hall

Leonidas Kavakos, Enrico Pace, Wigmore Hall

A revelatory duo partnership excels in Prokofiev and Schubert

Leonidas Kavakos: A great soloist, but an even greater duo partner working with a first-rate pianistYannis Bournias

No doubt about it, Leonidas Kavakos is one of the world's top 10 live-wire violinists. But here in London he seems to have sold himself a bit short recently with a less than great concerto repertoire (Korngold, Szymanowski's Second). Korngold furnished a springy intermezzo in last night's blockbuster recital, Szymanowski a ravishing second encore, but I went to hear two giddying masterpieces, Prokofiev's First Violin Sonata and Schubert's Fantasy in C. If unknown quantity Enrico Pace could manage to play Richter to Kavakos's David Oistrakh, it might turn out to be awe-inspiring. He did, so it was.

No doubt about it, Leonidas Kavakos is one of the world's top 10 live-wire violinists. But here in London he seems to have sold himself a bit short recently with a less than great concerto repertoire (Korngold, Szymanowski's Second). Korngold furnished a springy intermezzo in last night's blockbuster recital, Szymanowski a ravishing second encore, but I went to hear two giddying masterpieces, Prokofiev's First Violin Sonata and Schubert's Fantasy in C. If unknown quantity Enrico Pace could manage to play Richter to Kavakos's David Oistrakh, it might turn out to be awe-inspiring. He did, so it was.

Kavakos trod the air provided by his pianist, carolling and soaring in some of the gayest and most elated music ever composed

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Comments

Everything David writes about this extraordinary concert is true. It was absolutely stunning. I don't remember a solo violin and piano concert to match it, nor do I expect to hear anything like it again.

It is 21 years ago that I met Enrico Pace - After winning the Liszt Concours he played at the Holland Music Sessions in summertime, and I was working there. I am glad to hear his brilliance again - no tricks, only the pureness of music and played in almost perfection. Also I'm glad he found a soulmate in violin playing - the two of them are amazing... Breath takening.

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