Justice is done to concerto
Academy of St Thomas St Andrew’s Hall, Norwich
Playing on a 1711 Stradivarius with a bow once owned by the legendary Jascha Heifetz, Matthew Trusler did justice to Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto.
From the very first bar he made all its long rich melodies sing. His top notes rang without a hint of strain in shimmering silvery purity. Better still, in his lower register the tone was always warm. It had strength but somehow never seemed to force itself on our attention, Under Christopher Adey’s meticulous guidance, the Academy of St Thomas brought out every emotion and all the drama.
The woodwinds, particularly the principal oboe, sympathetically added a spectrum of colours to the elegant solo line, with percussion momentarily emphasising climaxes.
After a second movement even more beautiful in its quieter way than the first, the third was a sprint in perpetual motion. Thrilling and breath-taking but always under control, it made an exciting conclusion to a splendid work that we really ought to have another opportunity of hearing soon.
Brahms’ Haydn Variations and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony opened and closed the programme. Whole-hearted accounts of these European classical favourites did not outclass the American composer’s less familiar work
Christopher Smith, EDP, 19th October 19 2011
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