Sunday 25th November 2012
Bogdan Vacarescu — Violin
Heidi Parsons — Cello
Born in Bucharest, Bogdan graduated from the Bucharest University of Music in 2000, and from the London Royal Academy Of Music in 2003. He has performed classical music internationally and in 2007 was a founder member of the group Paprika, which has performed in popular London clubs and internationally at major festivals. Heidi completed both her bachelors and postgraduate degrees at the Royal Academy of Music where she was awarded the Suggia scholarship and a Leverhulme orchestral fellowship. She is currently enjoying an exciting career as a cellist in London, performing at venues as diverse as the streets of Covent Garden to the Purcell Room and the Royal Festival Hall.
Review by Terry Keeler
Bogdan Vacarescu (violin) and Heidi Parsons (Cello)
Templewood, Northrepps 25th November 2012
Today Cromer Music Evenings maintained the high standard, now expected at Templewood, in presenting two world class artists who delighted almost a full house with a well chosen programme: contrary to the order Heidi Parsons opened with J S Bach’s Cello Suite No 1 in G Major. The Prelude to begin this set of dances is usual but is not always the case, as often the Allemande is the first item followed by Courante, Sarabande, Bourees and Gigue the suite of five dances, being unaccompanied leaves the performer exposed to the listener regarding intonation and tone quality. Both being absolutely sublime in the hands of this master of the instrument.
The Chaconne from Partita ll for Violin solo by J S Bach, again being unaccompanied, captured an intimate rapport with the audience, adding even more to an atmosphere of musical excitement.
Maurice Ravel’s Sonate for Violin and Cello in four movements was written in memory of Ravel’s friendship with Debussy. This piece encapsulated almost everything required of accomplished string players, here, amongst the dissonant passages and the beautiful unusual lyrical lines, from the wailing sounds of the Lento movement, to the aggressive double stopping where the chords played, with almost a percussive effect, was riveting to witness.
After the interval, Niccolo Paganini’s Duetto ll (Tre Duetti Concertanti) for violin and cello displaying the magnetic rapport between the two artists, was unblemished, as they accompanied each other’s playing of the melodic line.
The Concert Variations on "The Last Rose of Summer" by H W Ernst for solo violin consisted of a myriad of improvisatory snippets, was performed with ease and yes, humorous ideas, conjured up, I’m sure, as the performance progressed by none other than Vacarescu himself!
Passacaglia (frei nach Handel) by Johan Halvorsen was the final piece in what proved to be the highlight of Cromer Music Evenings current series.
Terry Keeler
16 Norwich Road, Cromer
Tel 01263 513273