Concert Review

Alexander Sitkovestsky (violin) Wu Qian (piano) – 9th November 2023

The recital in Penrith Methodist Church by Alexander Sitkovetsky (violin) and Wu Qian (piano) delved into the highly attractive and varied French repertoire of Fauré, Ravel and Franck. Their performances exhibited stellar musicianship and engaged the audience from start to finish in an atmosphere of committed and euphoric music making.

César Franck wrote his Violin Sonata late in life,1886, and players have been grateful ever since. As an equal partnership between violin and piano it is unique. On this occasion it received as near-perfect a performance as one could have wished. The opening Allegretto settled into reflective calm before the stormy second movement brought the most fiery playing from both performers. The fantasy of the third movement was poised and poetic; the well known canon that drives the finale plus the rousing coda ended an evening of special music making.

World class musicians Alexander Sitkovetsky and Wu Qian were born in Moscow and Shanghai respectively; a fortunate audience were grateful they finally made it to Penrith.

John Upson