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SEEN AND HEARD UK CONCERT REVIEW
Guillaume Lekeu: Violin Sonata in G (1892/1893)
Ravel: Violin Sonata in G major (1923/1927)
Alina Ibragimova is a very exciting young violinist who is carving out a
significant career for herself. I have heard her on several occasions
and have always been impressed by her virtuosity; however, I have been
less impressed by her musicality. This concert was a good example of her
performing technique. Lekeu's marvellous Sonata, written for Ysaÿe, is a
large-scale work, romantic and generously melodious; it is not an
aggressive work, nor is there anything overtly violent about it.
Ibragimova, however, seems always to see music as a matter of
confrontation and that is not what the Lekeu Sonata is all about. This
performance was well executed technically, but the soul of the work was
never touched upon. The finale, instead of being an exciting rush of
great forward momentum, was here a garbled and too hasty scuttle.
Ravel's Sonata fared slightly better. The first movement was suitably
nonchalant and the disturbing undercurrents were nicely underplayed. The
blues of the middle movement started well but at the climax the furious
pizzicato of the soloist was out of control and instead of a dirty
nightclub atmosphere there was far too much meaningless aggression. The
moto perpetuo finale came off best of all three movements because it
requires technique above musicality.
Ibramigova and Tiberghien make a good duo partnership and they could
develop into a fine ensemble once Ibramigova has worked on her
interpretations and turned away from the purely technical.
Bob Briggs