Impressive performance from Austrian violinist By Michael Traub
Johannesburg, South Africa – New to us, the Austrian violin virtuoso, Wolfgang David, made an impressive debut in Johannesburg in a programme of substantial proportions.
He began with Copland’s Second World War Sonata, an austere work written in memory of a friend killed during the war.
Throughout, David sustained the necessary degree of intensity of expression aided by a similar degree of focus on the part of the pianist Francois du Toit, who was at the top of his form at all times.
The Copland was followed by the expansive Sonata by Strauss in E flat major, all optimism and warmth, though perhaps overlong in places.
Once again the dexterous co-operation between the two artists produced another convincing performance and the beautiful tone produced by the violinist from his valuable Guarnerius was matched by the pianist, notably in the extended slow movement, essentially a nocturne.
After the interval, David played Bach’s famous Chaconne in D minor, an unaccompanied piece which tests the skill of the player both as to execution and expression.
Particularly admirable was the strong rhythmic line, which was undisturbed by any difficulty getting around the notes.
The closing work was Wieniawski’s Fantasy on Themes from Gounod’s Faust, a thorough re-composition rather than a mere pot-pourri of well-known tunes. Here great virtuosity was amply in evidence.
The Kreisler encore (Love’s Sorrows) was a fitting end to a splendid recital.