Port Elizabeth, South Africa – The short-phrased dialogues characterizing large parts of Copland’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano” require flowless interaction between the two performers to guarantee continuity of line and thought. Such ideal partnership immediately emerged in the unfolding and elaboration of the triadic material of the first movement and culminated in the amazing effects David and DuToit achieved by masterfully balancing the scalar fragments and single notes dominating the second movement.
The beautiful and pure sounds shown throughout this interesting work changed into a feast of highly differentiated tone colours that lent Richard Strauss’s “Sonata in E Flat Major, Op. 18” a pronounced orchestral quality. This was Strauss as played by the Vienna Philharmonics! Listening to these flamboyant, powerful Straussian themes it was easy to imagine the glorious sound of the full ensemble, while other, more transparent passages resembled the lightness of woodwinds and spiccato playing strings. On top of it all there were those almost endless and beautifully shaped melodies floating over a gentle background occasionally brightened by celesta and glockenspiel.
In spite of huge dynamic climaxes the sound never deteriorated and remained perfectly controlled and pure. Altogether, a unique example of a perfect partnership by two superb musicians.
It was however in Bach’s “Chaconne in D minor BWV 1004” where David’s artistry showed to the fullest. He not only mastered excessive technical demands with apparent ease but by careful phrasing, dynamic control and varying sonorities gathered individual variations into bigger units that by counteracting shortphrased repetitions exposed a large and more expanded overall frame.
Virtuosity of highest order finally ruled Wieniawski’s “Fantasie Brillante on themes from Gounod’s Faust, Op.29” that closed the official programme. Thanks to a well-deserved standing ovation our visitors added Kreisler’s “Liebesleid” – played in best Viennese style.