On Friday 29th June, we were lucky enough to get invited to the Vengerov and Virtuosi concert at the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank. Maxim Vengerov, twenty six, originates from Siberia and gave his first recital aged five, won top honours at the Carl Flesh International Violin Competition aged just fifteen.

He began the program with the late Brahms Violin Sonata No3 in D minor Op 108. This magnificent work was first performed by Brahms and Jeno Hubay in Budapest in 1888. All the works in this programme were skilfully accompanied by the pianist and conductor Vag Papian, a graduate of both the Moscow and St. Petersburg conservatories.

The next work was the first movement of a Violin concerto by the contemporary composer and jazz violinist Didier Lockwood , in the version for eleven violins and a piano specially commissioned by Vengerov. This movement is a journey though the worlds of Tango and Flamenco with oriental influences and is designed to highlight both Vengerov's lyricism and his virtuosity.

After the interval came THE FIREWORKS, the part we have been eagerly waiting for. These were the encores, the violin miniatures which are rarely heard but great works in themselves. These famous pieces were arranged by Michael Parhamovsky for the Virtuosi, a group of ten violinists, all soloists in their own right, who originate from Russia. Instantly recognisable, Rachmaninov's haunting Vocalise, Brahms Hungarian Dances nos 1, 2, 5 and 7; Dvorak's Humoreske and Schubert's Ave Maria were intertwined with lesser known but equally enjoyable masterpieces by composers such as Novacek, Ponce and Bazzini. Needless to say the audience was not going to let the performers off lightly as far as encores were concerned. The three encores were more daring then the pieces that preceded them: Khachaturian's Sabre Dance complete with wolf whistles, Massenet's sublime Meditation on a theme from his opera Thais, and a totally over the top Csardas by Monte with imitation bird song in the extended introduction.

After the concert eventually ended we queued in the foyer, along with what seemed like several hundred other fans, to meet the maestro himself. Vengerov was immensely charming considering he had been playing for over two hours. He signed our programme as well as the cover and the actual CD we bought on the night and which contains all the second half of the concert.

Thank you, once again, Agnes for a thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring musical experience.

Sophia Dignam (age 10, intermediate class)
and Kate Dignam GBSM, LTCL

Postscript by Agnes Kory: during the entire concert (with the exception of the Brahms Sonata) the 10 violinists of the Virtuosi were standing in one position (in a half circle around Vengerov) and played all orchestral accompaniment from memory and with true virtuosity.