Menuhin Competition Cardiff 2008 – Opening Concert

Last night I got me some culture! Not long ago it was my father’s birthday, and when I saw this concert, the opening concert of the Menuhin Competition 2008 advertised I thought that tickets to it would make a great present. As they did. My father and I seem to find each other hard to buy for, but we do share a love of music (not always the same sort of music, but hey ho!). And this concert allowed us to indulge that passion for great and well-performed music to the limit. Among the performers were former competition participants Akiko Ono and Hrachya Avanesyan, both of whom were marvellous, although in quite different ways. Hrachya Avanesyan had a fierce energy about his playing which worked well with the piece he performed – Ravel’s Tsigane – as there really was a gypsy-like abandon about him. Akiko Ono seemed very delicate and graceful, the feminine side of violin playing perhaps, as she played a new piece of music specially composed by Mervyn Burtch with libretto by Mark Morris. Also performing in this piece (called “Elegy for King Arthur”) was Catrin Finch, present to lend a Welsh tone to the work with her harp. She was marvellous, as ever, and went on to perform a solo piece of which I mean to try to find the name. The highlight of the whole night, though, had to be the performance by Joshua Bell and conducted by Maxim Vengerov of Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto in D major. It was absolutely amazing. I just sat there in the stalls and let the music flow over me. As well as the enthusiasm and brilliance of Joshua Bell’s performance, I found Maxim Vengerov as a conductor fascinating to watch – he seemed to be at one with the orchestra, really feeling the music within himself and intuitively reaching out for the best that the musicians could deliver.

Judging by the standard of last night’s performances, I really wish that I was able to go to more of the concerts over the next week. These young performers are the cream of the crop from across the globe, and surely the opportunity to see so much talent all in one place won’t happen too often. However, I am really glad that I took my father to that concert last night. We have both agreed that, at all present buying opportunities, if we can think of nothing better we will buy each other concert tickets. That way we will receive gifts which take up no excess room and yet will be greatly enjoyed and valued. An excellent idea!

 

**EDIT** I knew I shouldn’t tell my dad about this blogging lark – I tried my best to write a nice, descriptive post for you about the concert, but he’s come along and written me under the table. Go and have a look – it’s much more informative and also better structured than my post – I’m not taking him anywhere again!