REVIEW: John Paul Ekins (piano) and Michal Cwizewicz (violin)

Athenaeum, Warminster

A capacity audience at the Athenaeum in Warminster on Sunday was treated to a splendid concert by the partnership of John Paul Ekins (piano) and Michal Cwizewicz (violin).

The programme began with the D minor Chaconne from JS Bach’s Partita No 2. This piece is probably the best known of all Bach’s works for solo violin. Michal Cwizewicz gave a controlled and expressive performance which brought out Bach’s amazingly daring passage work and shifting harmonies.

This was followed by Schubert’s Sonatina in G minor for piano and violin, written in 1816 when the composer was only 19, and published posthumously. It received an assured performance which brought out many messages indicative of the more mature master.

The first half ended with the Scherzo in C minor by Brahms, which formed part of the collaborative ‘FAE’ Sonata conceived by Schumann as a surprise gift to the violinist Joseph Joachim. This dazzling and optimistic piece sent the audience happily away to an interval of tea and cakes.

There were two works in the second half of the concert, and the first of these was particularly fascinating since it was Busoni’s 1892 reworking for piano of the Bach D minor Chaconne for violin which had been performed earlier. The marvellous percussive sonorities of the modern grand piano enable us to consider the Chaconne from a different viewpoint, and John Elkins gave a highly persuasive and sensitive performance.

The programme was completed with the Violin Sonata by the Polish composer Szymanowski (1882 – 1937).

The duo’s partnership was here shown at its best in a wonderfully committed performance.

The wonderful acoustic of the Athenaeum deserves more such concerts as does the highly enthusiastic audience.