Menuhin

Home from Kent in time for a second visit to the Menuhin Hall, just south of the M25 at Cobham, gmaps 51.3071842,-0.3776681, our first visit having been getting on for a year ago now (see reference 1).

The concert was given by Adelia Myslov (violin), a former pupil at the Menuhin School adjacent, and Craig White (piano). Myslov was dressed up for the occasion, but rather than some rather skimpy & clinging evening dress she had opted for an expensive looking peasant style, long sleeved, long dress in brown, with what looked like an ornamental blouse on top of the brown dress, but BH assured me that it was all made in one piece. Oddly, a Russian who was trained in England by two other Russians (see reference 2). Plays a Storioni violin, on loan, but examples are available to buy at $500,000.

A rather mixed programme. Started with a wonderful Bach Chaconne. Followed by a Beethoven Romance for violin and piano, Op. 40. YouTube offer a version by Menuhin himself, together with an orchestra, as originally intended; rather better to my mind that what we heard. Then Poema Autunnale by Respighi, good but with things starting to get a bit more tricky. Also adapted from an original for violin and orchestra.

After the interval a rather more conventional Violin Sonata No. 1 from Brahms. Concert closed with a concert fantasia on Porgy & Bess by Frolov, another Russian, violinist and composer. Interesting as we had just had a dose of Gershwin, but a bit show offy for me. See reference 3.

An unusual venue, with the brown wood hall looking a little odd in full light, but it works well with the lights down and gives a good sound. Just the right size, that is to say small, for this sort of thing.

Reference 1: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/ripieno.html.

Reference 2: http://www.adeliamyslov.co.uk/.

Reference 3: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/rhapsody-in-blue-continued.html.