Violin virtuoso brings touch of class to concert (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Violin virtuoso brings touch of class to concert

10:20am Sunday 7th March 2010 in

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Basingstoke Concert Club
Trinity Methodist Church

THE Concert Club welcomed Soojin Han to its recent concert at Trinity Methodist Church. With her accompanist, Sholto Kynoch, this accomplished young violinist gave an impressive recital of varied and demanding works.

She commenced with JS Bach’s 2nd Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin. Immediately, we were aware of something very special happening. She brought out the passion behind what might seem to be austerely cerebral music, displaying tonal and dynamic contrast in a manner which was to characterise the whole of the concert, with amazingly accurate double-topping and a fleetness of bow stroke at which one could only wonder.

The Second Violin Sonata of Brahms followed. The beautiful first entry on the violin floated in above the piano with a magical serenity, but when it was the piano’s turn for prominence, Soojin dropped her volume and achieved that velvet tone which comes from playing near the finger-board, only to shine forth again with power when the violin dominated the structure.

After the interval, there was a beautiful rendering of Meditation by Massenet. It is a familiar piece, but was fresh and new in Soojin’s hands.

Gabriel Fauré’s 1st Violin Sonata is a virtuoso work for both violinist and pianist. The interplay between the two showed their great rapport, which was extended outwards to include the audience.

Again, the fine gradations which Soojin was able to achieve were remarkable. At times, her playing seemed little more than a whisper, and yet such was the depth of tone that every note was always clearly audible.

The official part of the programme ended with a sparkling performance of Saint-Saens’s Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.

Here, Soojin displayed the breadth of her incredible technique, negotiating the difficulties with apparent ease, and showing her full mastery of the instrument.

We were then treated to an encore: Kreisler’s Caprice Viennois, well-known but in Soojin’s hands fresh and delightful.

This once again was truly a concert to remember.

–David Lucas

*The final concert of Basingstoke Concert Club’s season will take place at Trinity Methodist Church on March 27, when the performers will be The Heath Quartet playing works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Tippett.

More information can be found at basingstoke concertclub.org.uk.