Marwood & Mustonen

The final concert in the popular Anthony Marwood series held at Elder Hall brought violinist Anthony Marwood and pianist  Ollii Mustonen together, firstly as soloists, then partnering to play the monumental  Sonata for Violin and Piano in G major, by Dmitri Shostakovich.

This was an all Russian concert beginning with Music for Children op 65 for solo Piano by Sergei Prokofiev. The twelve short pieces traced the day of a child, beginning with Morning and concluding with Evening and The Moon Strolls in the Meadows. In between the pieces depicted what could be happenings during the day, such as Promenade, and Tag and with impressionistic pieces such as Grasshopper’s Parade.  These were evocative pieces, which Olli Mustonen brought to life and colour.

Following with another composition by the same composer, Anthony Marwood played Sonata for Solo Violin in D major. This sonata had been commissioned by the Soviet Union’s Committee of Arts Affairs as a pedagogical work for talented violin students. The work, which is intended to showcase technical brilliance and emotional depth, was, in the hands of a master, a delight for the audience.

The two then combined to play the Sonata for Violin and Piano in G major, by Shostakovich, who had composed it for David Oistrakh’s sixtieth birthday. It had its first public performance in 1969 in Moscow with David Oistrakh (violin) and Syatoslav Richter (piano). 

This powerful, dark, almost threatening sonata is not for the fainthearted, but Marwood and Mustonen responded to the challenge, including the cadenza-like passages in the final movement.  The piano and violin must work as an ensemble, rather than then piano accompanying the violin. and this performance was a partnership between two fine musicians.

Once again Elder Hall was sold out, and the audience, as it had at the previous days’ concerts, gave long and enthusiastic applause.