Midori and Özgür Aydin
Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh - 23/08/24
Midori, violin; Özgür Aydin, piano.
There is something utterly mesmerising about watching two world-class musicians at the height of their powers exercising themselves in peak performance. Such it was as violin virtuoso Midori teamed up once more with her long-term collaborator, the dazzling pianist Özgür Aydin, for their much-anticipated Edinburgh International Festival recital at the Queen’s Hall.
The spirited allegro of Mozart’s Violin Sonata No. 23 K306, written when he was just 22 years of age, opened a well-rounded programme of nineteenth century classical and Romantic era masterpieces, each pushing things a little further forward. The mood of the second movement in the Mozart sonata is songful and tender, in contrast to the somewhat jaunty, playful allegretto.
Fauré’s four-movement Violin Sonata No. 1 Op. 13 shifted the musical terrain towards a more original and expressionist harmonic language, but in a style that remained consonant with the form’s inheritance from Mozart and others: elegance mixed with moments of drama. The finale, with its filigree pizzicato, evidences an intriguing combination of lightness and intensity. This was a piece which helped to gain Fauré the wider attention he richly deserved.
Schumann’s Three Romances Op. 94, originally written for either oboe or violin with piano, and lasting just 12 minutes, began the second half of the programme. This was palette-cleansing in an entirely appropriate way. The outer movements begin in a minor key but grow warmer, while the inner one proceeds in the opposite direction. Quintessentially charming.
But the main course in this half was Richard Strauss’s passionate Sonata for Violin and Piano in E-flat major, Op. 18 – composed in three movements, like the Mozart and the Schumann. After an initially restrained but then probing opening allegro, the songlike andante allows the performers to weave their magic around a pleading central motif in an improvisational-like way. The last movement grows from an initially sombre and stately andante towards the full Romantic flourishing of its grand allegro conclusion, where certainty finally wins out over circumspection.
Overall, the chemistry between Midori and Özgür Aydin is remarkable. Their almost flawless technical abilities aside, the partnership feels both performatively natural and musically organic. At times it was as if they were fused together, and at other times it seemed that they were finishing each other’s sentences seamlessly.
While making the notes shine brightly or fiercely, as needed, Midori’s violin exudes poise and delicacy in phrasing, shaping and articulating them. As for Aydin, it seems inadequate and limiting to regard him as an accompanist. They are both soloists of the highest calibre, and yet they are both able to put their talents at the full disposal of the music and each other as performers, melting the boundaries between leading and following, foregrounding and backgrounding.
Expectations were naturally high for this recital, and they were met. These two could undoubtedly have filled a larger venue, but the Queen’s Hall proved more suitable in terms of its intimacy and intermediate acoustic. A truly special morning’s music-making for those of us fortunate enough to have been present.
