Orpheus Leander & Gina Kruger in Chichester

 Orpheus Leander & Gina Kruger, Chichester Cathedral, May 12

 Following hard upon the excitement of the Menuhin Room's Portsmouth 100 extravaganza, it often seems to me a challenge for who comes up next on my little schedule. Not only that but my brief preparation for this was to listen to Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien's Brahms. No pressure, then, but Orpheus Leander and Gina Kruger are a class act in their own right and weren't aware of such things anyway. 

First, though, George Meredith's poem about a lark has been somewhat eclipsed by the music it prompted Vaughan-Williams to write. But music is much better at transcendal ideas like,

As up he wings the spiral stair,
A song of light, and pierces air 

With fountain ardor, fountain play,
To reach the shining tops of day, 

Gina's piano evoked the warm, summer earth and the echoes of folk tunes until Orpheus's violin spiralled and trilled and eventually until refined itself out of sight.

Internet research suggests that his instrument might be by William John but whoever made it, it provided a great sound throughout in his hands.

The Brahms Sonata no. 3, op. 108, began with an unfolding Allegro, mildly agitato in both parts but it is the shorter Adagio that stays in the memory with three runs through its long, longing melodic line performing the old trick of leaving one wanting more. Delicate light from the piano illuminated what might, imaginatively, have been insect flight in the poco presto before the Presto finale generated passion and energy in what is only a part of the rich repertoire provided by Brahms's late chamber music.

By way of an encore, we had Autumn Leaves, as per Nat King Cole and Johnny Mercer, hinting that Orpheus could help himself to a career in place of Andre Rieu if ever he felt inclined to. We might wish he would but not at the cost of losing the Brahms et al. That might be too much of a waste of talent and a fine violin.