Portsmouth Cathedral, 10 April – Catherine Lawlor (violin) & Valentina Seferinova (piano)
A programme entitled Myths and Legends promises stories, and in the capable hands of Valentina Seferinova (piano) and Catherine Lawlor (violin), this recital delivered just that — a compelling journey through folklore, imagination, and feeling.
Opening with Frank Bridge’s Norse Legend, the duo immediately showcased their well-matched sensitivity, casting a misty, northern spell that gently ushered us into the world of fable. From there, Takemitsu’s Distance de Fée was given an ethereal reading, the fragile textures and elusive harmonies finely balanced, the space between notes as expressive as the notes themselves.
The familiar strains of Gluck’s Mélodie, via Kreisler’s romantic arrangement, brought a moment of warmth and emotional clarity before Ian Schofield’s Anemoi – the centrepiece of the programme and, as it happens, its high point. Written especially for the performers, this vivid work captured all four winds in a kaleidoscope of shifting tempi and colour. Seferinova and Lawlor seemed to inhabit the music entirely, their intuitive interplay a pleasure to witness.
Wieniawski’s Legend was given a noble, singing tone, and the concluding Narcisse from Szymanowski’s Myths brought the concert full circle – sensual and shimmering, rich in both texture and imagination.
With the duo’s upcoming CD also titled Myths and Legends, this recital served as both a preview and a promise. On this showing, it will be a recording to look out for.
Natasha Burns
Photo: Mark Hartt-Palmer, Valentina Seferinova, Ian Schofield, Catherine Lawlor (credit Mike Bradley)
