Julia Fischer, Martin Helmchen, Queen Elizabeth Hall | reviews, news & interviews
Julia Fischer, Martin Helmchen, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Julia Fischer, Martin Helmchen, Queen Elizabeth Hall
Highly cultured violinist and pianist focus on tricky lateish Schumann
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
Fischer and Helmchen: A subtle duo making the most of Schumann's equal shares
An entire evening of Schumann for two would usually cue singer and piano. Not that the majority of Lieder specialists, blessed as naughty Anna Russell once saw it "with tremendous artistry but no voice", could hold the spell for that long. Julia Fischer is one of the half-dozen violinists in the world with the greatest artistry, a golden "voice" and a habit of choosing partners like Martin Helmchen, very much on her level. The only trouble is that Schumann songs can capture a world in 90 minutes, while the three lateish sonatas run a more limited if quirky gamut.
An entire evening of Schumann for two would usually cue singer and piano. Not that the majority of Lieder specialists, blessed as naughty Anna Russell once saw it "with tremendous artistry but no voice", could hold the spell for that long. Julia Fischer is one of the half-dozen violinists in the world with the greatest artistry, a golden "voice" and a habit of choosing partners like Martin Helmchen, very much on her level. The only trouble is that Schumann songs can capture a world in 90 minutes, while the three lateish sonatas run a more limited if quirky gamut.
It's clearly in the aphoristic inner mood-musics that the soul of the composer and his flickering love for Clara are embodied
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