mon 09/12/2024

Ibragimova, Tiberghien, Wigmore Hall review – light, bright and melodic Brahms | reviews, news & interviews

Ibragimova, Tiberghien, Wigmore Hall review – light, bright and melodic Brahms

Ibragimova, Tiberghien, Wigmore Hall review – light, bright and melodic Brahms

Sensitive but dynamic playing perfectly conveys the music’s carefree spirit

Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien: Ideal in Brahms Sussie Alhburg

The Brahms violin sonatas make a perfect spring evening recital. The Second and Third were inspired by a summer retreat, but all three are light, bright and with direct melodic appeal. Violinist Alina Ibragimova and pianist Cédric Tiberghien conveyed that carefree spirit perfectly, the long melodic lines simply but elegantly shaped and the accompanying textures always carefully calibrated.

They also made the most of the occasional dramatic outbursts, providing valuable contrast, while always maintaining the essential intimacy of expression.

Brahms (pictured below) places much of the violin writing in the instrument’s lower register, where Ibragimova’s warm, rich tone is at its most appealing. She is economical with her vibrato, focussing more on overall phrases. Tempos were generally brisk, and the sense of flow was sometimes at the expense of rushed phrase endings. Even so, the sense of continuity that Ibragimova achieves is impressive, especially between the naive melodic statements that open many of the movements and the more knotty developments that follow.

Johannes BrahmsCédric Tiberghien is a master of atmosphere, and when he began a movement alone, most notably the second movement of the First Sonata, he immediately evoked the complete soundworld in first few notes. The piano plays continuously through all three sonatas, so it was ironic that Tiberghien seemed underused. But that impression was largely a result of the sensitivity of his accompaniment: Ibragimova’s tempos were fluid, and her dynamic range broad, but Tiberghien was always careful to balance the accompaniment to the violin. But on the few occasions that Brahms shines the spotlight on the piano – usually the piano repeating a melody previously stated in the violin, the violin now accompanying pizzicato – his renditions were perfectly matched to Ibragimova’s: openly melodic and beautifully shaped.

The three sonatas together make a satisfying programme. All are similar in spirit, and while the First and Second are also similar in scale, the Third is longer and more dramatic, providing a fitting conclusion. Ibragimova and Tiberghien found suitable contrast between each of the Third Sonata’s four movements. The second movement Largo was particularly impressive, the entire movement playing out as a single line of melody, the serene atmosphere created and sustained impeccably.

Yet in the fourth movement everything changes. The music here is dramatic and rhythmically propulsive. At the start, Ibragimova let loose, with expansive arpeggios across the strings. Here, her – up until then perfect – intonation suffered in the drama, but it didn’t matter, and the control soon returned in the quieter episodes. But the conclusion was stunning, both players now returning to intense dynamics, but maintaining the balance, even texture and rhythmic focus. And even here, Ibragimova’s sense of flowing, uninhibited melody continued right up to the final cadence.

@saquabote

Ibragimova’s sense of flowing, uninhibited melody continued right up to the final cadence

rating

Editor Rating: 
4
Average: 4 (1 vote)

Share this article

Add comment

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters