Julian Brocal’s musical garden was surely blessed tonight .Simplicity and humility a sound that projects what she has inside – a true box of jewels that glistened and glowed in a continual stream of ravishing sounds .Sublime.Claire de lune played in a series of gasps ,one more beautiful than the other as though she could not believe the magical creation in her hands.It led of course to the sublime ecstasy of the central episode before dissolving to a whisper ending with a perfect stream of gold.Chopin’s first nocturne op 9 was played with the same aristocratic beauty that was Rubinstein’s.There was sublime rubato in the well known op 9 n.2 and n.3 was even more beautiful than in Lhevine’s hands.Op 27 n.1 was played very slowly building up to a passionate climax before the coda full of heartbreaking nostalgia .The famous D flat nocturne was played too like the sublime tone poem it can be in the hands of a great artist.The Valse de l’adieu was thrown off with just the jeux perlé that she had brought to the nocturne op 9 n.3 allowing the bel canto embellishments to flow from her fingers like streams of gold and silver as she delved ever more deeply into the true meaning hidden in these miniature masterpieces.The mazurkas were described by Schumann as canons covered in flowers but surely today in these pieces too it was never more evident than in Maria’s hands ,the poignant deep meaning that Chopin miraculously could conjure out of this box of hammers and strings.His heart may have been taken back to his homeland but it is to France that his aristocratic bearing could allow him to describe so eloquently the nostalgia for his birthplace.The Debussy Arabesque n.2 was played as an encore with the same delicacy that she brought to the Suite Bergamasque.Such colours and sumptuous sounds of ravishing beauty that had bewitched all those that Julian had enticed into his magic garden.
https://youtu.be/x1Md7QbPPo4
Debussy Suite Bergamasque ,Arabesque n.2 ; Chopin 3 Nocturnes op 9 ,2 Nocturnes op 27 ,Nocturne op 72 n.1, Valse de l’adieu op 69 n.1
Jardin Musical Misha & Lily Maisky in Julien Brocal’s wonderful garden
Julien Brocal at the Wigmore Hall on Wings of Song
Not to be missed Roby Lakatos ,considered by many the greatest gypsy violinist of today ,closing this wonderful series on the 27th June
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 