Four young masters ranging in age from 13 to 17 astonished the public in Belgravia where many outside in the restaurants and cocktail bars that abound in these parts , were intent on enjoying this Indian Summer . But those who wanted to replenish their souls and admire the dedication and talent of four teenagers had sought refuge in the beautiful edifice of St Paul’s in Wilton Place The words of Artur Rubinstein are much better than any others to describe talent .
.https://youtu.be/gex0sOR7XZ0?si=LR1LUG_OvOZnZ559
Congregated under the baton of the eclectic George Hlawiczka and his very fine youthful orchestra that includes many recently graduated top musicians, as we watched astonished as he who greeted us at the door and was seen behind the bar and even moving the piano, stood in front of his orchestra with masterly authority and humanity as he followed each of these young masters with cat like intensity and encouraging warmth .
George is himself also a wonderful violinist so it was no surprise that he conducted his two violin soloists with inside knowledge of subtlety and burning intensity.
Fifteen year old Piehan Francesca He, mentored by Dr Robin Wilson of the Royal Academy and Menuhin School . Menuhin of course was a child prodigy playing with Elgar his own violin concerto as a teenager with the composer anxious only to get to the race course in time, as the young Menuhin in breeches took the world by storm under the baton of conductors such as Bruno Walter and Arturo Toscanini.
Francesca played the Bruch concerto with searing intensity and mastery where every note was played with the weight of an artist of a maturity well over her actual age .
If one thought this was a performance to cherish we were astounded by the thirteen year old Muqi Yuan who played with such assurance and authority that had one closed ones eyes they would have thought this might be a youthful Menuhin or Perlman. Wieniawski’s second concerto , like that of Bruch, is a brilliant showpiece full of romantic ardour and astonishing virtuosity. I was not surprised to discover later in the Green room that she is left handed and as every violinist knows it is the left hand that calls the tune. I remember Ruggiero Ricci playing many times for us in Rome and Uto Ughi would be in the gallery to marvel at the left hand mastery of a violinist who had been a child prodigy at the time of Yehudi Menuhin and Ida Haendel. This was truly an astonishing performance and the jewel in a crown already shining brightly .
After the interval it was the turn of the piano and St Paul’s can boast a king of pianos with a Steinway D, that our valiant conductor moved into position with a little help from his more endowed colleagues, ready for concertos of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky .
Fifteen year old Matt Zhao, a scholar of Westminster School and the Junior Royal Academy, gave a musicianly account of Beethoven’s Third Concerto . A beautifully shaped Largo encompassed by an authoritative Allegro con brio with its brilliant and the dynamic cadenza by the composer himself where Matt was able to transmit the improvised character of an irascible composer . The Rondo third movement was played with infectious ‘joie de vivre’ with a young man who was now evidently enjoying Beethoven’s ebullient virtuosity .
But the evening was crowned by a seventeen year old pianist who had not even been able to rehearse because of a finger injury . Playing of impetuous fluidity and personality with great temperament allied to fearless bravura and poetic beauty that are the same hallmark of his famous grandmother Martha Argerich !
Throwing off Tchaikowsky’s octaves, that Nikolai Rubinstein had declared unplayable , with a velocity and fluidity that would strike fear into most pianists but that David Chen relished with the simple natural mastery that obviously is in his genes. Ravishing beauty too with whispered playing of great projection and glowing beauty .
It was not surprising the ovation that greeted his astonishing final assault on the keyboard.
It reminded me of Sir Thomas Beecham admonishing a young Horowitz saying his orchestral players just could not keep pace with such Lisztian antics.
Well this orchestra did keep up under the eagle eye of the ever attentive George Hlawiczka , concert violinist, , conductor, impresario, barman, cashier, piano remover and general stage manager.
Hats off to a Renaissance man who, to quote Menuhin, with ‘mutual anticipation ‘ can give a platform to such astonishing young talent.
Victor Borge comes to mind on encountering a teenage Evgeny Kissin in a New York restaurant. ‘I saw your reviews from Carnegie Hall Mr Kissin . They make me sick ! ‘
Genius is not always easy to live with !
