Leah Hollingsworth attends an all-Mozart programme with the violinist and violist on 7 November 2024 in the Isaac Stern Auditorium at New York’s Carnegie Hall 

Vengerov

Maxim Vengerov and Lawrence Power: towering in Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante. Photo: Stephanie Berger

Maxim Vengerov presented an all-Mozart programme with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, in an evening defined by lithe and effortless qualities.

The D major Violin Concerto (no.2) was flawless in execution, with graceful phrase endings and a delightfully whimsical first-movement cadenza (all of them were Vengerov’s own). The opening phrase of the Andante was suitably warm, somehow both expansive and intimate, and the cadenza for this movement combined beauty with pristine intonation. Clear articulation from both left and right hands brought out the joy in the playful Rondeau, which balanced ease and flair with modesty.

The Fifth Violin Concerto followed suit with a sparkling, generous Allegro, again with a cadenza that was imaginative but appropriate in character and style. The Orpheus captured well the spirit of the Adagio: especially impressive was its clarity of phrasing and the sheer delicacy and depth of sound, qualities that were in evidence throughout the programme.

Vengerov was then joined by violist Lawrence Power for Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante and the two performed beautifully together despite slightly different approaches – Vengerov with finesse but more bravado than in the concertos, and Power with his characteristic richness of sound. That latter quality was put to fine use in the Andante, while the cadenza, so poignant, was both delicate and bold. The final Presto was a bit fast, but its boisterous energy proved infectious.

LEAH HOLLINGSWORTH