Proms at Bristol: Alina Ibragimova and Cédric Tiberghien (1.08.22)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

13:00 Monday 1 August 2022
St George's Bristol

Havergal Brian: Legend
Eugène Ysaÿe: Poème élégiaque
César Franck: Violin Sonata in A major

Alina Ibragimova, violin
Cédric Tiberghien, piano

‘Both of these players have the potential to conquer the world,’ wrote The Times soon after violinist Alina Ibragimova and pianist Cédric Tiberghien – then both BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists – first played together in 2007. 15 years on, they’re being described as ‘today’s partnership of choice for violin and piano repertory’ and this lunchtime concert from the elegant surroundings of St George’s Bristol shows why. From the brooding passion of Ysaÿe’s Poème to the high drama and soaring melodies of César Franck’s much-loved Sonata – as well as an anniversary tribute to British maverick Havergal Brian, who died 50 years ago – this is a concert that demands emotional commitment and fearless virtuosity. Ibragimova and Tiberghien will supply them in abundance.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Some astounding playing here. Well worth dipping into Sounds to catch up if you missed. Not flawless, but wonderful music making from both players.

[Serial_Apologist]

Still feeling totally bowled over by today's repeat of last Monday's chamber prom from Cadogan Hall just now, featuring Alina Ibragimova and Céderic Tiberghien's recital of Havergal Brian, Ysaÿe and Frank. The lovely Ysaÿe Poème élégiaque eclipsed negative feelings evoked by the impersonal and somewhat barren Brian piece - and normally I like Brian's music very much - and prompts one to look further into this rather overlooked Belgian master of composition as well as the violin, closest perhaps to Chausson in idiom and something of a stylistic precursor of Debussy, although I guess it's Franckian chromaticism will not go down well with certain members of this forum who find it overwrought, I guess? And the latter will of course apply inevitably to the César Franck violin sonata, nevertheless given the finest rendition I have yet experienced. Franck often came up with the loveliest finales to relieve preceding somber utterances, and he certainly did with the finale of this work with the cascading overlapping theme bringing back life's sunshine and garnering all the enthusiastic applause its composer and these two wonderful interpreters more than deserved.

[jonfan]

This is edge of the seat music making of the highest order, inspired I’m sure with a live, responsive audience. The Franck was even better than their CD version because of that. All three pieces were given top class performances. The first two were new to me but I was engaged from the first notes. The wonderful Nicola HT adjusted her pronunciation of Alina’s surname after the first piece.
PS. S-A this was from Bristol, not London.