On 8 March, a wonderful gift was presented to all lovers of classical music and admirers of the great maestro’s work – Vladimir Spivakov performed with the next Virtuosos in Barbican with an interesting programme «From Haydn to Piazzolla».

Vladimir Spivakov is a truly talented man, a leading violinist of our time. He is better than David Oistrakh, his teacher. «Vladimir Spivakov is one of the best young representatives of the Soviet performing arts, who have gained popularity and love among music lovers in many countries. His play is characterised by a subtle and deep understanding of the style of the works he performs, noble taste, impeccable virtuoso skill and bright artistic temperament».

Journalists who wrote about various aspects of Spivakov’s work, both creative and public, noted that he manages to do more than psychophysics usually allows. And the artist himself referred to the conductor Z. Meta’s phrase: «I rest in the Adagio of Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony…».

You can write about the maestro endlessly. And about his creative destiny and his performances as a soloist, as a conductor, with an orchestra. Let us limit ourselves to the aspect of his work as a patron of arts and a discoverer of young talents, otherwise the article will not be covered.

From his parents, who survived the war, Spivakov has inherited a sense of empathy and a desire to extend a helping hand to those who need it. In 1994, he founded the International Charity Foundation, whose main task is to help gifted children and promote their talents in music and fine arts. The aim of the maestro’s activities is to bring talented young people to the stage. Listening to his scholarship holders was a real pleasure.

I don’t know where to start… So in order.

After Dmitry Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony was performed by the virtuosos themselves, a grand piano appeared on stage. Alexandra Stychkina (daughter of pianist Ekaterina Skanavi) performed the Piano Concerto with orchestra by J. Haydn. Haydn’s music, elegant and clear, was performed with great understanding by the young pianist. At some moments, the piano sounded very poetic, reminiscent of a harp. The girl has a great future!

But what a surprise did the next scholarship holder present! Danielle Akta, born in Raanan, won the Israeli Cello Competition at the age of eleven in 2013. At the same time she was awarded the main prize at the MUZE Competition in Athens and a year later at the FLAME Competition in Paris. No wonder she was first noticed by Danielle Barenboim, famous for her marriage to Jacqueline du Pré, an outstanding English cellist: the girl really reminds Jacqueline of her manner of playing.

Then Zubin Meta, Itzhak Pearlman, Maxim Vengerov and Vladimir Spivakov talked about Danielle. Spivakov gave her a scholarship and provided first-class accompaniment for her solo performances.

The performance by the young cellist Kol Nidrei, Max Brukh, was listened to with intense attention […].

«I always cried when I heard this music. My people carry it in their blood, in their genes, in their destiny. I pray when I play it. I pray for everyone, my loved ones and my distant ones, for those who have become victims. For the tortured and the sad. I cry and pray», are Danielle’s own words. And the cello, obedient to her hands, cried and prayed with her.

The «Chocolate Girl» loves her instrument very much. «We have a record of her playing a broken instrument, the vulture pressed – and played it, very well, no one even guessed», says Limor, Danielle’s mother.

And following that complex and sad melody, David Popper’s work «The Shining Polonaise» was masterfully performed – it shone and sparkled with the passion, inspiration and charming smile of the soloist.

This was followed by the «Hymn to Beauty» by F. Gould. […]

Astor Piazzolla’s «Changing Seasons in the Life of a Poor Suburb of Buenos Aires» – a work known to all as «The Seasons in Buenos Aires» – was presented by four new soloists: Denis Shulgin, Lev Lomdin, George Cai and Eugene Stembolsky. This Baroque Piazzolla concert combines solo and Tutti, and is a mixture of musical traditions: classical, jazz and Afro-Spanish. Estaciones Porte?as is a cycle consisting of four tangoes. They were written by the composer at different times, but were sometimes performed by them all together.

Each soloist was good in his own way, but they also had in common: a bright personality and talent. Georgy Cai, soloist of the orchestra, was especially remembered for his performance of the third tango. He played brilliantly!

And finally – still the same Piazzolla: «Three tangoes» performed by Nikita Vlasov and «Moscow Virtuosi». Performed flawlessly, and his right hand on the keyboard at times resembled a cartoon octopus. The gallery and the tiers were captured by the performance and hardly moved […].

The applause and bravo of the listeners went to all the soloists and the orchestra.

Vladimir Theodorovich, who looked beautiful, behaved as usual, with power, was very mobile and energetic, charging everything around with his magnetism. It’s a great art to make such unforgettable concerts that you remember for years, and then you can look forward to the next visit of the famous band.

Of course, we were also pampered with beads. The following were performed: D. Shostakovich, Prelude D-dur, Gluck, Allegretto, I. Brahms «Hungarian Dance» – where every sound was a tangible pleasure for both musicians and listeners. There were no passageways or empty phrases, and this naturalness felt as if it came directly from ourselves.

And for a snack, in honour of International Women’s Day – Piazzolla, «Tango of Love».

Laura Kart