Live at Yours is an artist-led organisation presenting distinguished local and international artists in most joyful and memorable performances in “alternative” concert venues. Tonight we were given far too much magic in a superb program that received a long standing ovation at its close. On a national tour with highly acclaimed artists Richard Tognetti and Konstantin Shamray, congenial host Vladimir Fanshil presented the program as “inward facing music” – works truly looking inwards and reflecting the human connection from composer to performers and to listeners in a very atmospheric venue.
This heritage-listed building is unique in its grand design, with a performing space centred under a one hundred foot high Byzantium dome, giving us the beauty of Baroque classicism and a heavenly purity and clarity of acoustics. In this magical and quite dark setting there was very subdued lighting on a small stage, and rear gradient coloured lighting hinted at an imaginary glow from candles in some darkened hallowed hall and not this inner-city location. The audience soon learned that any movement of footsteps and sighing or shifting in the throne-like blackwood seats sent gently amplified creaking sounds through the atmosphere. Interesting.
Without introduction, Konstantin Shamray came directly to the grand piano through the shadows, fully intent on bringing the magic of music on a very fine piano to restore all harmony and balance to our souls, with the clear, clean contrapuntal lines of J.S. Bach’s Prelude from Violin Partita No. 3. In Rachmaninov’s transcription of 1933 for piano, Shamray brought us a tonal sunrise, with sparkling semiquaver continuity, perfect technical delivery, buoyancy and a sense of joy and delight in lightly-coloured flowing lines.
Ready to perform on his beloved 1743 Guarneri del Gesu violin, Richard Tognetti continued the magic, performing now on a higher plane from the upper balcony, sadly not visible to the section of audience immediately below. It was time to be very still, close one’s eyes and fully absorb the long, monumental and complex Fugue from J.S. Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 3 in C. Known for his outstanding interpretation and knowledge of Baroque music, Tognetti later informed the audience in a post-concert Q & A that he did change the bow for this piece and how he appreciated the sound quality that rose and spread upwards in the synagogue’s dome. If Tognetti’s enduring artistry has earned him the title of National Living Treasure (in 1999), we were given much inward contemplation and admiration for this magical solo performance, where technical mastery of double stops, harmonies, exquisite Baroque timbres, and the finest softnesses one could imagine, gave us the best of Bach.
Schubert’s Fantasy in C for violin is a remarkably mature and emotionally intense work, where both passion and sadness need ultra-sensitive balance and communication between performers. Written in the later years of Schubert’s very short life, this great work was given a fine heart-touching and moving performance. While Shamray brought us a new rich romantic colour in chordal accompaniment and accelerating crescendos in the abundance of flowing semiquavers runs and tremolos, his fingers simply flew lightly and gracefully with crystalline clarity, sparkling runs and shimmering iridescence. No-one in the audience moved, feeling the moments, touched by the extremes of both sadness and lyrical beauty in Tognetti’s first announcement of the most tender of Schubert’s Lieder, “Sei mir gegrüßt”, then admiring his authority through the technically demanding Variations, where virtuosic bowings and advanced brilliant finger technique had this audience spellbound.
Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fugues (1950-1951) are a significant compositional set, and tonight Shamray delighted the audience with No. 21, Prelude and Fugue in B-flat Major, which opened with a most invigorating and exciting allegro, contemporary and etude-like. Virtuosic, never missing a note in the flight of the Prelude, Shamray’s energy, precision and vitality combined with a gentle elegance, giving us superb clarity of themes, varied metallic colours distinguishing each voice, and a well-designed crescendo that developed and grew towards a robust and weighty finish.
Brahms’ Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major would take us inwards again with another Romantic masterpiece, this time Tognetti’s singing tones leading the flow of “Wiegenlieder” passionate melodies, drawing a broader, earthy timbre from lower strings. The truly elite musical partnership of this virtuosic duo was inspiring, as the palette of Brahms’ colours grew from lyrical moments and sensitive themes to heightened passion. This enormous Sonata is so heart-wrenching, with increasing emotional interplay through echoes, repetitions, virtuosic line-crossing and a tear-inducing long held pianissimo closing the work. Around me many people softly said, “Wow”, as they were at the end of every piece.
Most fitting, spiritual and hypnotic was a musical postlude, composed in 1914 by Ravel: “Kaddish” from Deux mélodies hébraïques. With much freedom in the melodic line and a delicate piano accompaniment, this was an emotional close to a program of highly expressive and touching music. A long standing ovation followed in appreciation of the outstanding partnership and performance of two truly National Musical Treasures.
Image supplied.
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Julie McErlain reviewed “Live at Toorak: Richard Tognetti and Konstantin Shamray”, presented by Live at Yours at the Toorak Synagogue on July 3, 2025.
