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Grahamstown: July 3, 2012 – Review by Keith Millar

What could be better than an ensemble of very talented and experienced musicians from the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra playing Beethoven chamber music in the aptly-named Beethoven Room?

This was a very enjoyable concert which was thoroughly enjoyed by the small audience who attended.

The ensemble was on top form and performed with great energy and spirit throughout. It was obvious that they enjoy playing together. Particularly exciting was the performance of violinist Elena Kerimova who played beautifully in both the works presented at the concert and was the catalyst that drove the rest of the group.

The first work was Beethoven’s String Trio in D major. He wrote this when he was in his twenties and it is generally considered to be amongst his finest early chamber works. The string trio comprising Elena Kerimova (violin), David Snaith (viola) and Boris Kerimov (cello) produced an articulate and finely textured performance.

The second item performed was the Septet for Strings and Woodwinds in E Flat major. Written just before Beethoven realised that he was going deaf, it is a light-hearted work which was played by the group played with youthful energy and verve. Visiting clarinettist Nicole Starr lived up to her surname and produced a stellar performance of skill and sensitivity during this work.

The only downside for me was that the venue, despite its name, is not entirely suitable for chamber music performances. It has a dry acoustic and as result the tone of the instruments had a very hard edge. Furthermore the stage was small and there was barely enough elbow room for all the artists during the septet. – Keith Millar