Reason to party in Palmerston North

By WILLIAM DART

There's something about Russians and violins, from the heady days of the Oistrakhs to the Repins and Vengerovs of recent times. It's a country that takes the instrument seriously, so much so that when I was last in Moscow one busker was offering us the Canzonetta from Tchaikovsky's Concerto. He was hoping for hard currency but, an irony worthy of Chekhov this, there were more roubles than dollars in his tattered suitcase.

Ilya Gringolts, touring the country with the NZSO, is one of the new breed, a young man who progressed bumpily but brilliantly through the Russian system, emigrated to Canada and then, at age 16, carried off first prize in the Italian Premio Paganini Competition.

He chooses his words carefully, very deadpan, very Russian and not without a certain dash of humour. "Winning the Paganini competition was an introduction to the international circuit. It was also exciting to play with an orchestra and, of course," he adds, "out of it came management and a recording contract."

The two concertos being offered this week may hold few surprises for the seasoned concert-goer (we've heard both within the last month), but this young Russian, who on more than one occasion has said he never plays a piece exactly the same way twice, may knock our preconceptions about.

When it comes to the Mendelssohn Concerto, which he plays tonight in Hamilton and in Auckland on Friday, he says "it's important to stress the classical side of the concerto. It needs to be lighter and maybe faster than it usually is and I like to use less vibrato".

I sense the Sibelius Concerto, which is Auckland's Saturday night fare, is closer to his soul. "Finland is just over the border. I have good friends there and I feel I know the mentality of the country fairly well. There's so much that's just below the surface."

We're not hearing him play anything composed later than 1903 but Gringolts is a violinist who stands up for the music of here and now. "Fifty years ago, contemporary music was always part of the programme," he says. "It isn't now and it should be."

He's also an enthusiast for contemporary Russian composers. "My last recording on BIS was of Denisov's Sonata for Two Violins and I'm interested in performing Gubaidulina's Offertorium, which is a brilliant score."

Gringolts is eager to talk about his CD of unaccompanied Bach; it's an idiosyncratic take that has been ruffling a few feathers in conservative quarters. Gringolts' remark that "if it's got that swing going, then most of it is pretty well taken care of" is not so far away from the title of a certain Ellington song. And, if you want to hear the E major Gavotte en Rondeau "cook", this is the version to search out.

Having an artist of Gringolts' stature travelling to five North Island centres is a coup for the orchestra, and one concert will be particularly special for the artist. Next Wednesday he will celebrating his 21st birthday in Palmerston North. He's not expecting a party to end all parties. Still, I couldn't imagine a more appropriate concerto to celebrate with than Mendelssohn.

Performance

Who: Ilya Gringolts with the NZSO

Where & when: Hamilton Founders Theatre, tonight, 8pm; Auckland Town Hall, tomorrow 6.30pm, Saturday 8pm