James Ehnes and Andrew Armstrong, Wigmore Hall

Béla Bartók has long been considered one of the finest composers of the twentieth century. While some romantics had seized upon the melodies of Eastern European dances then woven them into the Western tradition, Bartók took the music of the Carpathian Basin and used them to create a new musical language. Dissonant whilst never off-putting in their atonality, his works are startlingly expressive.
Amongst the most garlanded musicians of our time, violinist James Ehnes is a true virtuoso. Although he has produced acclaimed recordings from the whole classical repertoire, recent years have seen him focus on the twentieth century. Ehnes’ Barber, Korngold, Walton won a Grammy, while his Elgar Violin Concerto grabbed a Gramophone award. His ongoing Bartók series for Chandos, with pianist Andrew Armstrong has been heralded by The Observer as “outstanding” and “persuasive.” In the words of John Allison of the Daily Telegraph, “No one today is better placed to play this music than James Ehnes.”

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The evening continues Ehnes’ and Armstrong’s journey with four pieces. Both halves open with a folk-inspired piece – Rhapsody No. 2 and the Sonatina – before leaping into a major work. First up is the Sonata for Solo Violin, written for no less a player than the legendary Yehudi Menuhin. Then, to close, they will play the Violin Sonata No. 1, a catalogue of string techniques that shows the instrument at its full range.