Yuriy Bashmet and Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra
The World’s Greatest Living Musician, Viola Virtuoso, Grammy Award Winner Yuri Bashmet & Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra tuned UAE audience to the viola.
M PREMIERE organized the magnificent performance of the pre-eminent Russian viola virtuoso of the modern age Yuri Bashmet, Grammy Award Winner, Conductor and Solo Viola together with Moscow Soloists Chamber Orchestra live in Abu Dhabi who performed the most brilliant masterpieces of his great repertoire on December 26, 2012. The Program included immortal pieces of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Niccolo Paganini, Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, Giaochino Rossini, and also greatest hits of World Famous Russian composers Dmitry Shostakovich, Igor Stravinsky.
With 1100 persons full Auditorium was transformed into an intimate music hall. An opulent and comfortable seating arrangements, numerous bar and food counters as well as the renowned Emirates Palace Hotel hospitality made the evening truly memorable one. The beautiful and luxury Auditorium of the Emirates Palace Hotel was perfect venue to witness the unique and unforgettable performance of a World Legend.
Yuri Bashmet was made to feel home when stepping on the Emirates Palace Auditorium stage on December 26, 2012. The Russian violist was given a warm welcome with the well attended venue dominated by fellow countrymen. The Ambassador of the Russian Federation in UAE also made an appearance, warming the crowd by promising the concert was set to be “the most amazing” ever.
While the 14 piece Moscow Soloists were adept with a beautifully light touch, it was when Bashmet switched from his conductor’s role to the viola the night really soared. After easing in the crowd with an enjoyable take of Mozart’s A Little Night Music, Bashmet’s viola debuted in Paganini’s Concerto for Viola and Strings before a stirring rendition of Rossini’s Sonata for Strings No.3.
Both pieces illustrated the deeper textures and mournful tones that only viola can summon. The second half of the evening saw Bashmet explore blues, waltz and polka, the latter a slightly witty take on Schittke’s Polka for Viola and Strings. The crowd took kindly to Bashmet’s rendering of Stravinsky’s Russian Song from the opera Mavra and Shostakovic’s Scherzo Op. 11.
It was a fine evening where Bashmet was more amongst friends than an audience. Hundreds of guests of the evening declared that it was indeed one of the most exclusive and elegant events of the season and M Premiere received true appreciation from music lovers for inviting one of the world’s most universally acclaimed artists of all times.
The World Legend was very warmly welcomed in UAE with flowers and standing ovation; he played for the excited audience en core few times.
