Bomsori Kim & Thomas Hoppe
Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, 14/8/25
Bomsori Kim (violin), Thomas Hoppe (piano)
As part of the ‘Focus on Poland’ strand in this year’s Edinburgh International Festival, the Queen’s Hall concert of 14th August presented South Korean violinist Bomsori Kim and German pianist Thomas Hoppe in a programme which featured lesser-known works by four Polish composers (Szymanowski, Bacewicz, Paderewski and Wieniawski). The concert opened with Fauré’s 1876 Violin Sonata No.1 in A, Op.13. It was very well attended.
The 4-movement Fauré sonata is a youthful work, but there are early signs of an emergent compositional style. That acknowledged, I cannot say that it is destined to be a favourite. The first movement is a well-crafted sonata form, but neither of the two themes is particularly memorable and their development doesn’t quite gel to a cogent musical argument. The Andante is more compelling as a languorous, dreamy barcarolle in 9/8, with lovely contrapuntal dialogue between the instruments. The dizzy scampering scherzo is full of disorienting displaced accents and cross-rhythms (starting with 3-bar units of 2/8, morphing to 3/4, for example), with a short, somewhat less drunken trio, before “back to bonkers”. The ‘Allegro quasi presto’ finale is neither ‘Presto’ nor meant to be. Very much in the character of a rhapsodic pacey narrative after a lyrical intro, and the listener can go with the flow, but the sonata form escaped me. The playing was fabulous, but the real goodies were yet to come.
Szymanowski’s 1915 ‘Nocturne and Tarantella’ Op.28 comprised two superb character pieces, both direct and compelling. The nocturne starts with a dreamy Middle-Eastern vibe, though when faster Spanish tropes appear to channel da Falla and Sarasate, I would incline to the description ‘Moorish’. Both players inhabited the music with playing that was characterful and expressive, including especially delicious tone in sul-G playing from Bomsori. The stormy tarantella was demonically driven and wildly virtuosic, with some left-hand pizzicato and ghostly harmonics in the mix. Superb.
I’ve never heard anything by Grażyna Bacewicz that I didn’t love instantly. Her 1949 ‘Kaprys Polski’ (Polish Caprice) for unaccompanied violin is a dazzling miniature, with an expressive lyrical song giving way to an sprightly rhythmic folk-dance. Stunningly agile double-stopping added to the fireworks. First up after the interval, it was fabulous.
Paderewski’s 3-movement 1882 Violin Sonata in A minor, Op.13 was another first hearing of a gem. The first movement’s two themes are rooted in folksong and folkdance, the former introduced with gorgeous sul-G sul-tasto lyricism with virtuosic rippling pianism, the latter muscular and playful, the interplay of these elements a delight, with a return to wallow in the arioso to conclude. The Intermezzo was a delightful Andantino rhapsodic lyrical romance in the major key, capricious at times, and with an impish conclusion. The finale starts stormy, but playfulness and lyricism vie for primacy. The stormy passion wins in the Prestissimo coda. What a brilliant piece.
Wieniawski’s 1865 ‘Fantasia on Themes from Gounod’s Faust’ (written well before Sarasate’s) takes the best tunes from the opera to make a showpiece for accompanied violin. Arias and duets are ornamented with stunningly agile double-stopping, single bow stroke staccato runs, stratospheric harmonics (which Bomsori played with flawless intonation) and dazzling cadenzas, with a virtuosic finale to round off. It is what it is. And it was stunning, prompting wild applause.
There were two scrumptious encores: Bacewicz’s ‘Oberek No.1’ (a wild Polish dance) and Korngold’s 'Ohne Dich', an arrangement of a love aria from his chamber operetta ‘Die Stumme Serenade’.
The artistic and personal rapport between the players was evident, as was the sense of ‘shared mission’ to award great music the utmost advocacy. Mission accomplished.