ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of France Martine Dorance hosted a classical music recital by famous French violinist Vadim Tchijik at the Serena Hotel. The programme featured pieces from Bach, Paganini, Kreisler and Ysaye.

Speaking on the occasion, Martine said: `We are very lucky tonight because we have an internationally renowned violinist in Pakistan for a week performing in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. I am grateful to the Serena Hotel for their support in organising and hosting this event.

The violinist Tchijik said: `All the composers I have selected this evening were violinists and you will hear the developments and transitions in their musical compositions.

Beginning with Bach`s 1st Sonata in G minor, Tchijik played both the adagio and the fugue.

Written in 1720, the Sonatas and Partitas came at the exact midpoint of the three phases into which Bach`s creative life is divided. The Sonata followed the established model of the time to present a slow lyrical introductory movement, followed by a fugue.

He then went on to play four of the 24 Caprices for Solo Violin by Nicolo Paganini, an 18th century violinist. Caprice No 1 featured exceedingly modern sounds with a flurry of almost mechanical sounds.

Nicknamed `The Arpeggio`, this composition matches chordal playing with ricochet across all four strings.

Caprice No 6, which is called `The Trill`, exploited the use of left-hand tremolo on the violin by quickly alternating between different notes in the chord in one of the voices. The ninth caprice, called `The Hunt`, the violin`s A and E strings imitate the flutes, while the G & D strings imitate the horns.

The final caprice No 17 featured an incredibly difficult octave passage where numerous thirtysecond note runs on the A and E strings wentback and forth with double stops on the lower two strings.

Continuing with Kreisler`s only composition for the solo violin, the Recitativo and Scherzo, Op. 6, Tchijik brought a sense of impressionistic darkness to the recital. While many of Kreisler`s compositions were emotional continuations of the legacy of Paganini, Wieniawski, Sarasate, and Ysaÿe, the Recitativo and Scherzo, Op. 6 was a dedication to Eugene Ysaÿe.

Ysaye`s Sonata No. 3 Ballade was followed by the last movement of Bach`s Chaconna from the 2nd partita.

The partitas are suites of dances and the second is intensely complex as multitude variations of a single idea are conveyed.

Tchijik responded to the resounding applauseby thanking the French embassy, the cultural section and the Serena Hotel for inviting and facilitating his tour of Pakistan.

A guest, Asma Rashid Khan, said: `The whole performance was fantastic. Sitting in Islamabad and hearing this kind of music is amazing.

`Tchijik is a brilliant, skilful musician. I particularly enjoyed the J.S. Bach Chaconna from the second partita and the finale piece,` said another guest.

Human rights activist Tahira Abdullah said: `This was a treat for a place like Islamabad.

`He was like a one person orchestra with his violin,` said another guest.

Vadim Tchijil< is currently Professor of violin at Toulouse Conservatory and gives masterclasses in Europe, South America and Asia.