Review - BBC Young Musician 2014 Strings Final

Elizaveta Tyun gave a poised and polished performance of the Tchaikovsky emphasizing Classical as well as Romantic elements in the music. The rapport between Tyun and her pianist emerged most clearly in Lutoslawski's Subito. There is always a danger in some contemporary works that a performer may over-emphasize the violence or over-luxuriate in lyricism. For Tyun everything was perfectly balanced - she was unafraid to emphasise the lyricism against the piano's relentlessly percussive accompaniment.

Full marks to Roberto Ruisi for being the violinist with the broadest repertoire from the Baroque to twentieth century classics. The Britten is a very difficult piece to perform and some of the finer details could have been clearer in his performance. But as the programme progressed his performance improved with limpid playing in the Bach and an unashamedly extrovert performance in Gershwin's It ain't necessarily so.

Dogyung Anna Im gave the best insight into musical talent and expertise when she admitted that she started off hating violin practice but now realizes that she has no choice in the matter anymore. It is a reminder of how many of the traits we admire can often be stubbornly involuntary. It was in the Kreisler Recitativo and Scherzo Caprice that she really came into her own taking her time over certain points in the piece.

If Robert Ruisi had the broadest repertoire of all the violinists, Juliana Myslow had the broadest repertoire in the entire strings category. Her performance of Grandjany's Rhapsodie showed a performer was unafraid to play very quietly. This made the dynamic contrast startling and dramatic. Part of the role of any performer is to be an effective advocate for unloved pieces and she did this brilliantly in the Hindemith.

William Dutton gave an unashamedly Romantic interpretation of Bloch's Nigun and revelled in the virtuosity of Rimsky-Korsakov but to my ears I would have wanted something slightly more intimate. I would have loved to have heard him play a Baroque or Classical piece in his programming. It would have given more of a contrast.

So did the judges get it right? An audacious choice for winner would have been Juliana Myslow for showing that the harp is not simply a delicate instrument. I agree with Jack Liebeck when he said that Elizaveta Tyun gave a serious performance and let nothing stand in the way of singing the melodic lines. Each of the players had flaws in their playing and each had a piece that was an individual highlight. But it was Tyun who, for me, gave the most satisfying performance throughout - she was there to serve the music. Some may have complained that her performance was introspective. However she was the player who attempted to draw you into the music rather than proclaim her presence. And even though she had only two pieces in her programme there was enough of a range within them to engage a listener. It was probably the virtuosity of Dutton's playing that won it for him and a sense that he could take risks more consistently. We will find out this Saturday whether he has what it takes to perform at Usher Hall.