IT’s almost axiomatic in the performing arts that the greater the disaster on the night, the more brilliant the performances are likely to be.

That’s exactly how it was on Saturday night when music lovers and members of the Italian community braved the winter weather to attend an advertised concert of works by Paganini and Giuliani to be performed by violinist Domenico Nordio and guitarist Massimo Scattolin, to mark the anniversary of the Italian Republic.

Alas, “CityNews” was informed by Ainslie and Gorman director Joseph Falsone, that Scattolin had been rushed to hospital with an undisclosed ailment.

But the show must go on, so Nordio stepped up to perform an entirely unadvertised concert of solo violin works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Turkish composer Faz?l Say.

As Falsone told those present solo violin is relatively unusual, as the instrument is almost always accompanied or backed by Orchestra so this was a rare treat for those present.

Crouching over his beloved violin and unrestrained in his enjoyment of it, Nordio, a giant of Italian violin playing, first treated us to a passionate performance of Bach’s 2nd Sonata in A minor. His dedication to the instrument, however, gave way to a moment when the audience spontaneously applauded mid-Sonata and with a smile he held his fingers up to indicate that there were still a couple of movements to go.

After a brief explanation there followed a refined performance of by one of his favourite contemporary composers the Turkish pianist and composer, Faz?l Say, whose “Cleopatra” for solo Violin, Opus 34, allowed Nordio to explore the extremities of his instrument.

The evening finished with a full-blooded performance of Bach’s “Partita No 2”, complete with the impressive double-stopping but one would expect from such a fine artist as Nordio.

A happy postscript to the evening came in the form of news that after a night in hospital, Scattolin was discharged and is now able to continue his performance round with Nordio.