<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>339388</docID> <postdate>2025-03-01 11:44:48</postdate> <headline>German ensemble ‘s colourful performance of great clarity</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-339386" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20250228-Chamber-Philharmonia-Cologne-5.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Chamber Philharmonia Cologne performing at St Christopher’s Cathedral,Photo: Dalice Trost</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Music / Chamber Philharmonia Cologne – Sergey Didorenko, solo violin, Dmitrij Gornowskij, solo cello. At St Christopher’s Cathedral, Manuka, February 28. Reviewed by </span><b>LEN POWER</b>.</span></p> <p><strong>With its motto, Classical Music Around the World, Chamber Philharmonia Cologne presented a charming program of works by much-loved composers.</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Solos in the works of Antonio Vivaldi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Peter Tchaikovsky, Johannes Brahms and Niccoló Paganini were played by the German virtuosos Sergey Didorenko, violin, and Dmitrij Gornowskij, cello.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Didorenko was born in Ukraine and after training in Moscow, he moved to Germany where he is now a German citizen and permanent soloist with the Chamber Philharmonia Cologne. He has also published two books on philosophy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gornowskij was born and trained in Kazakhstan, winning many prizes for his playing. He has lived in Germany since 1997 and is now a German citizen. He performs as a soloist and in orchestras and chamber ensembles. He is one of the founding members of Chamber Philharmonia Cologne.</span></p> <p><img class=" wp-image-339387" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20250228-Chamber-Philharmonia-Cologne-12.jpg" alt="" width="746" height="497" /></p> <caption>Cellist Dimitrij Gornowskij performs with the Chamber Philharmonia Cologne. Photo: Dalice Trost</caption> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The group started with Vivaldi’s well-known Winter from his Four Seasons concerto. Didorenko played the solo violin part. It was a vibrant, highly atmospheric performance that evoked strong, clear images of that most dramatic of seasons.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was followed by a second Vivaldi work, Concerto in A minor for violoncello and strings. In three movements, the solo parts were played by Gornowskij, cello.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The bright, melodic allegro was followed by a deeply reflective largo with the sensitive solo playing of Gornowskij. The final allegro movement was given a busy and exciting performance.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mozart’s well-known and much-loved A Little Night Music (Serenade in G major for string orchestra), was then played in a colourful performance of great clarity.</span></p> <p><img class=" wp-image-339385" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20250228-Chamber-Philharmonia-Cologne-11.jpg" alt="" width="746" height="497" /></p> <caption>Violinist Sergey Didorenko performs with the Chamber Philharmonia Cologne. Photo: Dalice Trost</caption> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After the interval, Gornowskij led the group with a fine performance of Tchaikovsky’s Pezzo Capriccioso. Their playing brought out all of the expressiveness and varying moods of this work. They followed it with a scherzo from Brahms’ F-A-E Sonata. The F-A-E stands for Frei Aber Einsam (free but lonely) and their atmospheric playing of this piece was very enjoyable.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The final work on the program was Paganini’s Capriccio in an arrangement for violin and string orchestra. Paganini, of course, was well-known for his virtuoso playing of the violin and Didorenko showed his ability with the instrument in fiery solos that were breathlessly exciting.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With an encore performance of Edward Elgar’s Salut D’Amour, this dreamy work brought the concert by these excellent musicians to a close.</span></p> </body>