Press
press
21.05.2026
MAXIM VENGEROV AND POLINA OSETINSKAYA
Photo by Juanjo Bruzza
The opening of the Aura cycle—in its second season in Argentina—brought us two exceptional artists: violinist and conductor Maxim Vengerov and pianist Polina Osetinskaya . A frequent visitor to our country since his debut with the Mozarteum Argentino , Vengerov left an unforgettable mark on each return. Among them, his performance of Sibelius's Violin Concerto with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra remains particularly memorable, an occasion on which he invited then-concertmaster Pablo Saraví to join him for the encores of his farewell performance.
On this occasion, the interest also lay in hearing him perform for the first time in a duo with Osetinskaya, his artistic partner of the past decade. The recital confirmed a profound musical affinity, where the dialogue between the two musicians transcended mere accompaniment to become a truly collaborative creation.
The program's intelligence allowed this aesthetic harmony to be discerned from the outset. Schubert, Shostakovich, and Brahms outlined a journey of expressive contrasts, from classical clarity to the emotional density of late Romanticism and the most poignant modernity of the 20th century.
On this occasion, the interest also lay in hearing him perform for the first time in a duo with Osetinskaya, his artistic partner of the past decade. The recital confirmed a profound musical affinity, where the dialogue between the two musicians transcended mere accompaniment to become a truly collaborative creation.
The program's intelligence allowed this aesthetic harmony to be discerned from the outset. Schubert, Shostakovich, and Brahms outlined a journey of expressive contrasts, from classical clarity to the emotional density of late Romanticism and the most poignant modernity of the 20th century.
Photo by Juanjo Bruzza
The admiration Vengerov inspires can make any attempt at critical distance difficult. His technical perfection, expressive range, and the versatility of his repertoire place him in a unique position. However, on this occasion, he found in Osetinskaya an ideal counterpart, one of extreme refinement and great listening ability, capable of dissolving the boundaries between violin and piano until they became a single musical breath.
The first part began with Schubert's Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor , D. 408. The performance was luminous, transparent, and balanced, with a chamber music feel of remarkable naturalness.
Without pause, the duo launched into Shostakovich's Sonata for Violin and Piano , Op. 134, one of the great works of the 20th-century repertoire. Written in 1968, during the composer's final period, it unfolds a climate of sustained tension and an expressiveness imbued with pain and introspection. The Allegro reached an intensity of powerful emotional impact, while the final movement extended an atmosphere of profound gravity, with its cadenzas for piano and violin serving as points of expressive rupture. Vengerov and Osetinskaya's performance was characterized by a reading of enormous concentration and dramatic power.
The first part began with Schubert's Sonata for Violin and Piano in G minor , D. 408. The performance was luminous, transparent, and balanced, with a chamber music feel of remarkable naturalness.
Without pause, the duo launched into Shostakovich's Sonata for Violin and Piano , Op. 134, one of the great works of the 20th-century repertoire. Written in 1968, during the composer's final period, it unfolds a climate of sustained tension and an expressiveness imbued with pain and introspection. The Allegro reached an intensity of powerful emotional impact, while the final movement extended an atmosphere of profound gravity, with its cadenzas for piano and violin serving as points of expressive rupture. Vengerov and Osetinskaya's performance was characterized by a reading of enormous concentration and dramatic power.
Photo by Juanjo Bruzza
After the intermission, Brahms's Violin Sonata No. 3 brought the Romantic journey to a close. There, technical proficiency was entirely subordinated to a performance of total commitment, marked by a musical understanding of rare intensity.
The encores naturally prolonged this state of communion with the audience. Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 17 , Tchaikovsky's Melody , the "March" from Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges , and Fritz Kreisler's Viennese Miniature March served as a vibrant epilogue, received with sustained enthusiasm by the audience.
The concert left the impression of a true artistic encounter in which Maxim Vengerov and Polina Osetinskaya, two personalities of enormous individual stature, managed to construct a shared space of great expressive coherence.
By Estela Telerman for Straitstimes.com
All materials of the “Press” section →
The encores naturally prolonged this state of communion with the audience. Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 17 , Tchaikovsky's Melody , the "March" from Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges , and Fritz Kreisler's Viennese Miniature March served as a vibrant epilogue, received with sustained enthusiasm by the audience.
The concert left the impression of a true artistic encounter in which Maxim Vengerov and Polina Osetinskaya, two personalities of enormous individual stature, managed to construct a shared space of great expressive coherence.
By Estela Telerman for Straitstimes.com
All materials of the “Press” section →