A balm in a troubled world, the Live at Yours concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre, featuring Yamen Saadi and Simon Tedeschi, offered the perfect balance of virtuosic excellence and relaxed charm.
Live at Yours is an organisation born out of the necessities of the Covid era, originally focused on bringing intimate performances from top-quality artists to lounge rooms across Australia. Delightfully, they have managed to maintain that personal, accessible style as they expand their audiences into concert halls. The evening was compered by Live at Yours founder Vladimir Fanshil, who also served as page-turner for Tedeschi. His casual, conversational manner was immediately disarming and set the tone for a fun and friendly evening, drawing the audience into the world of the artists.
The program of music was expertly chosen, featuring works that famous composer and violinist Fritz Kreisler had either composed, arranged or performed. Kreisler’s works tended to be short and virtuosic, keeping the pace of the concert humming along. The 90-minute performance felt like 30-minutes and the standing ovation at the end of the night showed that the audience would have happily stayed for another 90.
Kreisler’s music showcased the impeccable technical prowess of Yamen Saadi, Concertmaster for the Vienna Philharmonic. Despite being (just) 27, Saadi has already performed across the globe in venues and festivals such as Carnegie Hall, Elbphilharmonie, Rheingau Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Pau Casals Festival, Jerusalem Festival and Schloss Elmau. Saadi played on the 1734 ‘Lord Amherst of Hackney’ Stradivari violin, previously owned by Fritz Kreisler, and the sound of the instrument was undeniably exquisite. However, it must be said that Saadi could have made a cigar box with strings pulled across it sound exquisite, given his musical mastery.
It almost goes without saying that Simon Tedeschi’s playing at the piano was magnificent. Nobody would have expected any less, given his reputation as one of the world’s most thoughtful and expressive pianists. In this performance, Tedeschi certainly did not disappoint, and the audience was treated to a masterclass of collaborative excellence as the piano and violin shone together on the stage. Of particular note was Tedeschi’s control and lyricism in Grieg’s Violin Sonata No. 3, a fiendishly difficult piece that Grieg himself debuted in 1886.
When attending concerts given by artists at this level, you can often feel the pretension and self-importance oozing off the stage. Let’s be honest: this is usually earned, given the tremendous talent of the performers and the phenomenal work they put into reaching the top of their industries. However, when you see a magical performance from artists such as Tedeschi and Saadi, which prioritises musical storytelling and connection with the audience, you realise just how good a concert can be.
I couldn’t fault this show. The talent was abundant and effortless, and the presentation was confident and engaging. I eagerly look forward to seeing more from Live at Yours and their stable of artists. This is Yamen Saadi’s debut tour of Australia, and I certainly hope it will not be his last.
