Geneva Lewis NNF 2024
Tackling exciting lesser-known pieces with confidence and daring.
NNF
New Zealand born violinist Geneva Lewis returned to the Octagon Chapel in Norwich this afternoon for the first of three lunchtime concerts in which she is appearing as part of this year's Norfolk & Norwich Festival. Last year she was at the Octagon alongside pianist Evren Ozel, and together they performed a programme that featured Violin Sonatas by Beethoven and Mozart alongside Douglas Lilbum's Sonata for Violin and Piano. This year she returns with an eclectic selection of pieces that many of us will not have heard before, all specially chosen by her to suit the stunning acoustics of the Octagon.
First up is the Sonata in A Minor, by Johan Goerg Pisandel – one of two composed by this German composer, who was the leading violinist of his time, and a contemporary of J.S. Bach. Its three movements may be richly Baroque in style, but Lewis plays them with an elegance and sensitivity that defies the period.
'Darshan', by young Indian-American composer Reena Esmail, is another sensation. Part of a five-movement partita in which each movement is based on a different Hindustani raag, Geneva Lewis somehow manages to conjure sounds out of her instrument that could have come straight from a sitar and tabla ensemble.
Cheryl Frances-Hoad's Suite No.1 may be more typically contemporary of modern British composers but, once again, it appears to be strongly influenced by Bach, and has moments which are both joyous and energy-filled.
Andrew Norman is possibly the leading American composer of his generation, and 'Sabina', was written by him after watching the sun rise from the ancient church of Santa Sabina on Rome's Aventine Hill. Beginning with a barely-audible note, its ambience gradually builds to a glorious celebration of the day to come, and all within the space of eight beautiful minutes.
Finally, and still with sunrise in mind, the concert concludes with Belgian virtuoso violinist and composer Eugène Ysayë's two-part Sonata No 5, in which the opening 'L'Aurore' is followed by a scintillating 'Danse Rustique'.
Still only 25 years old, but already tackling exciting lesser-known pieces with confidence and daring, Geneva Lewis is most certainly a name to watch. The last year has seen her make her BBC Proms debut, and work alongside the BBC Symphony Orchestra. No wonder that she is being championed by BBC Radio 3 as one of their New Generation Artists.
(As part of this year's Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Geneva Lewis will also be performing lunchtime concerts at Sheringham Little Theatre on Wednesday 15th May, and at The Corn Hall, Diss on Friday May 17th. See www.nnfestivalorg.uk for tickets and further details)
