Again under the distinguished and respected patronage of H.L. Mario Grech, Bishop of Gozo, yesterday evening’s concert witnessed a virtuoso display by violinist Andrea Gajic and accordionist Djordje Gajic. The duo performed to a packed St Francis Church in Victoria – a concert that attested to the duo’s brilliant technical abilities and wonderful interpretation of works by Bach, Sarasate, Brahms, Bartok, Macmillan and Piazzolla.

Starting with the sober monumentality of a Bach duo Sonata, the mood was set in no uncertain terms.  Andrea’s tone matched the magnitude of the Bach work performed – broad, expansive and utterly beautiful. Moving on to the devilishly difficult Sarasate Carmen Fantasy, this was a showpiece of pyrotechnical virtuosity, intelligent phrasing and dazzling interpretation. The audience all but leapt to its feet at the end of what was a consummate performance, nothing short of perfection.

In Brahms’s Hungarian Dances (1 and 2) and Bartok’s Romanian Dances, the audience was regaled with two works that focus largely on folk/dance music. The accordion was a most apt choice for it captured the gypsy element in both works spot on. Moving on to the dreamy rhapsodic Macmillan piece, we got a touch of Scotland, where Andrea and Djordje are both based. This transmitted a calming effect, one of mists and soft hues in contrast to the previous works. Finishing with passion of Piazzolla’s Le Gran Tango, a work that was rendered in all the vitality, virility and passion one expects of a Piazzolla piece, the duo performed the famous Monti Czardas to a delighted audience that could do no better than ask for more!!

This performance was characterized throughout by passion, brilliance and supreme intelligence!