This concert didn't start at Mr. Barker's introduction: at 12h45 Mr. Blázquez sat at the piano to warm up with an intricate divertimenti, interrupted only by the clock marking 13h00 and Ms. Orsi approaching with her violin to ask for A4.
A beautiful rendition of all the four movements of the Frühlingssonate, «Violin Sonata n.5 in F major, op. 24» by Beethoven, of which the slow, deep and mellow Adagio –the second movement– was not only very moving, but omen of what was yet to come.
Next came a piece by Debussy, «Sonata in G minor, L.140», a sharp contrast from how the piano and the violin con either accompany or contrast each other: if in Beethoven the piano and the violin work in unison, in this Debussy piece they work separately to create an impressionist, holistic atmosphere; here, the third and final movement is an incredibly technical part through which Ms. Orsi glided.
Then came the theme to Cinema Paradiso by Ennio Morricone. A tell-tale sign of a heartfelt performance is ditching the musical sheet, but somehow what was foreshadowed barely covers what was later evoked. I don't command English well enough to attempt to describe it, so I won't; I just feel that those who were there and shared that experience are now bound by the shared experience of something transcendental.
Mr. Blázquez, for whom it was the first time playing Christ Church, was surprised by the piano and described it as a “beast”. While he was forewarned about the great attendance Christ Church has by Ms. Orsi, today's was of nearly 200, almost double Ms. Orsi's last performance, according to her recollection. Mr. Blázquez also said that he was eager to play here again, and judging by today's performance, surely it won't be long until he graces this stage again.