An old fox—but still first fiddle

Press, 21 April 1977, Page 6

An old fox —but still first fiddle

By

Adrian Brokking

Oistrakh, Grumiaux. Szeryng, Menuhin . . . who is best? Well, Stephane Grappelli, of course, who else? An old fox may lose his hair, but does not lose his tricks. The audience in the Town Hall last night was ensnared by the maestro playing the strings of his heart.

Nostalgia held the listeners in a firm grip. No. it was not the Quintet du hot club de France . . . times have changed, and style has changed with it. But the Diz Disley Trio was fully equal to the occasion, and technically every bit as competent as the old five. Perhaps one only betrays age with the opinion Liat the music was strongest

in the traditional blues numbers, too few of them, and old stand-bys like “Pennies from Heaven” which allowed the Tzigane lilt to come through. “It is the gypsy in our soul.” If the audience could have had its way, the four would still be playing. As it was, it got numerous encores, of which one of the most surprising and delightful was a piano solo by Grappelli in the grand manner. However, it is his violin playing which endears us to Grappelli. He is a musician by the grace of God, a musician to his fingertips, whose superb technique makes‘one forget the instrument —to lose one’s sou) in the music, time without end.

Grumiaux, Oistrakh. Menuhin, Szeryng . . . but no: Grappelli, only Grappelli.