The whimsical Chopin Boys were a joy to behold. Playing piano and guitar, with guest appearances from fabulously feather-fingered pianist Viktor Bijelovic and pitch-perfect soprano Sophie Stoddart, the duo entertained the audience with tales of Chopin’s visit to Edinburgh in 1848. The pair told an interesting collection of stories to do with the composer’s health, love life and talent. The ‘Boys’ found it easy to make connections between unrelated topics, relating ‘Chopsticks’ to Chopin through its closeness in the “musical dictionary”, for example. This made the performance all the more amusing, and they didn’t deny the tenuousness of the links! Displaying magnificent musical observation, mashing Scottish folk with Chopin classics, this comical look at a renowned composer was a true delight.

St Cecilia’s Hall, 20-24 Aug (not 22), 6.30pm.
tw rating 4/5 | [Hannah Sweetnam]

Sections: by Hannah Sweetnam - ED2012 Musical Reviews - tw rating 4/5 | Tags: Abracadabarets, St Cecilia's Hall

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