Jonathan Truscott (violin) and William Hancox (piano) performed a programme which included Impressions of Childhood, Enescu’s hauntingly beautiful evocation of a village childhood in Romania. It was a rare opportunity to hear a little-known masterpiece and the performance was breathtaking.

The Romanian George Enescu, violinist, pianist, composer and conductor, was described by Pablo Casals as ‘the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart’. The ten tableaus which make up his Impressions d’enfance (Impressions of Childhood) paint a vivid and imaginative portrait of a rural Romanian childhood in a unique musical language.

The programme also included Elgar’s Sonata for Violin and Piano in E minor, Op 82. Written in 1918 at “Brinkwells” the house near Fittleworth in West Sussex acquired by his wife for Elgar to recuperate and compose, it is one of a group of late chamber works which include the piano quintet and the string quartet in E minor, as well as the cello concerto of 1919.

Finally the programme ended with Five Pieces for 2 Violins and piano by Shostakovich. Liz Norton joined Jonathan on the violin.