Augustin Hadelich: brilliant concepts

Early in December, in the subterranean restaurant beneath Wigmore Hall in London, Augustin Hadelich is deep in thought on ways to interpret Brahms’s First Violin Sonata. It is the evening before what will be his third appearance at the recital venue, and four years since he made his debut here in a spectrum of works spanning the period from Beethoven to Schnittke, and taking in Stravinsky, Ysaÿe and Sarasate. The programme this time is also wide-ranging – the Brahms is followed by Ysaÿe’s Sonata no.4 (‘Fritz Kreisler’) and John Adams’s Road Movies – and the violinist will again be joined by his regular duo partner, British pianist Charles Owen. Even at this late stage, just 24 hours before the two musicians are due to perform, Hadelich is talking about significant adjustments they are making to their Brahms interpretation.