Violin Sonata in D, Op 94 a - Prokofiev

Comhra (first performance) - Eric Sweeney

Sonatine for violin and cello - Jean Rivier

Havanaise - Saint-Saens

Prokofiev's colourful sonata made an invigorating opening to Friday's recital in the NCH John Field Room and Saint Saens's self-indulgent Havanaise brought it to an equally colourful end. These two works for violin and piano were played with assurance and enthusiasm by David O'Doherty (violin) and Deborah Kelleher (piano). They acted as a frame for the two works for violin and cello, played by David O'Doherty and Moya O'Grady.

Eric Sweeney's Comhra seemed at first to be breaking away from the minimalist style but it quickly developed, or degenerated, according to one's point of view, into repetitive figures reminiscent of scales and exercises.

Jean Riviers's Sonatine was structurally more interesting but harmonically unadventurous and left no lasting impression. It was not a good plan to sandwich these two fairly humdrum works between the two well-known works by Prokofiev and Saint-Saens: in other contexts they might have seemed a lot better.