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REVIEWS

Henning Kraggerud (violin), Helge Kjekshus (piano) Law Society, Blackhall Place, Dublin
Sonata in A, op 100 .................................... Brahms
Sonata in G, op 96 .................................. Beethoven
Sonata in A .................................................. Franck

These two young players from Norway first visited Ireland as a duo last year at the invitation of the LMA, and have naturally been invited again, for they have the gift of making each performance seem, if not unrepeatable, unlikely to be repeated. This is due to the tremendous concentration of energy that they bring to each work, an energy that forces the music to expand and yet holds it in check, so that their shared knowledge of the score is transformed into the enthusiastic discovery of new land.
They may not have brought us new Norwegian music, but they brought a new Brahms, Beethoven and Franck. The latter's Sonata in A can all too easily sound heavy-handed and overtly sentimental, but last Saturday in Blackhall Place it was its qualities of brightness and strength that were spotlit with playing of power and commitment. Kjekshus at the piano played with the freedom of a soloist, but Kraggerud's violin was a match for the larger instrument; the thunder of one was met by the lightning of the other. Let it not be thought that delicacy was not at their command; one of the pleasures of their approach was the confident way they handled sudden contrasts of texture and tone.
Brahms's Sonata in A veered from playfulness to ill-suppressed turbulence and back, which gave the lie to whoever said the whole sonata was one caress; but the excitement of the performance made it seem the right way to do it while it lasted.Beethoven's tenth and last sonata for violin and piano showed that the duo could excel in music of a lighter, more graceful type than the other two sonatas without any hint of preciosity and without compromising the strength of their playing.
Douglas Sealy The Irish Times, Dublin 6. Nov.2001

Henning Kraggerud: Virtuosity Minus Theatrics
Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud chose three late-romantic sonatas for his program Tuesday evening in the Washington Performing Arts Society´s Kreeger String Series. Structural solidity was the keynote in all three works-Grieg´s intensely lyrical Sonata no.2 in G, Janacek´s subtly moody Sonata for Violin and Piano, and the emotonally complex Sonata no 1 in G of Brahms. For his Kennedy Center debut in the Terrace Theatre, Kraggerud seemed to be deliberately avoiding the stereotypes associated with young violinists. Not a moment was dedicated to display of technique for its own sake. Kraggerud and his outstanding pianist, Helge Kjekshus, presented themselves as equal partners deeply immersed in serious chamber music. And this approach served to display the violinist´s strengths even more effectively than the familiar showpieces by Sarasate, Wieniawski et al. might have done.
Kraggerud´s tone is warm, precisely focused and capable of an expressive variety of colors. His grasp of structural principles is exemplary, and he shapes his phrases with mastery. Most important of all, he acts not as a nimble young hustler but as a servant of the music. He provided an unusually satisfying experience.
Joseph McLellan, The Washington Post (Concert-Review (in extenso) Photo of Henning Kraggerud. Phototext: «The Norwegian violinist displayed superb musicality»)

Recital with Helge Kjekshus (piano) / Music at the Wallace Collection / London
"Subtle artistry of  two emerging talents. There could scarcely  have been a more auspicious start to the new season of the Music at the Wallace Collection series than this fine recital by the young Norwegian violinist  Henning Kraggerud and pianist Helge Kjekshus. Their names are not new to anyone who has followed emerging talent in Norway...Kraggerud´s pure tone is discriminatingly deployed to embrace richness, passion and intensity.Kjekshus complements with suppleness,discreet power and sensitivity."
The Daily Telegraph,Geoffrey Norris

Grieg: Sonatas for Violin and Piano  ( NAXOS  8.553904)
"These are consistently enjoyable performances.The two young Norwegians play  with idiomatic style. and give the impression of absorbing and expressing every aspect of the  music. ...Kraggerud  and Kjekshus convince us they have found exactly the right sound and manner of expression..... highly recommendable...an excellent bargain"
Gramophone

Grieg: Sonatas for Violin and Piano  ( NAXOS  8.553904)
"Finally, a disc which sensibly brings together  Grieg´s three violin sonatas is  an out-and-out winner. From the enraptured, Schumanesque lyricism of the F major (albeit with a hint of fjordory in one of the finale´s episodes) to the Beethovenian  sturm und drang  of the third sonata, violinist Henning Kraggerud and his  accompanist, Helge Kjekshus, play as though their very lives depended on it. Melodies ache with emotional intensity and even those passages  where Grieg falls back on sequential repetition  to keep things ticking over appear positively inspired here. Phrases are constantly hoisted aloft  with skin-tingling timing, and the recording is unimpeachable. An excellent account of these underrated masterpieces  and superb value."
Classic CD  *****

Recital  with Helge Kjekshus in Tallin, Estonia
The Convincing Genuineness of Nowegian Boys. At last,extolling publicity matched reality
Eesti Päevaleht

"Healthy sounds from the Bath Festival"
Word about Henning Kraggerud and Helge Kjekshus  had already spread long before they got to Bath; and their concert, broadcast live on Radio 3, fulfilled all expectations. Here were two performesr thorougly immersed in the music, strong in character,virile,fresh and vibrant. ... Kraggerud¹s tonal palette  is beautifully inflected. Kjekshus deployed a searching,dynamic pianism....The single disappointment was that these two morning recitals lasted only one hour: we could have listened to musicianship of this order all day²
The Daily Telegraph  London / Geoffrey Norris

Bergen International Festival / Recital  w/ Helge Kjekshus
"Kraggerud and  Kjekshus  are  far  beyond  the point  were  most  musicians  reach their limits"
Dagbladet, Oslo