Have a good day - concert review

Why would an outstanding concert by two of the finest musicians around today be a surprise?  Because just the night before, Repin’s performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Hungarian National Philharmonic, Kocsis conducting, was quite a disappointment, at least to me.On Sep 25, the Siberian-born violinist had intonation problems throughout the Beethoven concerto, very often playing flat and out of tune.  Repin is one of my favorite violinists and musicians, so it was a great disappointment that his performance did not live up to the brilliance he had demonstrated in his previous appearances here, including with Kocsis and the Philharmonic.  Even his signature encore fell short of his previous, awe-inspiring standard.
Good job
Both Kocsis and the orchestra, however, did a good job laying down the orchestral framework for the violin solo.
They were lively, though I felt they didn’t get that extra inspiration from the soloist, kicking them into overdrive that might have occurred had Repin been in top form.
So, it was with some trepidation that I went to the sonata recital the next night. I didn’t look forward to hearing Bartók, Brahms and Beethoven played out of tune.
All my fears were swept away in the opening moments, though. This time, both musicians were in absolutely top form.  
Kocsis and Repin blasted into a vigorous reading of Bartók’s First Rhapsody for Violin and Piano, leaving no doubt that these guys were determined to give nothing less than the very best.
Brahms’s Sonata in D minor, op 108 and Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata were no less exciting and impressive.  
Kocsis often seemed to lead the way with his extremely varied and powerful playing, giving Repin the formidable task of keeping up with him.  
There seemed to be an element of friendly competition between these two stellar musicians, but only with the common goal of cooperating to give these standard works of the repertory an absolutely fresh and unexpected interpretation.  
It was one of those concerts that will long be remembered for its raw, unpredictable energy and excitement.