Above: cellist Jonathan Swensen
~ Author: Oberon
Tuesday March 3rd, 2020 - Young Concert Artists presenting cellist Jonathan Swensen in his New York debut recital at Merkin Hall. Noreen Cassidy-Polera was at the Steinway, with music by Beethoven, Kodály, and Franck on the bill. Passion was the watchword in an evening of music-making that kept the audience ardently engaged.
Beethoven's Seven variations on ”Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen” from Die Zauberflöte. Since this duet (for Pamina and Papageno) is one of the unkindest cuts in The Met's compressed, English-language Magic Flute, it was lovely just to hear the melody played live again.
Following a resonant opening statement of the theme, Mr. Swensen and Ms. Cassidy-Polera wound their way delightfully thru the variations. The first is animated, the second elegant as the cello sings over the piano's fiorature. The third variation feels restrained at first, but then turns livelier. For the fourth, the piano sounds dreamy in the minor mode whilst the cello is deep and soulful. The fifth is quick and witty. Variation 6 is an Adagio, serene and poetic...and very subtly played: this is the longest of the set, and fades beautifully at the end. The 7th variation is a sprightly Allegro, which turns bold. In the end, a breezy Coda carries us to a fun finish. The two players, communicating telepathically, were in perfect harmony throughout.
Mr. Swensen then returned to the stage alone for a spectacular performance of Zoltán Kodály's Cello Sonata, op.8. In this long solo work, the composer places great demands on the player, both technically and emotionally. Mr. Swensen, in a state of deep concentration, gave a revelatory display of his abundant talent.
From the music's gypsy opening, the cellist spins out a deep, sad song with dramatic flourishes. A sense of brooding gives way to some coloratura, and a series of trills precedes a passage of music that wanders thru the cello's range. In the second movement, Adagio con grand' espressione, a long crescendo in the depths sets the mood for a lamenting song. Mr. Swensen's rich tone is deeply savourable as the darkling melodies flow forward. Flourishes of notes signal a change of mood, but soon the pensive feeling returns; the cellist's playing here is deeply expressive, with ravishing trills etched into the line. The music then rises to the heights for a haunting finish.
The sonata's third movement, Allegro molto vivace, is a feast of Hungarian folk music motifs, with the composer setting up numerous hurdles for the cellist: flaming pizzicati, grand double stops, speedy repeated notes, and virtuoso scales at breakneck speed. Mr. Swensen swept gloriously thru these demands, carrying us along with him on a musical joyride. Upon the conclusion of his thrilling Kodály performance, Mr. Swensen was greeted by a tumult of applause and bravos; he had given the music his all, and the audience were eager to show their appreciation.
Above: pianist Noreen Cassidy-Polera
Following the interval, the cellist capped his triumph with a sumptuous performance of César Franck's familiar and beloved Sonata in A-major, M. 8, in which Ms. Cassidy-Polera played so superbly that I thought - not for the first time - she should have her own solo evening.
The sweet, sad melody that is the emblem of this sonata was played with marvelously full-bodied tone by Mr. Swensen; together with the rhapsodic quality of Ms. Cassidy-Polera's pianism, a compelling atmosphere of romantic drama was developed - an atmosphere sustained thru the sonata's shifting moods, which veer from ecstatic to contemplative.
The players' passion for this music manifested itself from first note to last, the abundance of melodic riches alive with mystery, tranquility, and rapture in a sonic tapestry of overwhelming beauty. For this entranced listener - and seemingly for everyone in the hall - this was a musical experience of the highest order.
Moved, it seemed, almost to tears by the audience's eager applause, Mr. Swensen announced an encore: the third movement of Rachmaninoff's cello sonata. From its opening passage for the piano, it was clear that this music was dear to the hearts of the two musicians, for their playing had a palpable depth of feeling. Thus was this wonderfully satisfying evening brought to its perfect end.
Above: from the performance, courtesy of photographer Matt Dine
~ Oberon