Above: cellist Paul Watkins
Sunday January 15th, 2023 - A program of works by composers who began making their mark in the music world while still very young was on offer at Alice Tully Hall this evening as Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center summoned a sextet of eminent musicians from their impressive roster to regale us with their artistry.
Several groups of young people were seated near us; perhaps they came from one of the City's music schools, or are pupils of the participating artists. They seemed seriously enthralled with the music, and wonderfully enthusiastic as each work ended.
The program commenced, appropriately, with music of Mozart: his Trio in E-major, K. 542, which united violinist Danbi Um, cellist Paul Watkins, and pianist Michael Stephen Brown.
Mozart's piano-writing here is at times almost like that of a concerto, and Mr. Brown treated it as such. From his opening solo passage, his playing had great musicality and vitality. Ms. Um and Mr. Watkins harmonized perfection: the violinist's sense of lyricism and the cellist's velvety timbre - including some sustained tones that Mozart introduced as a contrast to the general animation - were a delight to the ear.
A touch of the whimsical sprang up as Mr. Brown introduced the central Andante; the piano continues to play a prominent role here, though Ms. Um leads us gently into a minor-key interlude. The concluding Allegro gets a vivacious start from the keyboard; as the movement rushes forward, Mr. Brown's fantastical mastery of the florid passages put a smile on my face. Meanwhile, Ms. Um and Mr. Watkins matched the pianist in virtuosity and grace. The trio were heartily applauded as they returned for a bow.
From the pen of Camille Saint-Saëns came the Sonata No. 1 in C-minor for Cello and Piano, Op. 32, which was written in 1872. Mr. Watkins gave a sterling rendering of this intriguing work, perfectly aligned with Gilles Vonsattel's keyboard expertise.
The opening of the Allegro is brisk: the cello sounding low and restless, the piano speedy and rambling. sounding restless and rambling. Both instruments tend to linger in their lower ranges. Mr. Watkins' playing is very aware of the music's subtleties, and he finely catches the music's varying moods, from dreamy to anxious. I really enjoyed watching him draw the music out of his cello: buzzy one moment, spot-on staccati the next. Mr. Vonsattel handled the rapid piano part with élan.
The second movement, Andante tranquillo sostenuto, reminds me very much of the old chorale, The Lord Is Our Great Shepherd. After a bit, the cellist commences a sort of slithering counter-song whilst the piano sustains rhythmic patterns. The cello goes for some deep notes before the rather surprising "plucky" finish.
Mssrs. Watkins and Vonsattel now commence on the final Allegro moderato. From its dramatic start, this movement is restive, even fidgety. Our two artists cover the mood swings - from lyrical and hopeful to the edge of despair - with vibrant playing. As the last note sounded, the audience erupted in boisterous cheers; the players shook hands whilst the applause continued unabated. Wonderful!
Danbi Um - in a gorgeous fuschia frock - returned, joining Mr. Vonsattel for Erich Korngold's Four Pieces for Violin and Piano from the Incidental Music to Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Dating from 1918-1919, this music was brand new to me. It was originally composed (for chamber orchestra) for a performance of the play given at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.
The violin/piano arrangement is a suite in four movements. The Maiden in the Bridal Chamber has a shimmering start, and then develops a flowing, waltzy melody. Ms. Um's graceful playing was perfectly meshed to Mr. Vonsattel's lilting "Olde Vienna" feeling at the Steinway.
Next we have Dogberry and Verges: March of the Watch; with it's military flourishes and march-like pacing, the music mocks play's the pompous constable Dogberry and his crony Verges. Things become quite witty, before a charming finish.
The waltz returns for The Scene in the Garden, with a lush, cantabile feeling which turns dreamy. We then reach the finale, Masquerade: Hornpipe, for the suite's lively conclusion.
What finer finale could we wish for than Felix Mendelssohn's Quartet in F-minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, which the young master wrote at the age of 14? The beloved violinist Ani Kavafian joined violist Mark Holloway and Mssrs. Watkins and Brown for a thrilling rendering of this brilliant piece.
After a poignant string introduction, Mr. Brown commenced his stunning performance of the achingly beautiful piano part with a rippling entrance and a sustained keyboard passage. The music becomes passionate, with a virtuosic cello motif brought forth by Mr. Watkins, and the first of many opportunities for the violist, Mr. Holloway, to shine.
At the center of this piece is a marvelous Adagio, which is introduced by Mr. Brown in a rather wistful piano passage; the strings join, their blend evoking a sense of yearning. Ms. Kavafian's high, sweet-sounding violin sings forth, harmonized by the other strings: Mr. Holloway's viola lends a poignant feeling, whist Mr. Watkins' cello reaches the soul with its burnished tone. Mr. Brown's playing, so luminous, draws us deeper and deeper into the music. I wished this Adagio could have gone on and on.
It is Mr. Brown who opens the third movement, Intermezzo, with its melodic grace. The string players continued to ravish the ear in this brief Allegro moderato. The concluding Allegro molto vivace is spirited and swift; dance-like, is sails blithely along, with Ms. Kavafian's violin shining overall. At the end, the players basked in a full-house standing ovation: a fitting finish to a sumptuous evening of music-making.
~ Oberon