Violin and Piano
Jolente De Maeyer and Nikolaas Kende after their performance for NADSA concerts with Penelope Holland representing C & M Pike Trust, the sponsor.
Two musicians, with professorships in Belgium and the Netherlands and an international CV of concerts around the world, gave a wonderful performance in Newton Abbot last week. A well crafted programme provided both intellectual food for thought and artistic delights.
Bach is often the composer chosen to start a concert, his Well Tempered Clavier supporting his pre-eminent position in the evolution of western ‘classical’ music. However, his Sonata in C Minor could be viewed as an unusual opening piece since the first movement’s markings are Largo: Siciliano, and thus the restrained delicacy of Jolente’s violin was wholly appropriate. The first Allegro was omitted, so with the Adagio we had consecutive slow, restrained and even wistful movements before the final Allegro. It was then I could forget that the piano was replacing a harpsichord [for which this duet was written], and just revel in the familiar territory of a lively fugue.
Jolente and Nikolaas’ programme certainly paid a compliment to the audience’s level of musical appreciation. In introducing their pieces, they made reference to Lera Auerbach and how she had, like Bach, Chopin, Shostakovich, and indeed many others, composed a cycle of 24 preludes encompassing all of the major and minor tonalities. They played numbers 2 and 8 of Auerbach’s cycle: interesting these certainly were. No 2 hit the base of the piano with a ferocity later counterbalanced by high treble notes. No 8 was a huge contrast with the violin being plaintive and melancholy, the piano having muted threateningly repetitive notes; glissandi and pizzicato adding to this weird pianissimo world. Memorable and exciting - maybe enough for me to search out the other 22 of Auerbach’s cycle.
Nikolaas, in introducing us to Beethoven’s violin sonata No 7, told us that this work was written when Beethoven was in his most intensely dramatic phase. He later regretted the ‘light’ third movement. The duo’s Allegro was spirited with excellent mirror playing between the instruments. Nikolaas opened the Adagio in true cantabile style, the violin seamlessly joining to touch our hearts and later thrill us with superb double stopping. The third movement was a light interlude before the drama of the finale. All the dynamic range one expects from Beethoven was there.
More drama was to follow with Brahms’ Sonata No 3. Admittedly, the first movement started calmly before becoming tempestuous, then ended magically. The rendering of the so well known Adagio was achingly beautiful: I just anticipated the double stopping with awe. The third movement, as with the Beethoven, was engaging light relief before we were launched into the Presto agitato. Jolente, Nicholaas and Brahms gave us dynamic drama aplenty, with even the surprise of syncopation which would have seemed more at home in a 20th century composition. Such a virtuosic performance from such visually cool performers was stunning.
And then for something very different: Kreisler’s Liebesleid and Liebesfreud. Pastiches they are, and thus only too easy for performers to ‘gild the lily’. Mercifully, we were treated to a delightful performance where the sweet tones of the violin, and lightly rubato tempo, took us to a Viennese ballroom with rotating couples and sophisticated smiles. We had enthusiasm, nostalgia and sweet sentimentality: kitsch or culture - who cares - it was a splendid way to end a concert. The audience called for an encore, and the duo very fittingly played Schon Rosmarin.
This concert was sponsored by the C & M Pike Trust
NADSA Concert, Friday11th April 7.30pm at The Courtenay Centre, Newton Abbot.
JRC
PROGRAMME
Bach (1685 – 1750) Sonata in C minor, BWV 1017
Lera Auerbach (b 1973) 2 Preludes for violin & Piano (from 24 Preludes, Op 46: 2 & 8 played)
Beethoven (1770 – 1827) Sonata No 7 in C minor, Op 30 No 2
INTERVAL
Brahms (1833 – 1897) Sonata No 3 in D minor, Op 108
Kreisler (1875 – 1962) Liebesleid
Liebesfreud
ENCORE Schon Rosmarin
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