The program included two composers we are going to hear a lot from this year: Clara Schumann, who has her bicentennial this year, and Beethoven, who celebrates his 250th--as soon as 2020 rolls around. The first half had a violin/piano sonata by Franz Schubert (I neglected to retain my program so I can't tell you which, but it was nicely dynamic) and the only violin/piano sonata by Leoš Janáček. This was written in 1914, before he met his muse, Kamila Stösslová, who inspired all of his late-in-life masterpieces. Quite a good piece with a lot of strong gestures ending with a very subdued adagio.
The second half began with Three Romances by Clara Schumann followed by the Spring Sonata by Beethoven. The recital ended with an encore, the Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs) by Pablo de Sarasate. I suppose this is what recitalists are doing more and more these days: not knowing if the audience will demand an encore, heck, just stick one on at the end of the program. I confess to doing it myself!
Two things became very evident in the second half of the program. We knew from the very beginning that the violinist, a Chinese-Australian now resident in the US, was a bold and strong player, but especially during the Beethoven, the shortcomings of the pianist became evident. She was an accomplished pianist, of course, and a good accompanist, but she didn't seem to have a clue as to how to play Beethoven. Every scale was rushed, with the notes all blurred together with no articulation. I heard a lot of Beethoven on piano in Salzburg and all of it was clear and defined. Sloppy, blurry Beethoven doesn't work at all. The other thing that became evident, apart from how boring unrelieved cheap virtuosity can be on the violin (coughSarasatecough) was that Clara Schumann is nowhere near being anywhere in the same league as Beethoven. The Three Romances were slight diversions and nothing more. Next to the Beethoven they were just a bit dreary. I'm afraid that we are going to hear this demonstrated time and time again this season...
But please don't take my word for it! Have a listen and decide for yourself. First the Schumann:
Clara's year, yes; I saw a new CD advertised the other day with pieces by both Clara and Robert! on the same CD! as if that were a spectacularly shocking innovation.
ReplyDeleteI may not listen to any Beethoven at all in 2020, in reaction to the hype.
The Basque txistu, a high-pitched cousin of the tin whistle and the recorder, is my newest least favorite instrument. Gosh. The thought crossed my mind to make a tasteless joke about those who play it and ETA; happily enough one has to go very far out of one's way to hear it played.
How could you possibly deprive yourself of Beethoven for a year? Of course you could replace with Haydn, Mozart and Schubert, so I guess you would survive.
ReplyDeleteYes, the txistu is quite an annoying instrument. It is often played in tandem with an annoying little drum, which is quite similar to the English pipe and tabor. Still, not nearly as annoying as the saxophone, wouldn't you say?