A lovely program of two
sonatas coupled with character pieces: the first half devoted to Prokofieff,
opening with the Five Melodies, then the F minor sonata. The second half was
given to Ravel, ending with Tzigane.
Ms. Jansen is an elegant, refined and
dignified artist; her pianist, rather less so. The concert left a strange
taste. The Five Melodies have such delicacy, sumptuous harmonies and wry pathos
- It seemed that the violinist didn't play through to the heart of the music
here and throughout the evening. Perhaps she was accommodating the headstrong
brashness of her partner, who, if not necessarily overpowering in volume, was
thick, his impasto strokes wearying the listener very quickly. The Sonata was
missing a steely bitterness from both players, and in the opening movement, her
scales that represent the wind over the graves were even and pristine though
not bone-chilling.
The second movement was
abrasive, but lacking in Soviet militaristic inexorability. There was misplaced
glibness from unnecessary ritards. In the mystical slow movement it was wild to
hear the violinist play as if she had a sostenuto pedal - her legato triplets
were sublime, as were her soaring melodies. Her partner was secco. The last
movement was vivacious and sparkling enough but missing was desperation and
austerity. This work should be exhausting, draining, impossible. The ensemble
was adequate.
The Ravel Sonata skewed
towards a more neo-classic approach, i.e., a dry one without sensuality, or, in
the Blues movement, sexuality. The
climax of the first movement was unmotivated, the rise and fall of the extended
coda turbulent in a way most bumpy. In the Moto Perpetuo the finesse and
suppleness of the violinist's efforts were mostly buried by her concertante
pianist.
In the Tzigane, the
cadenza was headstrong and breathless without her usual assurance, and the 'harp'
entrance in the piano distracted through lack of pedal. These players chose
some mannered affects; peculiar over-accents, questionable timings, distended
tempi.
Fauré's Après Un Reve was the first encore, and
next was Kreisler's most delightful Marche
Miniature Viennoise, immaculate from both musicians, if short on crème.
I look forward to Ms. Jansen, a princess in
all best senses of the word and a consummate chamber musician, in future
performances of varied repertoire and partners. She is nothing short of urbane,
subtle, and brilliant.
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