Chamber Music Concert - Summit Music Festival

[Donald Isler]

Faculty Chamber Music Concert
Summit Music Festival
Thornwood, New York
August 6th, 2021

Boccherini: Sonata for Two Cellos in B-Flat Major, G. 482
David Krieger and Gloria Kim, Cello

Mozart: Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major, K. 301
Linda Veleckis Nussbaum, Violin
Albert Lotto, Piano

Schumann: Pictures From the East, Op. 66
Albert Lotto and Gena Raps, Piano

Liszt: Spanish Rhapsody
Jennifer Wang, Piano

Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 66
Jinha Park, Piano
Emil Chudnovsky, Violin
Gloria Kim, Cello

The sound of the cello by itself is so lovely it's a pity one doesn't get to hear it more often, let alone works for two cellos, such as the Boccherini sonata which began this program. David Krieger played the first cello part with verve and Gloria Kim was his always alert and sensitive partner, which resulted in a delightful blend of sounds and textures. The first movement was spirited, while the second, slow movement flowed nicely. The finale was fast and joyous, with an interesting middle section in the minor.

In the Mozart sonata the big, warm sound of violinist Linda Veleckis Nussbaum was well matched with the elegant pianism of Albert Lotto. I was only surprised that the second movement seemed a bit slow for one marked "Allegro" but it was thoughtful, serious and effective.

The Schumann Pictures from the East, for piano four-hands, were new to me. Pianists Gena Raps and Albert Lotto spoke of Arabic influences in the work. Granted, it was new to me and I'd like to hear it again but, though the pianists gave a very good performance, it really did not seem to me more influenced by anything Middle Eastern than the composer's Arabesque, ie. a 19th Century European's idea of something exotic from that part of the world. The first movement was insistent, while the second was leisurely, with melodies extending in surprising directions. The third movement had even more expressive melodies and lovely harmonies, while the fourth was quite hearty. The concluding movement was choral-like and serious.

The only solo performer of the evening, pianist Jennifer Wang, then gave an admirable reading of Liszt's Spanish Rhapsody, displaying power and glistening articulation.

More than an hour into this program, which had no intermission, pianist Jinha Park, violinist Emil Chudnovsky and cellist Gloria Kim came on stage to play the Mendelssohn C Minor Piano Trio. (The second Op. 66 of the evening!) "We apologize for the late hour and will play extra fast to make up for it!" said Mr. Chudnovsky. He wasn't kidding!

One realized immediately these are all excellent players. The first movement was exciting, a whirlwind from the start. The pianist's scales were so fast as to seem weightless. The development section featured mysterious quiet sequences and different uses of the second theme. They then "set sail" in the second movement at what I would call the ideal tempo. The interplay of the three voices was wonderful.

The third movement was incredibly fast. It seemed amazing that they could play it, and play together at such a tempo, though I felt I could have taken it in, and gotten a bit more out of it as a listener, if it were just slightly slower. And yet, I'm reminded of Artur Balsam's comments about the Scherzo of the D Minor Trio, the gist of it being that you just have to set it in motion at a very fast speed, and it "plays itself." The last movement was powerful with the two main themes, used in different ways, and the choral-like section all leading to a dramatic and joyous conclusion.

Donald Isler