The Catskill Chronicle

By Barry Plaxen

For the final “Evening of Chamber Music” concerts at the 2010 Shandelee Music Festival, on Saturday August 14, three Violin/Piano Sonatas were performed by Misha Keylin (left), violin and Cullan Bryant, piano. The three works are all standards in the violin/piano repertoire, and deserve to be.

Mozart’s Sonata # 21 in e, K.304, is a two movement work. It is a more serious somber-like work than his others in this genre, attributed to his mother’s ill health and subsequent passing during their sojourn in Paris at the time of its composition.

Though written late in his life, when he was in the throes of his mental breakdown, Schumann’s Sonata # 1 in a, Op.105, is one of many superior works he composed at that time with much clarity, force, sensitivity and beauty, despite his failing mental state. An interesting example of how Schumann was remarkably still able to put his mind in the present time, the “now,” connect with his muse and receive inspiration, thereby not letting his unhappy past or fearful future, which we assume were the direct or indirect causes of his distress, interfere with his creative ability.

One of the great masterpieces of the genre, longer than most, 40 minutes or so, Beethoven’s Sonata # 9 in A, Op. 47, “Kreutzer,” is so full of brilliant writing that it boggles the mind. The first movement starts Adagio and then continues to a presto, eventually ending with a brief return to Adagio and then an exciting and frantic Presto coda. Theme and Variations follow in the second movement, each one totally different mood-wise than the other. The last movement comes in with a striking (pun intended) bang on the piano and then a virtuostic showpiece for both instruments with innovative and thrilling writing,

Keylin, a former child prodigy who made his Carnegie Hall debut at age 11, has had a major international career for almost 30 years. He emits incredibly beautiful tones from his 1831 violin. I especially noted his wonderful right arm – with very little, if any, movement at the shoulder and total flexibility in his wrist control, thereby affording him, whenever needed, all those gloriously somber, sweet, and exciting tonal qualities.

Impressive as was Keylin’s tonal beauty and technical skill, it was Bryant’s musicality that stood out for this pianist whose technical skill is a given anyway, well known from his prior performances at Shandelee. His impeccable phrasing for all the works was evident. On the Steinway Grand, his most glorious moment of the evening (for me) was actually a pause, the pause between his tender, loving, soft, careful, execution of the adagio at the end of Beethoven’s first movement, and his morphing into the agitated, frenetic coda, as mentioned above.

The bang-up ending to the concert came to the enthusiastic full-house audience in the form of an encore, Pablo (1844-1908) Sarasate’s “Introduction and Tarantella.” This time around Keylin actually outdid himself with not just his skillful speed-playing, but with his musical phrasing in this Spanish masterpiece of, once again, frenetic, agitated, frantic and Paganini-like writing. Could his thrilling execution have been because he played it from memory, or because it is a middle romantic piece as opposed to the classical and early romantic periods of the other composers, or because it was written by a technically superior violinist? Obviously, this type of virtuoso Romantic period composition is close to Keylin’s heart.

I would have preferred that Keylin stand at the center of the piano as singers do, instead of next to Bryant, so that he and Bryant could eye each other for visual communication, and to allow Bryant to be seen from the left side of the house, enabling our focus to be on them both equally.

After four world class Chamber music concerts and two solo concerts, the Festival continues on August 19 and 21 with the International Artists of Shandelee, seven solo pianists in the Shandelee concert artist training program, sharing the performing honors.

Be sure to check out the Shandelee Music Festival’s 3^rd annual Fall Family Concert with Allen Yueh on piano taking place on October 22 at 10:30 a.m. at Monticello High School. www.shandelee.org. 845-439-3277.