The Catskill Chronicle

Review by Barry Plaxen

SHANDELEE, NY (August 15, 2013) –

August 6 – Back (and Forth) to the Past

On August 6 we took a trip back to 1914 for Ravel’s “Piano Trio” with violinist  Amy Schroeder, cellist Andrew Yee and pianist Irina Nuzova (photo left). The performance was the finest I have ever witnessed of the piece, in that the three players, especially Nuzova, seemed to have a very simpatico feeling for impressionism and not only evoked the musical genre, but did it with a blending of Ravel’s melodies, harmonies and rhythms with no self-consciousness to make me  aware that I was listening to impressionistic music.

And then it was back to the 18^th Century for Haydn’s “Quartet in C, Op. 76, No. 3 ‘Emperor.’” Joined by Keiko Tokunaga on violin and Luke Fleming on viola, they (the Attacca Quartet, photo above) excelled in their presentation of this so-well written quartet. As with other musicians at Shandelee, they performed with exquisite phrasing and deeply moving artistry. Particularly in Haydn’s outstandingly profound second movement.

If Yee is the Maxim Vengerov of the cello with his plethora of facial expressions, then certainly Fleming is the Buster Keaton of the viola, in that his expressionless face belies his emotionally communicative skills – he can rip your heart out with his ability to communicate his deeply felt and clearly expressed sensibilities. Schroeder and Tokaungaga are also remarkable, especially in their “duettish” moments when they seem to play as one entity. All four quartet members are wonderful.

Forward to the Romantic era for Schumann’s “Piano Quintet in E-flat Major,” one of my favorite chamber works, for which Nuzova re-joined the quartet, and Tokunaga and Schroeder switched “chairs” with Tokunaga leading the players through the masterwork.

Needless to say, they received a muchly deserved ovation from the excited audience for their outstanding performances.

August 8 – Romantic – Old, Middle and New

Violinist Misha Keylin (photo left) and pianist Cullan Bryant (photo right) have made numerous appearances at Shandelee in the past. Their varied program began with Schubert’s early Romantic “Sonatina # 1” which was Mozartian more than Beethoven-esque, and continued with Brahms middle-period Romantic “Violin Piano Sonata in d minor, op. 108.” With just the playing of three chords, Bryant brought us out of a melodic and light Schubertian mode into a harmonically deep and complicated Brahmsian feeling.

Keylin seens to have an affinity for the more pyrotechnical aspect of the violin, and he and Bryant mesmerized me with their playing of George Rochberg’s “Rhapsody & Prayer” (1989) which, we were told, was considered Neo-Romantic by Rochberg, though not by me. It did not seem rhapsodic or prayerlike to me, but was very contemporary, expressive and involving. A difficult piece, one could see why Keylin enjoys playing it, as his technical skills came to the forefront. Bryant, too, was able to leave me immersed in and wanting to prolong the effect it had over me.

It was followed by Tchaikovsky’s “Melodie from Souvenir d’un lieu cher,” an extremely melodic and lovely work, and then the piece de resistance, Saint-Saens’ masterpiece “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso,” another pyrotechnical work worthy of the most fiery difficulties of Paganini’s compositions. Keylin really pulled out all the stops for this one, so to speak. It was thrilling.

Two encores followed, Paganini’s soft and melodious “Cantabile,” worthy of Saint-Saens’ “the Swan” or Delilah’s great aria from “Samson and Delilah,” followed by Sarasate’s very difficult “Habanera” worthy of the Saint-Saens work we just heard. Again, Keylin seemed to revel in playing the difficult piece.

August 10 – Perfect for a 20^th Anniversary

In 1997 pianist Julien Quentin (photo left) was the first recipient of a Shandelee scholarship, and after 16 years he has become one of the most sought after concertizers, performing as many as 60 concerts a year wroldwide.

For the thrilled audience, he performed Mozart’s “Sonata K.311,” pretty much a simple and straightforward work. It was followed by Mozart’s “Fantasie K.396,” and it was with this work that Quentin “took off” and was free to show us his deeply felt expressiveness and ability to uplift us with his playing.

His technique was then at the forefront for Beethoven’s “Sonata # 8, ‘Pathetique’.” I find nothing pathetique or pathos-like, or even pognant about this work, with its incredibly beautiful second movement and powerful last movement.

And he had the audience spellbound with his technique once again with Ravel’s “Gaspard de la Nuit” and Listz’ “Mephisto Waltz # 1.” If he did not play an encore (for which the audience was eager) it was probably because he was exhausted from the demands of the wonderful program.

The Shandelee concerts continue on August 15 and 17 with the International Artists of Shandelee. www.shandelee.org or 845-439-3277 for information and tickets.