Paired violinists provide a thrill
The violin's human qualities brought out the best in Prokofiev. It is the closest instrument to the voice, the one whose singing is unmistakable. The one that can cry. Put two together, as Korbinian Altenberger and Midori did Sunday at Trinity Urban Center when they played the Prokofiev Sonata for Two Violins in C (Op. 56), and the results can be profound.
The violin's human qualities brought out the best in Prokofiev. It is the closest instrument to the voice, the one whose singing is unmistakable. The one that can cry. Put two together, as Korbinian Altenberger and Midori did Sunday at Trinity Urban Center when they played the Prokofiev
Sonata for Two Violins in C (Op. 56
), and the results can be profound.
The afternoon was Altenberger's debut recital here. Munich-born and Boston-trained, he is managed by Astral Artistic Services, which for 15 years has mentored outstanding talents. Altenberger, 25, in August signed on as concertmaster of the WDR Symphony Orchestra in Cologne. He spends the rest of his time studying in Los Angeles with Midori and playing chamber music. That's how it happened that the 35-year-old superstar was able to join him for the Prokofiev.
The interpretation was uncommon, Midori's expressivity directing steadiness and encouraging passion. Fiddles conversing in counterpoint are a thrill. And if you think you don't like Prokofiev, listen to this piece. The performance was the highlight of an exceptional recital in a house about 225-strong.
Altenberger bows a fine sound from his J.B. Guadagnini (on loan from a German foundation). It was apt for the Beethoven chosen: the Sonata for Piano and Violin in E-flat major (Op. 12, No. 3). The violinist has the chamber musician's sensitivity to nuance: His ability to rise and fall on a single tone is breathtaking, and he rarely fails to accommodate or match his partner at the keyboard, Pei-Shan Lee. His expressivity is singular in slow movements, especially this one.
My delight was his portrayal of the first movement of George Enescu's Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 3 in A minor (Op. 25). It is marked "Moderato malinconico." Black sounds in search of duende. It could be a poem by Lorca. The duo played it perfectly, constructing a world. Taps from the piano, bitter harmonics on the fiddle, slides and thrusts and wails. The remaining movements were wonderful but not as cohesive. The finale - huge, ferocious, percussive - has many layers to build up before and until the frenzy snaps.
I cared least for the Mozart Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 3 in A major (K. 526), which the audience cheered. Altenberger's phrasings were fluent and Pei-Shan's contributions expert, but an image came of rolling over marbles. Prokofiev's dark beauty and Enescu's wildness were at an exalted level.