Spring Break
McDuffie Headlines Jorgensen
John Bailey
Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: Focus
|
The pair opened the night in the Romantic vein with Beethoven's "Sonata No. 4" in A minor and "Sonata No. 7" in C minor, followed by a shift to 20th-century music with Arvo Pärt's "Spiegel im Spiegel" and Stravinsky's "Suite Italienne." This was the Jorgensen's first performance with their new chamber stage, installed earlier this year.
McDuffie wasted no time, getting promptly to an impressive performance of the "Sonata No. 4." The initial energy of the "Presto" led into the deceptively playful "Andante Scherzoso," before pulling around and re-asserting itself in the tumultuous "Allegro Molto." The tone of the night was set after a scant few bars - powerful and kinetic motion, but harnessed firmly by the performers. The pair navigated Beethoven's sharp dynamic and conceptual changes easily, driving tense rhythms into graceful resolution. Taylor performed notably well in the "Allegro," allowing high notes to sing out over McDuffie's brooding violin without blaring.
The "Sonata No. 7" carried equally dramatic gravitas and was performed with equal finesse, though its fiery climax was even more striking than the previous piece. Neither performer seemed to take the lead in either of the sonatas, both carrying the motion of the piece as leading lines traded off. The energy of the seemed to snap from the piano to the violin as the performers made eye contact, then hurriedly returned to their music without missing a quarter-beat.
McDuffie wove through the pieces like a boxer, stepping carefully sideways then drawing himself upward in a rush. His face shifted from static concentration to chained fury as he played, while Taylor leaned inward, bobbing with the rhythms as his hands darted across the piano keys.
The highlight of the night came after the intermission, in the form of Pärt's reflective "Spiegel im Spiegel." This piece evokes "bells' complex but rich sonorous mass of overtones," according to the program and bells indeed seemed to fill the room. As opposed to the Beethoven pieces, where the performers onstage were the central presence, the tones in "Spiegel im Spiegel" extended out into the audience, allowing the music to, in some way, detach itself from the performers. McDuffie's frenzied emotes became restrained as the repeated, broken chords moved from reflective to mesmeric. Outlying melodies, sustained by Taylor's deft phrasing, added color to the piece while never drifting too far from the tonal center.
The final work, the "Suite Italienne," was a fitting one to close out the night. While McDuffie and Taylor had complemented each other evenly on the previous pieces, Stravinsky's "Suite" allowed McDuffie to firmly take the spotlight. Prominent melodic lines in the violin ranged from sweeping laments in the "Serenata" to the stately dance of the "Gavotte." The "Minuetto" featured prominent elements of 20th-century composition, with atonal chords and complex harmonies.
McDuffie, who "has appeared as a soloist with many of the major orchestras of the world," according to his biography, plans a tour of 26 U.S. cities this year, along with performances in Germany. Taylor, who is described by The Washington Post as "one of the most impressive young pianists on the horizon," is the associate professor of piano at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Contact John Bailey at John.C.Bailey@UConn.edu
Be the first to comment on this story