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February 20, 2010
A Musical Struggle
Last night’s concert featured something different. Something I had never seen or heard before. The second number was a piano duo with Ming Ysu at the piano and Lorenz Gamma on the violin. The piece was Alfred Schnittke’s Sonata No. 2 “Quasi una sonata.” This rather complex number involves a struggle between structure and “unstructure,” some might say between “order and chaos.” It also involves several cheap tricks built into its complexity. But neither the cheap tricks nor the complexity involves the cello. But sure enough, there were times when we could hear a cello in the background. Since we could hear it, so could Gamma and Ysu. During a rather lengthy piano interlude, Gamma hurriedly walked off stage and after his return, we heard no more of the cello.
At least, we didn’t hear it until the last number, Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67, by Dimitri Shostakovich which actually calls for a cello. Cellist Joon-Song Jun joined Ysu and Gamma for what Shirley and I thought was the highlight of the evening.
The first number, Arvo Pärt’s Mozart-Adagio for violin, cello and piano, is memorable mostly because I can’t remember much about it.
Posted by Duane Smith at February 20, 2010 2:44 PM | Read more on Odds and Ends |
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Comments
It is just a small thing, really, but it's spelled "Schnittke", with an "n". I thought, I'd better let you know. The way you have it, if you read it out loud, it sounds quite peculiar. I like your blog and the name of it. Alle the best - C.P.
Posted by: Christoph Pichler at February 22, 2010 4:16 AM
Christoph,
Thanks for the comment. Yes, you are correct on both points about “Schnittke.” I fixed it. And thanks for visiting. Come again.
Posted by: Duane at February 22, 2010 7:06 AM
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