Got a Little Back Blogged

This entry is from a concert on Nov. 2, 2011—violinist Daniel Auner with pianist Robin Green, at the Austrian Cultural Forum. The program:

Fritz Kreisler: Präludium and Allegro (1910)
Katharina Schenk: Transformation (2010, US Premiere)
Richard Strauss: Violin Sonata in E Flat Major, Op. 18 (1888)
Eugène Ysaÿe: Rêve d'enfant Op. 14 (1913)
Alan Ridout: Ferdinand the Bull (1935)

The Kreisler was a good opener—(violin/piano) bright and engaging, though not full-out Kreisler pyrotechnics. Very good playing from both musicians throughout the evening. The Schenk (solo violin) was, once again, the type of "new" composition that seemed more geared toward technique/presentation than musical ideas presented clearly (this is just my take—your mileage may vary).

The centerpiece of the concert was the Strauss, which I enjoyed, though with a few caveats. I found some of the pianissimo violin playing a little on the dry-to-parched end of the listening spectrum; slight intonation bobbles; and the noise from Mr. Green turning his own pages was a bit distracting.

The Ysaÿe was a lovely violin/piano composition and a nice contrast to the Strauss. Which brings us to Ferdinand.

Solo violin with narrator (both, in this case, Mr. Auner). This is a very charming piece relating the story of Ferdinand the Bull who would prefer to sit and smell the flowers rather than fight in the bullring. Of course, on the day the men came to choose the bulls for the ring, Ferdinand (also charming in Mr. Auner's Austrian-accented English—"Fair-deen-and") had managed to sit on (foreshadowed in the violin—bzz! bzzz! bzzz!) a bumblebee. He jumped. He ran. He snorted ferociously.

Well, he was chosen for the ring, but when he got there, he just sat—because the señoritas were all wearing flowers behind their ears!

A very enjoyable concert at a great venue.

ConcertMeister