Ukrainian Institute of America
The Horszowski Trio – Jesse Mills (violin); Ole Akahoshi (cello); Rieko Aizawa
(piano);
Solomiya Ivakhiv (violin); Emi Ohi Resnik (viola)
Ukrainian Rhapsody for Violin and Piano No. 1 – I. Duma; II.
A Song; III. Dances – Roman Prydatkevych (1895–1980)
Piano Trio in F sharp minor – I. Largo, Allegro Espressivo; II. Andante; III.
Allegro Vivace – Arno Babadjanian (1921–1983)
Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major, Op. 81 – I. Allegro ma non tanto; II. Dumka:
Andante con moto; III. Scherzo: Molto vivace; IV. Finale: Allegro – Antonin
Dvorak (1841–1904)
The first work, played by Ms. Ivakhiv and Ms. Aizawa, opened
with a piano flourish followed by the violin with somewhat haunting tunes, seeming
like folk tunes but with a modern bent. It was interesting but not compelling.
The second movement was slower and also had haunting melodies—pretty phrases
that were not quite connected to each other. The final movement was quicker and
brighter, with some fingering fireworks (both piano and violin) that I wanted
to like better than I did. Enjoyable (and new to me), though I’m not sure I’d
seek it out again.
The second work, written in 1952, had a warm, rich opening—hints
of dark drama—some of the writing had a lush quality as well as dramatic
qualities. Just when it seemed to be bordering on lengthy, the movement came to an abrupt
end. A slow piano/violin duet opened the second movement, then the cello joined
in for a lovely trio, gentle and enjoyable. After a touch of darkness and
sadness in the middle, that was also pretty, there was a quiet solo piano
ending. The final movement was lively from the get go, with touches of drama
followed by a calmer section that was not exactly gentle either. Next we had a
lively, dramatic, almost frantic section, a brief calm interlude, and a feisty
ending.
The Dvorak opened with piano and cello, followed by the
entire quintet with lively, pretty melodies. With nice contrasts of tempos and
dynamics, it was a lengthy and substantial opening movement. After a brief solo
piano opening, the second movement incorporated a featured viola theme with the
other strings and piano backing it up. It was very tuneful all the way through
(hello! Dvorak) with a lot of musical ideas, though there was also a sense of
being slightly scattered yet still holding together. Once again, a substantial
movement, even with its quiet ending. The third movement was quick and lively,
with tunes bouncing around from instrument to instrument. A calmer section
followed, but then right back to the brisk mix. The fourth movement had a cute
opening that moved right into a very brisk section. Once more, there was a mix
of musical ideas that still seemed a bit segmented. Then they magically tied
together for a solid finish.
ConcertMeister
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