(L-R) Che-Yen Chen and-Gilles Vonstattel (Camerata Pacifica)
I must confess that I was not initially overly enthused to attend Camerata Pacifica’s January 13 concert at The Huntington. The program featured two Beethoven piano sonatas and two duets for piano and viola, one by Franz Schubert and one by Robert Schumann. I anticipated a quiet, introspective evening, perhaps heavy on intricate piano passages and the viola’s darker, brooding voice.
By Paolo Calchi Novati
What I experienced inside The Huntington’s Rothenberg Hall that night could not have been more different. Pianist Gilles Vonsattel graced the keys of his Steinway and Sons piano with infinite care and finesse straight from his first notes, which were part of a surprise performance of Beethoven’s “Fur Elise”. His delicate, personal execution of the piece softly introduced an evening of pleasant music perfectly suited to the peaceful beauty of the Huntington Garden at night.
Violist Che-Yen Chen, a professor at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, made a dramatic entrance in Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata in A minor, D. 821. His warm, rich tone immediately commanded the audience’s attention and quite honestly startled me; as a violinist myself, I must admit that he made his viola sound almost as compelling as a violin!
Chen and Vonsattel combined very well on the Schubert, demonstrating impressive synchronization. Chen’s occasional, well-placed glissando added vitality to the piece’s sweetness and lyricism.
Following Beethoven’s light and playful Piano Sonata No. 19, the concert concluded with Schumann’s Märchenbilder, Op. 113. This final work served as the evening’s culmination, revealing a subtle crescendo that had been building throughout the program. The evening’s pieces were very serene and gentle, but they gradually built up in speed and intensity until Chen and Vonsattel were finally able to let out their full musical fervor in the furious second and third movements of the Schumann.
Beyond the heartfelt collection of pieces that Camerata Pacifica presented, the audience was even more dazzled by the welcome given by the group’s artistic director, Adrian Spence.
He walked onto the stage smiling, wished the audience a happy new year, and warmly welcomed newcomers such as myself. It was a warm welcome to an exquisite concert.
Leave a Reply