Word: pressler
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Last Wednesday night, the first performance in a series of three fall concerts, upheld that tradition. This performance featured a trio of accomplished musicians who provided the audience with a rare mix of engaging music and honest poise. Menahem Pressler performed on piano, Isidore Cohen on violin, and Peter Wiley on cello. While all three are of excellent caliber, Pressler led the others with his precise and intensely expressive gestures. He was the artistic engine which drove them to create such effective music...
...Haydn was the weakest piece on the program. While it began animatedly, the music itself did not follow through. The main problem was one of balance; Pressler's large Steinway grand piano simply took undue precedence over the other instruments. The secondary problem was one of tempo; the pace of the first movement (the development in particular) was a bit slow and pedantic. This was inappropriate for the inherent liveliness and humor of Haydn. As a result, the cadential chords sounded forced and brash...
...second and third movements were more in keeping with the overall mood of the composition. The musicians began to adapt to the balance problem, and their tempos became more appropriate. At one point during the second movement, Pressler created an exquisite moment by varying the timbre of a repeated high note. The last movement was playful and fun, featuring a great swath of a chord at the main cadence of the exposition. It ended with a delightfully ironic twist...
...thickness of the Brahms betrayed another flaw, however: the string players did not have the depth of sound which Pressler easily commanded. While they blended extremely well with each other, they sounded scratchy when playing with the piano. The violin seemed thin and whiny in the high register and could have benefitted from a looser vibrato. The final cadence of the first movement was uneven but effective...
...third movement began with a well-crafted call-and-response between the strings and the piano. Cohen and Wiley did well to keep the gestures simple; their two-part counterpoint maintained greatness through its simplicity. Pressler's response was more richly done but still appropriate, and Cohen's relaxation during this movement significantly improved his tone and clarity. The final chord floated away beautifully...