Oberon's Glade

Tag: Yura Lee

  • CMS ~ Music From Four Countries

    Nick yura

    Above: cellist Nicholas Canellakis and violist Yura Lee

    Sunday November 21st, 2021 – This evening at Alice Tully Hall, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center gave us a wonderfully satisfying program of music by composers from Russia, Germany, Hungary, and France. The works were all composed between 1849 and 1890.

    A very high level of playing is maintained by the Society, making it almost impossible to single out certain concerts as being of particular merit; but tonight was surely one of the most impressive and enjoyable programs have experienced since I started going to CMS concerts regularly a few seasons back.

    The program opened with the Andante Cantabile from Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1, performed in a 1888 arrangement for solo cello and strings. “Cantabile” is an Italian word meaning “singable” or “song-like”, and that’s exactly how cellist Nick Canellakis performed it: as if singing an operatic cavatina.

    From the work’s tranquil start, Nick gave us impeccable playing: warm of tone and alive with dynamic subtlety. Seated next to him, the Society’s co-Artistic Director David Finckel threaded a lovely line to compliment his cellist-colleague. Mr. Finckel and violist Misha Amory offered a gentle plucking accompaniment as Nick’s cello continued to sing a melody with a vaguely Asian feeling. Violinists Cho-liang Lin and Alexi Kenney gave silken textures to the music. The work ends on a sweetly blended pianissimo.  Mr. Finckel urged Nick Canellakis to stand first; then the other players refused to rise, leaving Nick with a solo bow, much to the delight of the crowd.

    Lin

    Above: Cho-liang Lin

    Johannes Brahms’ Quintet in G-major for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, Op. 111, was written in 1890, at the start of the last decade of the composer’s life. It provides a veritable feast for the ear to listeners who – like me – love the sound of stringed instruments. Mssrs. Lin, Kenney, Amory, and Canellakis were joined by that delectable violist, Yura Lee.  Ms. Lee, who always delights with her choice of footwear, tonight wore white pumps; her one-shoulder black frock showed off some beautiful tattoos.

    The opening movement, marked Allegro non troppo, ma con brio (“…fast, but not too fast, but with a lively feeling…”) gets off to a joyous start, the violas begin duetting in a passage taken up by the violins. The music is so melodious and congenial, with Cho-liang Lin’s poignant violin theme standing out. The music turns mysterious; then Yura Lee’s passionate playing leads back to a reprise of the earlier pairings of violins and violas. Meanwhile, Mr. Canellakis’s cello is giving everything a velvety cushion. The entire movement kept me entranced: simply fantastic playing from everyone. 

    The ensuing Adagio, in D-minor, has a feeling of melancholy as Yura Lee leads off with a familiar melody. Soon the music had me so engrossed that the rest of the world seemed to vanish: they were playing this music sublimely, and playing it just for me. Yura’s ‘cadenza’ near the end was hypnotically beautiful. 

    Mr. Lin’s violin sets the third movement, Allegretto, in motion. This is essentially a scherzo, and the melodies flow merrily on. Inspired by Hungarian folk dances, the quintet’s finale is marked  Vivace ma non troppo presto (“…lively, but not too fast…”). Yura Lee’s viola is aglow, and Mr. Lin relishes his opportunities to spin more silk with his subtle playing. Suddenly the pace doubles, and the players break into an exultant dance. The crowd went wild: the only possible reaction to this kind of playing.     

    Inon

    Pianist Inon Barnatan (above) kept the audience under a spell with his magical playing of Franz Liszt’s “Funérailles” from the Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, written in 1849. The pianist, who in 2016 gave us a mesmerizing performance of Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit in this very hall, was spell-binding again this evening.

    This piece, which my companion Monica Wellington soon recognized as the music to which the late Liam Scarlett’s 2014 ballet for New York City Ballet, Funérailles, is set. I did not see that pas de deux, costumed by Alexander McQueen, but hearing the music tonight, it’s hard to image a dancework set to it: the music seems to wander thru many mood swings, but Mr. Barnatan’s playing made it cohesive.

    The piece opens with gloomy funeral chimes in the slow register. A plodding rhythm reminds us of mourners in a cortège; this stops, and a somber fanfare-like passage is heard. The sense of doom lessens, and then a nostalgic melody is heard, which gets rhapsodic. Animated figurations for the left hand give rise to militaristic passages, followed by a great rise in passion, Full stop. A soft, sad tune is played, whilst low-register rumblings are heard. The music ends suddenly. All this was splendidly played by Mr. Barnatan.

    Alexi-Kenney

    Above: Alexi Kenney

    The concert concluded with Gabriel Fauré’s Quartet No. 2 in G-minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 45. The piece premiered on January 22nd, 1887, at the Société Nationale de Musique; it is dedicated to Hans von Bülow, the pianist and conductor who was the first husband of Cosima Liszt who later married Richard Wagner.

    Amory

    Above: Misha Amory

    Inon Barnatan returned to the Steinway for this evening’s de luxe rendering of the Fauré; he was joined by violinist Alexi Kenney and violist Misha Amory, both displaying exceptional beauty of tone, whilst Nick Canellakis rounded off his stellar evening with still more phenomenal playing.

    The opening Allegro molto moderato commences dramatically, and with passion. The restless piano supports unison strings; the violin, and then the viola, have solo melodies, exquisitely played. Mr. Barnatan continues to work his magic with the music, whilst the strings bring us gorgeous blends, with Mr. Kenney’s upper register truly affecting. Nick Canellakis keeps the cello line prominent without being over-bearing.   The opening restive piano and unison strings return, moving to a sublime finish.

    The Scherzo: Allegro molto contains lively string pizzicati heard over the piano’s dazzling agitato; though the music is tinged with a strange sense of worry, there is a forward impetus. Marvelous flourishes from the keyboard lead to a sudden stop.

    In the Adagio non troppo, in which the composer drew on childhood memories of the sound of church bells, provides lyrical passages for each instrument. There is much subtlety and also much passion in their playing. A curious little interlude develops into a feeling of yearning. This quietens, as piano and viola converse; then the violin takes over. Cello and piano, soon joined by the higher strings, bring us a dreamy ending.

    The Finale : Allegro molto has a vibrant start; again Mr. Kenney’s heavenly high-range lures the ear. The music gets bouncy, and then quite grand, as the quartet sails on thru shifting moods. The audience expressed their delight in the music – and with the the playing of it – with a joyous ovation, calling the artists back for a second bow. I felt elated as I headed out into the chilly evening air. 

    ~ Oberon

  • Sumptuous Strings @ Chamber Music Society

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    Above: violist Yura Lee

    Sunday May 22nd, 2016 – Bringing together a sextet of first-class string players, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center presented the final program of their Alice Tully Hall season (a program which will be repeated on Tuesday, May 24th); music by Richard Strauss, Brahms, and Dvořák was on offer.

    In Richard Strauss’s intimate opera CAPRICCIO, a rehearsal of Flamand’s newly-composed string sextet is in progress as the curtain rises on the salon of the Countess Madeleine’s château. As the opera evolves, the Countess will be called upon by her rival suitors – the composer Flamand and the poet Olivier – to answer the eternal question, “Which is the greater art, poetry or music?”, and thus to determine which of the two gentleman she favors. The opera, which includes the beloved Moonlight Music and ends with the Countess’s ravishing final aria, has been a vehicle for such beloved sopranos as Lisa Della Casa, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, and Renee Fleming.

    It was a real treat to hear the string sextet this evening in a concert setting, and especially as it was given such a radiant performance by today’s ensemble…an ensemble of stars. Erin Keefe, wearing a striking pleated gown of gunmetal grey which set off her auburn hair, displayed (all evening, really) her ability to spin out magical phrases over a vast dynamic spectrum: she can taper her tone down to a shimmering piano/pianissimo only to soar in full-bodied melody moments later. Across from Ms. Keefe, Yura Lee, in a deep persimmon shawl and be-jeweled stilettos, summoned heartfelt sounds from her viola. A delicious “trembling” motif heralded Nicholas Canellakis’ solo, with his lustrous depth of tone.

    As Wu Han remarked in a program note, one of the things players love most about performing string sextets is: you have a mate playing the same instrument sitting next to you. And when – as in today’s Strauss – these are musicians of the calibre of Ani Kavafian (violin), Matthew Lipman (viola), and David Finckel (cello), the level of music-making is off the charts. Such gorgeous and immaculate blendings of sound, and such congenial lyricism.

    From the Strauss, so deeply engaging both musically and emotionally, the players turned to Johannes Brahms’ String Quintet No. 1. This piece was a particular favorite of the composer himself, or at least that is the impression he gave in writing this to his publisher: “You have never before had such a beautiful work from me.”

    Ms. Kavafian took the lead here, playing with her signature grace and expressiveness; she and Ms. Keefe formed a de luxe violin duo, their voices mingling with engaging clarity and savoring their many pinpoint dynamic nuances. In the melodically abounding first movement of this work, Yura Lee’s viola sings – three times – a melody that brings to mind some of the composer’s most beloved lieder. At one point, Yura and Ani ‘converse’ with one another. Nick Canellakis’s cello gives the music its resonant grounding, whilst Mr. Lipman’s evident enjoyment of the music he is playing makes him a musician as pleasing to watch as to hear. 

    In the quintet’s second movement, the instrumental voices created a lovely chorale-like atmosphere; a more animated interlude soon gives way to a return to wistfulness, and then fades mysteriously away. For the concluding Allegro energico, the five players could cavort amiably thru the rhythmic shifts with zestful playing and much mutual eye-contact as the piece sailed on to its merry conclusion.

    Following the interval, Antonin  Dvořák’s Sextet in A-major, with its goodly portion of folkish elements, found all six players on optimum form. Right from the start, with Erin Keefe’s shining tone in the opening theme, one could sense we were in for a special treat. Nick Canellakis took up the melodic thread as the Allegro moderato proceeded thru some very imaginative harmonies.

    [A cellphone went off, but at least it was between movements…and it was a ‘classical-music’ ringtone.]

    In the second movement, Dumka: Elegie; Poco allegretto, a dance which is at once both droll and dolorous is heard. The music has a sad gypsy lilt. David Finckel’s cello sets up a treading motif, over which a lament from his fellow players suggests a walk to the graveyard. In a swift change of mood, the Furiant: Presto is lively as fleeting snatches of melody pass from voice to voice. A swaying feeling pervades the music.

    The resonantly poetic sound of Matthew Lipman’s viola sets forth the theme of the final movement; variations follow where we could again savour the silver-lit sheen of Ms. Keefe’s playing and delight once more in her ability to colour phrases with her dynamic gradations.

    A sprightly dance gives way to a thoughtful cello theme from Mr. Canellakis; things intensify before subtle turns of phrase draw us to a lingering fade-out. Ms. Keefe weaves a new variation on the melody as Mr. Finckel and the violas offer plucking support. And then a high-energy dance bursts forth, only to accelerate to double-time before an urgent rising motif sends us on to a grand finish.

    The players were called out twice by the delighted audience; both the players and their admirers seemed reluctant for the concert – and the season – to end.

    Now we will have a hiatus from CMS concerts, though the musicians we’ve come to love will stay busy playing here, there, and everywhere worldwide. For the second year, the Society will offer a Summer festival at Alice Tully Hall – details here – which will help to sustain us til the Autumn.

    The Repertory:

    The Participating Artists: