Angela Lee and Lydia Artymiw Playing Chopin's Cello Sonata

CELLO PIANO DUO HIGHLIGHT OAKMONT'S 20 YEARS

Celebrating a distinguished history in a 20th anniversary recital, the Oakmont Concert Series March 11 featured an intriguing and largely successful recital by cellist Angela Lee and pianist Lydia Artymiw.

The afternoon’s first composition was Prokofiev’s Cello Sonata, Op. 119. This is a grand work, full of exaggerated gestures and ironic juxtapositions. To be effective, the contrasts between the lush, romantic writing and circus-like ironic pantomime must be stark and surprising. Ms. Lee was unfortunately overpowered by both the piano and the hall, Berger Auditorium, which is not ideal for string instruments and has little reverberation. Ms Artymiw’s playing was precise and energetic, but often tended to dominate when it should have been more of collaboration with the cello. Given the acoustic problems with the venue, Ms. Lee could have afforded to be much more energetic and exaggerated in her musical gestures. This left the overall impression of the piece as somewhat polite rather than dynamic, which the Sonata (and Prokofiev in general) demands. But there was lyricism juxtaposed with a gently humorous setting, the narrative frequently witty. Acoustics aside, the performance would have been helped by greater instrumental range, both tonal and emotional.

The Prokofiev was followed by Ms Artymiw performing four pieces for solo piano by Ukrainian composers Mykola Kolessa, Vasyl Barvinsky and Mykola Lysenko. She showed a strong affinity for these, both in her verbal introductions and in her playing. Each was quite short, piquant harmonically and demonstrating command of rhythmic variation.

The performers ended the first half with a set of four short pieces by Sibelius, Op. 78, originally written for violin and piano. Ms Lee seemed to be more in her element here, without the demanding character acting which is necessary to play the Prokofiev successfully. They were lovely little vignettes, meandering to no place in particular. The third one, Religioso, written for Sibelius’ ailing brother, seemed the most emotional and directed of the set, both in composition and performance. But it is risky for a cellist to play pieces that begin piano, in an undertone. Given the sonic difficulties with the hall, it would help Ms. Lee to develop the cellist equivalent of a stage whisper, where the character would remain piano but the volume would increase several notches. As it was, it seemed lovely in the distance, but barely audible.

After intermission the duo performed the big Grieg A Minor Cello Sonata, Op. 36. This is an odd work, often mimicking his highly successful piano concerto written 15 years earlier. There are many lovely sections but the work seems scattered and diffuse, as if the composer had many good ideas for a cello sonata, but then just used them all one after another. The performers enjoyed the 27-minute romantic work, taking turns playing the legato lines and Norwegian folk material with rich colors. The piano again is prominent but Ms. Lee’s cello was rhythmically incisive.

There was no encore for the audience of 220, but there was an additional performance. Since it was a celebratory day, the Oakmont Concert Series impresario Robert Hayden received plaudits from many area residents, and then hosted a sumptuous reception with his author wife Alla Crone in their hillside home. Here the day's two musicians returned to their instruments, Ms. Artymiw playing Mr. Hayden’s new Brodmann piano, and offered the assemblage a memorable Largo from Chopin’s Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 65. It was sonorously spiritual reading, Ms. Lee's playing radiant, and a fitting gift for Mr. Hayden (and his artistic associate Rosemary Waller) for producing two decades of classical music concerts.