Cellist Sebastian Bäverstam

SARDONIC AND LUSH RUSSIAN CELLO MUSIC IN BAVERSTAM'S UKIAH RECITAL

Cellist Sebastian Bäverstam and pianist Pei-Shan Lee enthralled their Ukiah audience Feb. 7 with an all Russian program, presented as the third concert of the Ukiah Community Concerts Association's 2012-13 season.

The recital began with Prokofiev's C Minor Sonata, Op. 119, a tour de force for both instruments. The opening, with the cello starting alone in the low register of the instrument, gave Mr. Bäverstam a chance to display his full tone and command of the instrument. There were some intonation problems in the first few minutes, but they disappeared as he warmed up to the piece and the audience. Prokofiev’s score is full of character and sudden changes of mood which need to be exaggerated, but Mr. Bäverstam, with his formidable technique, did his best to burnish these sudden transitions, making the piece somewhat smoother and more traditional than the music seemed to need. Nonetheless, it was an excellent performance from both artists, and the audience in Ukiah's New Life Community Church clearly enjoyed it.

Shostakovich’s Op. 40 Sonata, written in 1934, just before his powerful Fifth Symphony and at a time he was reining in his more modernistic writing to appease the Soviet authorities. This makes the sonata very accessible to the listener, while still keeping Shostakovich’s distinctive style and sound. The first movement was performed in a lyrical and flowing manner, the interplay between cello and piano smooth. The muted adagio at the end of the movement was effective with Mr. Bäverstam showing an extraordinary pianissimo that could be heard at the back of the hall. The Allegro second movement was written after Shostakovich had toured a new factory with much banging machinery, and is very rhythmic with sparkling runs of harmonics in the cello and trading back and forth arpeggios with the piano.

The third movement is gorgeous and quiet, full of inner thoughts about where Shostakovich’s heart and mind were in the difficult times in which he wrote this work.

It is followed by a sardonic finale, demonstrating that he could function in the real world, never showing his true thoughts and feelings, when the occasion demanded. This is a wonderful work for cello and piano, and Mr. Bäverstam and Ms. Lee played it confidently and sensitively. For me it was the best performance of the evening.

After the intermission we were treated to an estimable performance of the Rachmaninoff G Minor Sonata, Op. 19. It is a full-blooded Russian romantic work, without the caricature and sardonic elements of the composers of the first half. Again, as with the Prokofiev, I had the feeling that Mr. Bäverstam was smoothing out the dramatic lines, rather than getting engrossed in them and making them more intense. There were also more instrumental balance problems in this performance, probably more because of Rachmaninoff's dense writing then for the player’s lack of sensitivity to the important lines. But there were more than a few times I wished I could hear better what the cello was playing.

The ensemble work of the Bäverstam Lee duo was excellent. It must also be added that Ms. Lee is a formidable pianist who understands well when she must accompany and when she must lead. It was a pleasure hearing them in concert.