Shariq’s Département

The Chamber Music Society’s tribute to the music of Joan Tower last night was book-ended by short pieces composed by Beethoven, Haydn and Antonin Dvorak.

Although the NY Times found the starting Beethoven piece simple and not representative of his magnificent output, for me this simple piece was the standout of the evening.

Beethoven’s Opus 44, Variations in E-flat major for Piano, Violin and Cello depends on the intimate interplay between the 3 instruments as they cue off each other.  The plaintive violins sears one’s heart, the piano pacifies it and the cello finds the middle-ground vibration.  The venue, at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, was small, perfect for a plain, yet melodious piece that actually soars with intense emotion.  The violinist, Cho-Liang Lin was amazing, his facial expressions rendering the emotions we all were feeling as he made his violin express true, deep feelings that reverberate deep inside.  The cellist, Gary Hoffman and pianist, Andre-Michel Schub were also excellent.

I am going to try and find this piece on DVD - it really moved me.