Festival Music
Sol Gabetta, Bertrand Chamayou
Queen’s Hall
Miranda Heggie
Five Stars
With flawless playing from both musicians, cellist Sol Gabetta with pianist Bertrand Chamayou gave a sensational recital at the Queen’s Hall yesterday morning. Beethoven’s variations on Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen saw Gabeta play with a rich, luscious tone, especially in the lower register, while Chamayou took a position of equal prominence with rich and fiery piano playing. The balance was maybe a little too weighted towards piano though in Mendelssohn’s 2nd Cello Sonata, with Gabetta at times being slightly overshadowed.
Moving on to the second half, the level of artistry displayed in Chopin’s Cello Sonata in G minor was simply exquisite, with Gabetta and Chamayou working wonderfully in tandem to produce softly shimmering sounds. Chamayou’s piano playing was vivid and passionate as he indulged in Chopin’s sumptuous harmonies, while Gabetta’s mature, resplendent tone was a joy to listen to.
Saving the best for last, Chopin’s Grand duo concertant on themes from Meyerbeer’s opera Robert le diable was given a dramatic interpretation as both musicians brought to life the central character’s struggle with choosing between the righteous path and the road to hell. Chamayou played the elaborate extended introduction with an extravagant flair, and beautifully brought out the different voices in the music, while his cascade of chromaticism heard towards the end of the piece was dazzling. Echoing the part of a singer, it was in this piece that Gabetta’s cello playing was at its most powerful as she conveyed the emotions of the piece with conviction and integrity, in what was a truly outstanding performance.
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