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Phillip T Young Recital Hall
January 29, 2011
When it comes to solo recitals, the Viola is the poor cousin of the violin family -- if we want big and splashy we go to the violin, and if it's dramatic it's the 'cello. But in a town with more than one good violist, it's nice to see them step out from their vital but under-appreciated supporting role and into the spotlight. The Faculty Recital by Joanna Hood was one such opportunity. Ms. Hood is best known as the violist in the Lafayette String Quartet, and a member of the Galiano Ensemble.
The first half of the concert was devoted to the three Bach sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord (BWV 1027-1029). The sonatas have been the province of 'cellists, as the viola da gamba fell out of favour in the late 18th century. But violists have performed these sonatas as well, and the three varied pieces make an essential part of the viola recitalist's literature.
The performance got off to what was, to my ears, a somewhat tentative start. The concert began with the D major sonata (BWV 1028), which opens with an Adagio movement, and perhaps caution was getting the better of Hood and Csaba (who was seated at the harpsichord for the Bach). The second movement was marred by a missed repeat, but this minor faux pas seemed to invigorate the players, who promptly picked up where they went wrong with an added ounce of verve.
The quality of the performance that followed made the tentative start very much out of character. By the time of the third sonata on the programme, the G minor, Hood and Csaba were in high gear, and the concerto-like form of the sonata provided Hood the opportunity to shine in what are essentially solo parts. This was a delightful performance.
I am not sure what to make of the two episodes of "remix" that fell between the sonatas. These short and very quiet interludes might be characterized as "ambient". Some seemed to be unaltered fragments from what went before and others were heavily processed. It would have been nice to have program notes or a brief explanation from the performers about the intent of this, and a glimpse at the magic behind the curtain.
The second half of the concert was a different affair altogether. With Csaba seated at the piano, the centrepiece was a performance of Shostakovich's viola sonata Op. 147, his final composition.
Much of Shostakovich's music, particularly his late chamber music, is filled with a sense of resignation in the face of death (the final string quartet is a notable example), and Hood and Csaba captured that mood exceptionally well. The first movement was performed with high drama, full of contrast. The second has a scherzo-like character, with hints of klezmer melodies and rhythms, and the musicians captured that verve. The final movement is where the sense of loss and melancholy is the deepest, and the final phrases of the sonata left a hush in the hall, with a tangible delay before the applause began to recognize a remarkable performance.
The Shostakovich sonata was bookended by two shorter works by Elliot Carter. These remarkable pieces were new to my ears, but ones I decidedly want to hear again. Elegy, a sombre and gentle piece, with little hint of dissonance, opened the second half of the concert. Pastoral (dating from 1940) was something of a pastiche of styles, with sections containing bright crashing chords juxtaposed with periods of Copland-esque melody, and jazz-influenced syncopations abound. Pastoral was performed brilliantly, and in many ways was the highlight of the concert. Hood in particular seemed to relish the variety inherent in the work - it gave her the opportunity to show what a viola can do, in the right hands. It was a delightful way to end a rewarding concert, and received a well-deserved extended round of applause.
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