Concert Review : Talented Violin and Piano duo at Van Art Gallery

A few weekends ago, I had the privilege of attending a recital at the Vancouver Art Gallery.  The recital was given by the talented young chamber duo of Emily Westell on violin and Alexander Karpeyev on piano.  It was a bright sunny day in Vancouver - which in itself is a rarity.  What a refreshing change from the constant dull of grey.

The music that the artists performed was also a refreshing change from the pieces one can normally hear at a violin and piano chamber recital.  Starting with the lovely Handel Sonata for violin and continuo in D Major, HWV 371, op.1, no. 13, the musicians performed with vitality, freshness, precision, and elegance.  There was a lovely delicacy to the balance that they achieved between the piano and violin.  The performers were always attentive to the melodic line and the ornamentation was well-planned and executed.  Choosing the Handel showed their desire to present original choices to their audience.  How wonderful to hear a selection from the Baroque era that is not often programmed!

Following the Handel piece, the duo performed another rarely programmed work: the Sonata for violin and piano in b minor, opus 21 by Nikolai Medtner.  This piece was written between 1909 and 1910 and dedicated to the composer's wife, Anna.  Full of grand, sweeping gestures this piece was a delight to hear.  The performers' interpretation was luscious and the audience was grateful to be exposed to this work. A particularly beautiful moment was captured when the sound of Russian Orthodox church bells is evoked in the opening of the third movement.

Medtner is a of particular interest to pianist Alex Karpeyev as he is currently writing his doctoral thesis on the subject through City University in London.  Ten years ago, Medtner struck Mr. Karpeyev as "unusual and interesting."  Through his work and performance Medtner's compositions, Mr. Karpeyev hopes to bring attention to a composer who is neglected but still has something to say.  In particular, Mr. Karpeyev argues that Medtner should be programmed more frequently because the composer "glorifies the beauty of hte world in his own language."

Finally, the duo performed Sergei Prokofiev's Sonata for Violin and Piano no. 2 in D Major, opus 94bis.  Originally written for flute and piano, Prokofiev transformed the work into a violin sonata at the prompting of his close friend violinist David Oistrakh.  It premiered on 17 June 1944.  The performers responded with great skill to the virtuosic demands that this piece places on both pianist and violinist.  Both violinist and pianist played with lyricism and elegance that suits the essentially classical nature of this sonata.

It was a special treat to hear the duo perform considering that Emily Westell is performing on 1717 Windsor-Weinstein Stradivari violin, on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts.  She said that this precious instrument has given her a chance to explore the different colours of sound that are available to her.  The power of the instrument has also been a discovery that Ms. Westell has enjoyed making.  Having the use of this violin has also changed how Ms. Westell thinks about sound.  

The recital was a fresh and enjoyable display of youthful energy and wonderfully innovative programming of repertoire.  We, at An Die Musik, look forward to seeing what the future has in store for both Mr. Karpeyev and Ms. Westell.

Please visit their respective sites for more information on these wonderful artists!

Alexander Karpeyev: http://www.akarpeyev.com/

Emily Westell: http://emilywestell.wix.com/violinist#!

Their duo also has a page you can visit: http://www.myspace.com/westell-karpeyev-duo