Reviews

Maurice Ravel: The Captivated Mind
Spence Academy for Strings
Chandler Hall, January 10, 2020
Review by John Campbell

The opening was Tzigane - Rhapsodie de Concert for violin and piano reduction (1924). As Johnathan Spence played the first eight minute violin solo with its Gypsy energy, he made his instrument cry, then sob, then mellow out. The aggressive playing had him totally focused, producing quick notes, runs, sharp high notes and then back to passionate cries. As the piano sneaks in quietly it gives him time to wipe sweat from his face and instrument. Stephen Coxe played the color-filled piano, often accompanied by plucked strings. The duet that followed was played attacca with braying strings and barn-dance fiddling. The obstreperous piano offers a palette of amazing and very fast sounds, both apart and together with the violin.

This music was Ravel's tribute to Hungarian, Gypsy violin, and launched a new style for him with more warmth than in previous works. The opening “cadenza” sounds improvisatory and declamatory, beginning in the instrument's sultry, lowest range and progressing through slides, trills, octave passages and harmonies while bending tempos. Ravel creates humorous suspense by abruptly breaking off the flow several times until the final fast-charging, brilliant drive.

Cellist Jeffrey Phelps joined Dr. Spence for Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Cello which was completed two years before Tzigane. The first, Allégro, movement was written as a tombeau (tombstone) for Claude Debussy as part of a collection of works eulogizing him. Here Ravel shows himself to be a passionate neoclassical master continuing to explore the coloristic possibilities of instrumental combinations.

The violin gives the opening theme for the duet, offering vital, demanding disharmonies. Interactions come close to compatibility but are never quite predictable in this stripped-down melody that eliminates harmony. This bold move was based on Debussy's notion of economy of means. The second movement, Très vif (very bright), opens with a duet of plucked strings. The musical lines make a rough sound as they chase after each other. Later a steady pulse in the cello is decorated by a variety of violin colors. The evoked feeling of sadness is overtaken by a mad rush of discords.

In the third movement, Lent (slow), the cello spins a sad tale, the violinist hovers nearby soundless, then joins in softly. Their inharmony deepens the melancholy. Johnathan Spence moves his body as if he is feeling the pain and despair as the sound fades to silence.

In the fourth movement, Vif, the cello plays a brisk dance with interesting sound doodles from the violin. The tempo decelerates as if it's about to end but picks up again. Repeats interfere with the flow, followed by a wild gallop to end. This music clears away any notion of old, stuffy, comfortable chamber music.

Following the intermission we heard Ravel's three movement Violin and Piano Sonata No. 2 in G major (1923-27). The Allegretto opening offered pleasant music but only for a moment before the violin added a challenging dimension for the listener. There are Debussy-esque chord sequence while the violin runs interference in short phrases. Later reading about this music I learned that Ravel felt that violins and pianos are incompatible instruments and he exploits this notion throughout this movement!

In the second movement (Blues. Moderato) Dr. Spence's violin strokes set a gentle pace taken up by the piano. When the violin swings into a torch song the piano offers a stride rhythm, all done with a French flavor. Even the staccato plucked strings had a classical twist and left me smiling all the way through and by the end had me laughing out loud.

The third movement(Perpetuum mobile. Allegro) showcases the violin's brilliance while the staccato piano music is relatively simple with rapid notes of equal value. References to themes of earlier movements, including Blues. Moderato, race through the violin's colors, played at breakneck speed. My reaction was to jump to my feet applauding!

So why haven't we heard these pieces before? The answer is that this is fiendishly difficult music to perform. It is wonderful to have three local musicians totally devoted to bringing it to life. We hope they will play this music again soon.