A Musical Odyssey

One might expect a Tuesday evening recital to be sparsely attended. This Tuesday, one would have been surprised. Elisabeth Murdoch Hall was filled with concert-goers of all ages, ready to hear two internationally acclaimed musicians: cellist Daniel Müller-Schott and concert pianist Konstantin Shamray.

After briefly introducing the program, as well as his 300-year-old instrument, Müller-Schott opened with Cello Suite No.3 in C by J.S. Bach. He rendered this staple of the solo cello repertoire fluently and playfully, making light work of the Suite’s technical demands.

Konstantin Shamray joined Müller-Schott on stage to perform the Cello Sonata in D minor, Op.40 by Dmitri Shostakovich. This tense, unsettled piece contrasted sharply against the Bach’s sunny openness. The musicians ably navigated the Sonata’s many moods, conveying barely-contained intensity while remaining balanced and coordinated.

The recital concluded with Johannes Brahms’s Sonata for Cello and Piano No.2 in F, Op.99. Brahms’s lyrical, sonorous Sonata provided yet another contrast. Shamray produced a huge variety of textures from the piano, which Müller-Schott built on splendidly. The Allegro passionato movement was a most effective demonstration of rhythmic play.

These three works, tied together by their various modes of expressiveness, made an impressive program. The audience showed their appreciation, giving an extended ovation. Müller-Schott and Shamray responded with two encores: Rachmaninov’s Vocalise and the Moderato from Prokofiev’s Cello Sonata in C Major.

Lucas Wilson-Richter