Presented by the Shriver Hall Concert Series, Sunday’s recital with cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan and pianist Armine Grigoryan was pre-recorded not at the organization’s usual venue in Baltimore, but from a rather more distant locale — the beautiful Khachaturian Concert Hall in the duo’s native Yerevan, Armenia. Following formative studies with Rostropovich, Hakhnazaryan rose to prominence after capturing the Cello First Prize and Gold Medal at the 2011 Tchaikovsky Competition at the age of 22.
Schumann’s Adagio and Allegro, Op.70 made for a captivating opening. Originally scored for horn, the composer authorized versions for both cello and violin. The Adagio was of languid melancholy as encouraged by Hakhnazaryan’s burnished tone. The quick-fingered Allegro that followed offered ample contrast while being no less lyrical than its predecessor as passions swelled. Though Beethoven would certainly go on to write more profound sets of variations, his Seven Variations on "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen” – Pamina and Papageno’s duet from The Magic Flute – nonetheless serves as a lovely tribute from one musical giant to another. A stately enunciation of the theme saw the source material function just as effectively as duet for cello and piano, and the subsequent variations ranged from the sprightly gossamer to the deeply felt.
The largest work on the program was Franck’s Violin Sonata in A major, of course presented in its not-infrequently heard transcription for cello. Introspective beginnings showed the piece to be well-suited to the lower instrument in its brooding romanticism. The dense accompaniment of the second movement Allegro made great demands on Grigoryan which she surmounted with ease and powerful delivery. The skeletal beginnings of the Recitative gave way in due course to music of searing passion, an ethos only further compounded by the blistering finale. This was a performance of powerful impact, and conclusive evidence of the duo’s seamless communication.
To conclude, attention was turned to a pair of 20th-century Armenian composers, not terribly well-known outside their home country. Edvard Baghdasaryan’s Nocturne was a touching discovery, a gorgeous, easily appealing gem of a piece. Alexander Arutiunian gained some international currency by way of his 1950 Trumpet Concerto, still heard with some regularity. His all too brief Impromptu was a vivacious affair, stylishly drawing on folk tradition. As a postscript, a lively Q&A followed between Hakhnazaryan — in this case, calling in all the way from Irkutsk! — and executive director Catherine Cochran. An enjoyable capstone to a memorable recital.
This performance was reviewed from the Shriver Hall Concert Series video stream
