Violinist Ayano Ninomiya and pianist Pei-Shan Lee, both NEC-based, enchanted the audience in the opener in Jordan Hall of this season’s Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts. Their alert musicianship and conscious phrasing enhanced musical intent, reflecting their sensitivity and attention to composers’ intents, as well as to one another. Both have distinguished themselves in careers built both on performance and pedagogy.
Beethoven’s Sonata in E-flat Major for pianos and violin, Op. 12, No. 3, truly emphasizes the majestic, grand lines and melodies for the pianist. Further, the work exemplifies the young Beethoven’s obvious melodic talent, along with his intensity and humor. The piano’s role is so central, that at times Lee seemed to overshadow Ninomiya (who clearly knew when she was the accompanist), but that appears to be Beethoven’s intent. A BMInt colleague remarked on Lee’s gorgeous tone and color range on a Steinway that had sounded notably steely and monochromatic in a concerto a week earlier.
The sprightly Allegro con spirito, reminiscent of late Mozart, and perhaps Beethoven’s dedicatee, his teacher, Salieri, delivers easy listening, at least superficially. But the piano is in charge. That first movement might have been morphed into a solo piano work and has improvisatory aspects. The inventive Adagio con molto espressione was ahead of its time, with its uplifting melodies and sense of focused movement, which is more of a partnership and sharing than the first movement but also moments of playfulness. Here Ninomiya and Lee were in their groove. The Rondo: Allegro molto brought a bit of rollicking joy to conclude this most memorable of Beethoven’s three opus 12 works.
Incredibly, Schubert wrote the Fantasy in C Major for Violin and Piano, Op. posth.159 D934 in December of 1827 during the final 11 months of his life. The work has long mystified some listeners, through its 7 movements, described by some as “spiritual.” Indeed, as the seemingly enraptured Ninomiya and Lee began the first movement, one would not have been shocked to see the piano tilt as in a séance. Their traversal riveted audience attention. The next section, Allegretto, allowed the artists to enjoy a spirited interchange, imparting a sense of being present and very much alive. The unique presentation of the poem “Sei mir gegrüsst!” by Friedrich Rückert constitutes the fulcrum of this work. Its first variation is arpeggionated, the second variation, pizzicato in the violin but dominated by the piano. The third variation includes pianistic trills and showy runs in the violin, and then returns to its initial statement. The work then restates its themes in the initial tempo of the work, followed by an Allegro vivace, an Allegretto and a Presto each delivered with verve and grace.
Ninomiya and Lee gifted the audience with their nuanced and balanced version of the expansive, ardent and massive Richard Strauss Sonata in E-Flat Major, Opus 18, an example that exudes a musical heritage influenced by Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin. Written in 1887, at which point Strauss’s orchestral breadth permeated his compositional intent, this grand sonata absorbed both the musicians and the audience from its fanfaired initial measures of the Allegro, ma non troppo to its conclusion. As in the pre-intermission Schubert, the Strauss sonata includes a movement (here, the second, Improvisation: Andante cantabile) written to convey the impression of spontaneity and beauty, which here wafted soulfully in the hall. The artists provided the Finale: Andante- Allegro, with its heroic phrasing and tone poem breadth, with skillful artistry. Without any forced tone, Lee’s piano rose to monumental orchestral sonorities over which Ninomiya soared in ravishing tones.
In response to loud cheers, the duo offered a delectable Fritz Kreisler arrangement of Midnight Bells by Heuberger as a single encore, leaving the audience wistfully wishing for more. Both Ninomiya and Lee have rich and active performing lives, and, beyond that, they both show passions for teaching and contributing to the musical lives of their communities. We are not alone in hoping they will perform together in Boston often.
The evening offered a heartwarming reminder that the Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts is a Boston treasure. As a lovely bonus, Ninomiya’s art served as a delicate and enticing background of the program’s cover. Altogether, an inspiring evening, auguring well for the Foundation’s year ahead.