Buffalo News (New York)
October 12, 2009 Monday
FINAL EDITION

Cellist from Armenia is welcomed warmly

By Herman Trotter – NEWS MUSIC CRITIC EMERITUS

Young Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan aimed to please his audience
by featuring the warm and throbbingly emotional Rachmaninoff Sonata,
Op. 19, as the centerpiece of his Sunday recital. And judging by the
vociferous reception, he succeeded.

But for this listener the highlight of the program, principally
featuring music of the Romantic era, was the opening Schumann
"Fantasiestuecke" (Fantasy Pieces), Op. 73.

The first piece was extremely communicative in its leisurely,
rhapsodic and yearning approach, flowing logically into the more
assertive but still probingly imaginative second piece, marked
"Lively, light." The concluding piece, "Bold, with fire," was even
faster, and the artist used this tempo progression to impart a sense
of unity and cohesion to the three pieces that has eluded even the
most celebrated cellists. The cello’s tone was beautifully centered,
clear and secure, and the performance was further distinguished by
subtly nuanced moments of unexpected pull-back and reflection. It was,
quite simply, the best "Fantasiestuecke" I have ever heard.

Beethoven’s Sonata No. 3 in A Major, Op 69, could be considered a late
classical piece, but its descriptive, pastoral character nudges it
closer to romanticism. Sunday’s performance tended to evoke broadly
contrasting emotions, alternating deliberate and probing passages with
more thrusting statements that somewhat softened the pastoral quality.
The Scherzo was aggressive and forceful, with a fine staccato touch,
and the Finale had a skittering approach, with compelling quieter
contrasts in upper register passages.

The Rachmaninoff Sonata, always a crowd pleaser, was no exception this
time, with the cello’s singing quality always in evidence to project
the composer’s profusion of haunting, melancholy themes. It was a
wonderfully expressive perform-ance, full of appropriate autumnal
resonances, at times wanting just a bit more deep Russian resonance in
the cello.

Pianist Polera was a superb partner throughout, and if at times she
seemed to be ascendant, there were valid reasons. Beethoven clearly
marked Op. 69 as a Sonata for Piano and Cello, and Rachmaninoff was a
towering master of the piano, so prominence of "his" instrument is not
unexpected.

The recital concluded with two brief Russian works, Tchaikovsky’s
delightfully melodic and familiar Nocturne, Op. 19 No. 4, in
Hakhnazaryan’s own transcription, and Rostropovich’s Humoresque, Op.
5, a fingerbusting exercise in rapid bowing, superbly played, to a
standing vocal ovation.

This prompted an Armenian encore, "Impromptu" by Harutyunian, based on
fast Middle Eastern dance rhythms, with a soulful middle section.