Student Musicians Master the Legends Instrumental Recital Upholds the Bar Set By Professionals

Author: Sadie Hoagland

The ability of music to orchestrate emotions is a well-known human experience. The classical perfection that echoed through the halls of the Center For the Arts last Friday during a student-dominated instrumental recital was no exception. The concert, entitled "Nine Students and a Music Librarian," was a memorable display of Middlebury College talent in which one became inexorably lost in the music.

The concert began with a piano solo by Jessica Manzer '05 that set a high standard for the evening. Manzer played Chopin's "Nocturne in F Minor, Opus 55, No. 1," a remarkable piece that may sound familiar to those who have recently seen the critically acclaimed film "The Pianist" (though in the film he plays the "Nocturne in C Minor"). Manzer played the piece without hesitation or fault, and the lone sound of the piano satisfied the ears completely.

From Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No. 1, Opus 11 Ian Ausprey '04, Chin Hin Leung '04, Andrew Lindblad '05 and Jonathan Stuart-Moore '05 performed the "Andante Cantabile." The piece flourished as Stuart-Moore on the cello and Lindblad on the viola added depth and dimension to the already hypnotizing melody. The song quickened pace and was enriched by the plucking of the instruments as Leung, playing a violin solo, continued on melody. The four instrumentalists continued to play the Third Movement of the piece, though it was not on the program, delighting the spectators further with a lively harmony reminiscent of a cat and mouse chase scene, a minuet climbing the scales and creating a rich climax.

Annabelle Cazes '06 was next on stage, performing Moszkowski's "…tude No. 6 in F major" (from "15 …tudes de VirtuositÈ Per Aspera, Opus 72. Cazes' fingers were a blur as she kept the fast pace of the notes with incredible precision. Using the full range of notes, the music of the piano evoked awe, especially given the visible concentration of the musician.

The recital continued with duets - Lindblad returned on the viola to accompany Daniel Koppel '04 on the piano as they performed Rachmanioff's "Vocalise, Opus 34, No. 14." Shortly following, Cynthia Huard, an assistant in music in the Middlebury College Music Department, played the piano while Leung returned with the violin for an evocative rendition of Debussy's "Sonata." The two instruments created a wonderful harmony, justifying the dramatic transitions of the piece.

Leung remained on stage to further display his astounding talent on the violin. He brilliantly performed two selections from Bach's "Partita No. 2 in D Minor." The baroque delicacy was mastered by the chilling sound of Leung's violin as his skill exemplified loud and soft alterations, the falling scales and the varying pace of the song.

Michio Painter '06 followed Leung on the piano with "Novelette sur un thËme de Manuel de Falla, Opus 173" by Poulenc. Painter's hands lay dramatically into the keys as he held onto the final notes of the song, letting the sounds echo throughout the concert hall. Also on the program was Music Librarian Dan Frostman, playing the oboe. The oboe, sounding like a haunted and darker flute, played Britten's "Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, Opus 49." Frostman played three sections, each a musical interpretation of the transformations of Pan, Narcissus and Arethusa. Frostman narrated the story before playing each piece, allowing the audience's imagination to read the music and create the scenes. The oboe was a unique addition to the concert, and Frostman demonstrated magnificent skill.

For the grand finale of the evening, Koppel returned to the stage in a staggering performance of Beethoven's "Piano Sonata, No. 15 in D major, Opus 28." Koppel played four sections of this piece, and his performance lasted several minutes. He played without flaw, proving precision as well as endurance. Koppel used no music, and the man and the piano seemed to work as one as he stunned the spectators over and over again. The piece went from slow to fast, peaking emotions as it hung in a perfect balance between thick and thin harmony. The work is one that is familiar to most, but Koppel's performance gave a fresh sound to the melody. Koppel's talent was made clear by the variety of paces he maintained throughout the stages of the piece. The audience, already impressed with the recital, was left breathless as Koppel's fingers hit the last notes.