Concert Review: Augustin HadelichApril 18, Town Hall
Augustin Hadelich/Akiro Eguchi
I first learnt of Augustin Hadelich from a HKPL Naxos CD of Haydn. I was instantly captivated by his fluidity and the sheer joy and carefree nature. It was not until I read the New York Times Profile before the concert that I realized he had recovered from what would be debilitating for mere mortals.
New York is amazing. I have been attending concerts for almost four decades now, and yet for some reason I had never set foot in Town Hall. This is a concert sponsored by the People's Symphony Concerts, with its amazingly low ticket price, one of the best kept secrets of NYC. I had been attending its Saturday series at the Washington Irving High School, but had never attended any Town Hall concerts.
The hall has amazing acoustics. Here is a list of who's who that have appeared on this stage, and the stage still looks like it always did, Wow! At the end of this post I attach vintage programs proudly displayed in the corridors. Isn't it sad only old halls have good acoustics? What happened to the "science" of acoustics?
In a challenging program, the tone of Hadelich was exquisite, and he was partnered well by Eguchi. Stravinsky's Suite Italienne was elegant, though some would like it more acerbic. After a Takemitsu piece, the Debussy Sonata was out of this world, the best I have ever heard, live or on records, and it certainly eclipsed the Repin live account I heard some time ago (reviewed previously). It had incredible finesse, finely nuanced, and besides perfect balance of dynamics and a natural sense of rhythm, a fludity that's missing in most performances of this elusive piece. The Ysaye Solo Sonata No. 5 almost sounded too fluent, though not enough to dispell notions of a certain cerebral quality of the music. Yet it bested all of the accounts I have heard, including Shumsky's. Schumann's Sonata No. 1 concluded the evening on a more romantic note.
Most amazing were the Sarasate encores. First up was the perennial Ziguenerweisen, played fastidiously that it was like a new piece. The laments were rich toned, just as the virtuosic passages were dazzling. And I had never heard so many notes! Another shorter Sarasate piece concluded the perfect afternoon.
A trademark of this violinist is his absolute sureness of attack, right on the note, with no overhang whatsoever. This quality made his phrasing distinctive, and natural, without the effort of consciously pointing.
One of the best recitals I have ever attended.
Below are the old programs, who's who in music (the little girl is my heroine, Ruth Slenzynska), as well as some album covers that feature the stage:
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