15 April, 2019

Istvan Vardai and Roman Rabinovich

Concert: Istvan Vardai and Roman Rabinovich

Official link

April 7, 2019, Town Hall
Istvan Vardai and Roman Rabinovich
Beethoven - Schubert - Rachmaninov

I only managed to attend the first half.

Of particular interest to string fans is that Istvan Vardai plays the famous DuPre-Lynn Harrell Strad Cello, but I am afraid judged by this outing the instrument is not entirely in good hands.

Grant you, many of DuPre's recordings are wayward, and I have never heard her live. But enthusiasm is not something that can be faked, and her recordings, warts and all, testify to her personality (aside from Elgar, I like her Brahms). I am lukewarm about Lynn Harrell, who is always correct (but no more), but I think Vardai is a poor successor.

Vardai plays sensitively but tends to linger and smell the roses and lack drive. Also, he makes the instrument sound very dark, not a good thing in cello. The Beethoven variations dragged on, and the Schubert Appregione needed more vitality.

Rabinovich is an excellent pianist, but too deferential.

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