Isabelle Faust, Violin & Alexander Melnikov, Piano
Saturday, November 23, 2019 | 8:00 pm
Baldwin Auditorium
Duke Performances single tickets, including $10 Duke student tickets, are now on sale. Single tickets can be purchased online, via phone at 919-684-4444, and in person at the Duke University Box Office, Tuesday through Friday, 11 AM to 6 PM.
###
Seasoned duet partners Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov make their Duke Performances debuts with a program demonstrating their musical mastery and meticulous attention to scholarship and detail. Both Faust and Melnikov are noted for their devotion to historically-informed performance practice, and their recordings and performances have received consistent praise for drama and subtlety. Critics note this attention to sensitivity in their collaborations, and individually they are highly sought-after as concerto soloists with the world’s top orchestras and conductors.
Their program at Baldwin Auditorium features two early Beethoven violin and piano sonatas; their recording of the complete Beethoven sonatas earned Gramophone’s Recording of the Year in 2010, giving audiences in Durham a chance to hear why The Guardian called this recording “essential listening.” They will intermix the Beethoven sonatas with two 20th century masterworks — Stravinsky’s classically-inspired Duo Concertante and Bartók’s acidulous First Sonata for Violin and Piano.
Program
Stravinsky: Duo Concertante for Violin and Piano
Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major, op. 24 (“Spring Sonata”)
Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in D Major, op. 12, no. 1
Bartók: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1, Sz. 75
Isabelle Faust & Alexander Melnikov 'Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, op. 12, no. 2, Andante, piu tosto Allegretto'
“Faust and Melnikov brought out considerable depth and drama that most players don't think to emphasize.”