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Big Voice

New York
Tisch Center for the Arts
10/17/2000 -  
Antonio Vivaldi: Sonata in A Major
Richard Strauss: Sonata, Op. 18
Eugene Ysaye: Sonata # 2
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Alt Wien
Claude Debussy: La Plus Que Lent
Franz Waxman: Carmen Fantasy

Shunsuke Sato (violin)
Rohan De Silva (piano)

What is first striking about Shunsuke Sato is his big sound. Instantly this fine performer captivates his audience with his authoritative interpretations beautifully projected with clean and full-bodied tone. After a nimble performance of the Vivaldi, he launched into a very mature reading of the Strauss, a piece which can be perceived as either nostalgic or sentimental depending on the violinist's style. Mr. Sato sees this experience as a sweet reminiscence, a little grandmotherly perhaps, but still extremely moving. His long, thin fingers impressively dexterous in the showy first movement, provoking a spontaneous outburst from the friendly crowd; his vibrato judiciously applied; his heartfelt version of the gorgeous slow movement a testament to his old soul.

The Ysaye is one of those pieces meant to portray one of the composer's friends. In this case it is Jacques Thibaud and he must have been a brooding sort of a fellow, for Ysaye plays with the Dies Irae theme ala Rachmaninoff. Without the distraction of his less than perfect accompanist, Sato seemed positively inspired in this character sketch. His evocation of old Vienna was moving; his sensuous slow waltz of Debussy provocative.

For sheer bravado there is no piece more thrilling than the Waxman chestnut. Here Mr. Sato was particularly impressive, cramming hundreds of notes into short spaces and dazzling with his left-handed pizzicato abilities. After such a showstopper only thoughtful encores would do and so he presented a sweet, childlike work of Schumann and a Kreislerian song of Elgar. All in all, a very satisfying and adult program, balancing nicely superb technique and time honored musical values. Even a hard-hearted critic was duly impressed. Oh, by the way, Shunsuke Sato is fourteen years old.



Frederick L. Kirshnit

 

 

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