David Finckel and Wu Han at First Congregational Church, May 3, 2014

Cal Performances presents The Unfolding of Music featuring David Finckel and Wu Han
2014-05-03
First Congregational Church
2345 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA
8:00 PM, Saturday, May 3, 2014

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[8:03 PM lights down]

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Sonata for Viola da Gamba in G minor, BWV 1027 (ca. 1736-1741)

1. [8:04 PM] Adagio
2. [8:08 PM] Allegro ma non tanto
3. [8:11 PM] Andante
4. [8:14 PM] Allegro Moderato
   [8:16 PM; work ends, duo offstage after a minute or two for applause]

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102, No. 1 (1815)

1. [8:20 PM] Andante — Allegro vivace
2. [8:25 PM] Adagio — Tempo d’andante — Allegro vivace
   [8:32 PM; work ends]

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 in D major, Op. 58 (1843)

1. [8:34 PM] Allegro assai vivace
2. [8:42 PM] Allegretto scherzando
3. [8:48 PM] Adagio
4. [8:52 PM] Molto allegro e vivace
   [work ends 8:59; applause, musicians off to end the set at 9:01 PM]

[9:16 PM lights down, go!]

Claude Debussy (1862-1918): Sonata for Cello and Piano (1915)

[9:16 PM; musicians back]

1. [9:16 PM] Prologue
2. [9:21 PM] Sérénade
3. [9:24 PM] Finale
   [9:27 PM; work ends]

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976): Sonata for Cello and Piano in C major, Op. 65 (1961)

[9:28 PM; musicians back]

1. [9:33 PM] Dialogo
2. [9:36 PM] Scherzo-pizzicato
3. [9:39 PM] Elegia
4. [9:42 PM] Marcia
5. [9:43 PM] Moto Perpetuo
   [set ends 9:47 PM]
    
   Encore
6. [9:49 PM] Prokofiev or Rachmaninov excerpt
   [show ends 9:54 PM]

David Finckel and Wu Han

• David Finckel: cello;
• Wu Han: piano.

Parked “in the usual block” on Ellsworth, got myself ready, then walked in a loop up Bancroft, through the Sather Gate walkway for a quick stop at Yogurt Park, then down Durant to the garden outside FCC for a bit of hurried slurping. Yum!

Now waiting for the show to start and trying to warm a little from the fog and cold.

Set break, whew! Probably ought to head outside for some fresh air, but feeling hemmed in on both sides, so staying put. Noticed tonight that the hall seemed unusually resonant. So much so that I thought the sustain and echo was interfering with my ability to make out the primary cello lines. Kind of annoying, really, though the problem seemed to abate over the set a little, perhaps because Wu Han dialed back the double- and triple-fortissimos in favor of less extreme dynamics. I wonder also if I might just be sitting in the wronv spot, one which is particularly sensitive to that bass piano bloom.

Happily, the previously mentioned problem was less evident in the second set, most likely because of the more sedat, controlled nature of the program's final works. I really enjoyed hearing both pieces, particularly the Britten, which was probably a first for me. Wu Han introduced tonight's encore as an excerpt from next year's Russian program, but I didn't catch the details in memory – something else to fix up later!

Back to the previous event ☸ Back to the 2014 yearbox ☸ Back to the 2014 event list! ☸ On to the next event!