Photo via UW-Milwaukee
Florestan Duo
The Florestan Duo: Stefan Kartman (cello) and Jeannie Yu (piano)
Many of our local colleges and universities have concert series presenting programs by world class musicians. The upcoming concert by Chamber Music Milwaukee’s Florestan Duo is one of them. Stefan Kartman and Jeannie Yu have been performing together as a duo since meeting at Juilliard School of Music in 1987. Kartman is currently professor of cello and chamber music at UWM and Yu teaches and freelances in Milwaukee and Chicago. They’ve performed worldwide to critical acclaim.
The chamber program, which is free, presents music by J.S. Bach, Gaspar Cassadó and Sergei Rachmaninoff. It opens with Bach’s Suite in D minor.
Like most Baroque suites it begins with a prelude followed by five moments based on contemporary dances, in this case: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Menuetto and Gigue. Composed between 1717 and 1723, there were few surviving copies of the suites which are of a demanding technical nature. They were rarely performed until Pablo Casals who waited until he was 60 before recording them.
Canonical Cello
Says Kartman, “Bach’s Cello Suites, since their composition 300 years ago, continues to be the ultimate test of a cellist’s musical training and technical skill because the challenges are integrated in a way that requires everything a cellist’s talent and training have to offer. We treat these pieces as religious scholars of Talmud and Testament treat their respective scripture and fill our lives with contemplation and regimen worthy of the genius and inspiration of the works.”
Next is Cassadó’s Requiebros, composed in 1934. Cassadó (1897-1966) was a Catalan composer, conductor and cellist active during the first half of the 20th century. This brief composition for piano and cello will only make you search for more work by this composer. It sings to your heart.
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After intermission, the duo returns to play the Sonata in G minor. Op. 19 by Rachmaninoff. Composed at the end of 1901 it was premiered with the composer at the piano. Most of the themes are introduced by the piano and then expanded by the cello. Rachmaninoff had a composer’s block for several years after the poor reception of his 1st Symphony in 1897. After meeting with Tolstoy, he agreed to undergo hypnotherapy and worked with a neurologist daily for three months in early 1900. He recovered his appetite and strength as his sleep and mood improved and began composing once again. This sonata followed and is in the typical Romantic form: Lento–Allegro moderato, Allegro scherzando, Andante, Allegro mosso.
Since the Bach composition was challenging for the cellist, I asked Yu to comment about the Rachmaninoff visa vis the piano. “I would have to say the piano part of the Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata is as difficult as his second piano concerto, and maybe even more so since the pianist who plays it has to be technically sufficient enough to not play so loudly that the cellist doesn’t look like he’s playing a role in a silent movie,” he said. “Of all the duo pieces for cello and piano, this one definitely is most piano-centric, however, the moments when the cello plays these beautifully glorious melodies one can truly appreciate the duo aspect.”
Chamber Music Milwaukee’s Florestan Duo will perform 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the Fine Arts Recital Hall, UWM Music Building Room 175, 2400 E. Kenwood Blvd. For more, visit uwm.edu/arts/event/chamber-music-milwaukee-3
