Nina Kotova: Emotionally charged chamber concert opens Festival del Sole Napa Valley Register. Concert review By L. PIERCE CARSON, Register Staff Writer. Jul 25, 2010

1. MENU
SUBSCRIBE56°News Obituaries Sports E-edition Buy & Sell
Emotionally charged chamber concert opens
Festival del Sole stand at Calistoga’s Castello
By L. PIERCE CARSON, Register Staff Writer Jul 25, 2010 0
TRY 1 MONTH FOR 99¢
A tremendously rewarding evening of chamber music kicked o
Festival del Sole’s three-night stand at Dario Sattui’s Castello di
Amorosa in Calistoga on Tuesday.
The most exciting pianist of his generation, 48-year-old Jean-Yves
Thibaudet teamed up with the masterful Rosetti Quartet and
acclaimed Russian cellist Nina Kotova for a rich, satisfying evening
of Dvorak, Debussy and Franck.
The technically demanding Debussy cello sonata and Franck’s
gloriously romantic quintet for piano and strings received
authoritative readings, surely the evening’s most memorable
o erings.
Written in 1915, Claude Debussy’s tightly knit “Sonata No. 1 in D for
Cello and Piano”is the first of three extraordinary sonatas which the
composer penned in his last tragic years. Notable for its brevity, the
Debussy cello sonata is regarded as one of the finest written for the
instrument. It’s somewhat mysterious and spare, reminding one of
Stravinsky. A sonata it is, but modeled on the Baroque sonata, rather
than the complex, large scale works of Beethoven and Schubert. The
overall mood is one of sadness.
Looking radiant in a shimmering pink and gold gown, Kotova, a third
generation musician and Moscow Conservatory alum, proved she
was the perfect choice to perform this work. And selecting Thibaudet
as accompanist couldn’t have been better.
Kotova’s cello tone was very full and romantic in the first movement
with superb cello pizzicati in the second — the rare left hand
pizzicato attention grabbing. The third movement serenade left the
audience wanting more.
So lovingly did the two artists blend their burnished sonorities, they
sounded at times as a single instrument. Their unanimity of attack
— of rhythm and style — was remarkable considering the
tremendous range of tempos and dynamics. Honestly, it sounded as
if the two top-notch artists perform this work often, so comfortable
and sure were they of the task at hand.
Franckly
At the end of his life, Cesar Franck composed three chamber music
masterpieces which, along with the popular “Symphony in D,”placed
him at the forefront of French composers of “abstract”instrumental
music. His “Quintet for Piano and Strings in F Minor”is one of those
masterpieces.
MOST POPULAR
Enter show title... SEARCH
Find shows. Set reminders.
ON TONIGHT MOVIES SPORTS
God Friended Me
CBS, 8:30PM ET

REMIND ME
 
1
2
3
4
5
Couple robbed while sitting in car outside
American Canyon taqueria, police say
Napa man sentenced to consecutive life terms for
raping, mutilating girl
Man accused of killing puppy in Napa pleads not
guilty, seeks supervised release
Update: Video reveals struggle between Napa police
of cer, suspect before man fatally shot
The biggest holiday light show in Napa can be
found on Paradise Drive

2. An absolutely gorgeous piece of music, the Franck Piano Quintet is,
without question, a work that radiates passion. From the fired-up
opening theme played by the strings to its pounding close — three
distinct chords that end the final movement — the quintet swirls
about in a fury of emotions.
With pianist Thibaudet weaving erotic lines throughout, the Rosetti
Quartet — violinists Henry Gronnier and Sara Parkins, violist
Thomas Diener and cellist Eric Gaenslen — captured the work’s
passion perfectly.
A textbook collaboration, the five musicians swept through the first
movement with eloquence, breezing through to its tumultuous
climax.
The second movement, relatively slow and relaxed compared to the
first, was also a model of integrated piano and strings. It began with
a sad, prayerful theme which slowly grew into a song of peace.
Thibaudet’s restrained tone allowed for the theme to shimmer, then
build to another tense climax, ending peacefully and magically. The
final movement was a passionate whirlwind, racing through a
recapitulation of what went before, coming to a forceful and
powerful end.
Thibaudet and the Rosetti Quartet captured the essence of Franck’s
work without issue. These outstanding musicians make beautiful
music together.
As an aside, Tuesday’s concert was a wine country reunion of sorts
for Thibaudet and Rosetti violinist Henry Gronnier. Early in both of
their careers — 1986 to be exact — the two magnificent talents
teamed up for a Chamber Music in Napa Valley performance.
The collaboration between pianist and quartet also opened the
program. Antonin Dvorak’s early “Piano Quintet No. 1 in A Major”
displayed a style emerging from beyond the marked in uences of
Schubert, Liszt and Brahms. We were listening to a youthful Dvorak
exing his instrumental muscles, as well as hearing how comfortable
he was with the sonorous medium of piano and strings.
The work will always be considered a novelty piece by some, however
it does contain moments of fine music. The lovely instrumental
songs in the Andante were exquisitely performed by all hands.
Subscribe to Breaking News
* I understand and agreethatregistration on or useof this siteconstitutes agreementto
its user agreementand privacy policy.
PROMOTION
Nominate your pet for Pic of the
Litter
Want to see your pet in the newspaper?
PROMOTION
Share your photos with the Napa
Valley Register
The Napa Valley Register welcomes your
photographic contributions to the Faces
and Places gallery, which runs every
Sunday.
Email Address SIGN UP!

3. Only 2 pages have been converted.
Please go to https://docs.zone and Sign Up to convert all pages.