MC2 DUO RECITAL CLOSES 222'S SEASON

The Noth Coast’s premier multi art concert venue, Healdsburg’s 222 Gallery, closed their season June 14 with a recital by violinist Gay McLaughlin and pianist Rose McCoy. Mr. McLaughlin is the 222’s classical music producer and has long been associated with Healdsburg area music.

It was an odd menu of works, with just one lengthy composition, but an audience of 55 seated at cabaret tables enjoyed the informality of the presentation and the violinist’s remarks from the stage, albeit often extended excursions into ephemera.

Brahms G Major Sonata was the evening’s pièce de résistance, played with score as all the program’s works were, and at judicious tempos that continued through the program. Over 29 minutes the duo adopted a low energy approach with little thematic projection and avoiding the big buildup to the last few bars of the opening Vivace.

Balances in this wonderful work were good and the thematic relationships in the first and last movements were emphasized. Sound was direct with minimal reverberation and occasional wandering intonation. Mr. McLaughlin stretched the final phrases in the Allegro molto to affect a suave and lovely ending.

The concert surprisingly began with two short Telemann Fantasies for solo violin, Nos. 9 (B minor) and 12 (A Minor), composed in 1735, and each in three sections and sounding like demanding practice room studies. The Vivace part of the B Minor was the most Bach like, and the following Allegro the most extended and was played with light vibrato. The violinist used a baroque-era bow for these pieces and mastered the big skips in the harmonically interesting high-register Vivace from the A Minor, the descending phrases in the concluding Presto were gracious.

Ms. McCoy played two solo works, Chopin’s Polonaise from Op. 40, No. 2, and Debussy’s La Cathédral Engloutie from his first book of Preludes (1910). Playing in the C Minor Polonaise had good drama and fetching held notes with short accelerandos and full right hand chords. The five-minute Debussy had an oriental harmonic character, precise pedaling and rich resonance. With the Telemann it was a concert highlight.

A short encore, Brahms’ Scherzo contribution to the 1853 F.A.E Sonata, was played with indifferent audience reaction and dry tone.