Joshua Roman in concert
Bad stage presentation spoilt what otherwise would have been a good
concert. In the two opening scores, the first with Eshantha Pieris and
Joshua Roman and the second Joshua playing solo, one has to remember the
total focal attention is on the two players and not on an orchestra
which makes the whole scenario hopeless. The two players badly placed
upon a dark stage, one loses the spirit and ardour of classical music.
In spite of the brilliant playing of Joshua, there was something
missing when the duo took off. The piano which has lost its vibrant
quality in the last couple of years since I heard it being played over
and over again, never did justice to Eshantha’s caressing of the notes.
Where was the vibrant power and where did the sounds fade off to? The
piano should have been pushed back to an angle where the audience could
have seen at least Eshantha’s fingers on the keyboard and let the
principal player to be in focus and instead Joshua was placed almost at
the edge of the stage.
Secondly, where was the eye-contact between the two? Joshua had to
take almost a 90 degree back-turn to have eye-contact with Eshantha who
in turn had to strain his neck for each other’s support. Very bad indeed
when one as playing Bach at that length of time.
 |
|
The Oklahoma born cellist/composer,
Joshua Roman who thrilled the local audience at the Lionel
Wendt Theatre few days ago accompanied by pianist Eshantha
Pieris |
Having said thus, Joshua Roman was simply glorious, a virtuoso on the
cello, something we never see the calibre so rare in a young person such
as him. People seemed to have forgotten the stage ethics and sank into
his playing. The young and the not-so-young along with some veterans I
see over and over again at concerts like this. Hailing from Oklahoma
city, the son of two musicians, he got lost in formal music at three
with a violin and not with the cello.
His musical career spanned across many states when he was in
mid-teens to the early twenties. He was in demand at many concerts as
well as in orchestras as a cellist. In July of 2010 he had the
distinction of performing at both premiers in Seattle and New York City
with a score he had composed while grabbing several prestigious musical
awards Eshantha Pieris who accompanied Joshua at the piano, needs no
introduction. A quality player of the keyboard, he is also an upcoming
conductor poised to go places. Tonight, he took a backseat letting
Joshua take centre-stage.
The opening score Arepeggione Sonata of Schubert took on the air as
this great composer had opted. Gentle, mild and youthful which reflected
his innate qualities in music. The cello spoke a volume for it though it
was originally intended for the violin. Like a ever flowing river with
ripples and bubbles that wound its way to eternity. Schubert’s signature
was stamped on all his scores. The romance of his music was dedicated to
youth, an indication to his short life where the sun drenched it in
thirty two summers.
Like a man possessed in hysteria, Joshua took on Bach solo and what a
glorious twenty five minutes they were.
For a moment I thought he was too involved and less people-oriented.
For someone as he was, passionately he involved the audience to his
cello, eyes shut in his own dream world, he invited them to enjoy and
relish Bach. He needed space to perform and it was better done than with
Scubert. One could feel he opened out fully and the rage with which he
thrashed the cello, may have ejected Bach right out of his grave.
Raptourously, Joshu rose to Solo Suite No 2. Sorry I missed the second
part of the Concert, especially The Swan scored by Saint-Saens.
Schubert’s Sonata in A minor Arpeggione – D821
The arepeggione which means a cross between a cello and a guitar was
invented in 1823 and seldom communicated with great scores. Schubert
confronted himself with this notion and wrote the score especially for
its exponent, Vincent Schuster. The instrument was a disaster but the
score caught on, played today on the cello brilliantly by Joshua to a
rapt audience. Basically a confusing piece of music which is also rather
long for a student in A minor. I would dare touch it even today.
Bach’s suite No 2 in B minor BWV1067
A tiresome piece of music for a person who has not studied classical
music mostly because of its lengthy time but tonight, Joshua made the
audience forget the time factor as he brandished his cello rather
spiritedly to a crescendo of lightning-eclipse. Bach wrote this as a
seventh-movement orchestral dance suite ending with the sparkling
Badineri for flute. If my recollections are right, I think I heard our
iconic cellist Rohan de Saram playing this but not solo.
|
