Castlemaine residents have enthusiastically welcomed the initiatives of internationally renowned musicians Masahide Kurita and Dr Kenji Fujimara for establishing a six-concert Chamber Music Concert Series in the fine warm acoustic and intimate space of Opus30, an arts precinct in the former Primitive Methodist Church. A first class program has sold out every event, with celebrated musicians Trio Anima Mundi, exciting pianist Hoang Pham, the Baroque Ensemble Society XV11 and the Goldfields Quartet bringing classy performances to the region.
Affectionately called Kuri, Masahide Kurita is an extraordinary musician whose luminous tone, supreme virtuosity and musicianship has grown from his studies in Tokyo and London and also with the inspiring celebrated performer Sir James Galway. His partnership with Melbourne-based fellow composer and performer Dr Kenji Fujimura is a perfect marriage of exceptional instrumental performance. Today, the 5th concert in the Chamber Music Series was a dazzling and evocative recital of Romantic works, in a brilliant display of the duo’s expressive and affectionate personalities with perfect musical teamwork. Castlemaine residents and visitors felt it was a true honour and privilege to hear them.
An introspective mood was first established on this wintry day, with the slow, sensitive G minor key opening to Carl Nielson’s Romance – Andante con duolo, No, 1 from Two Fantasy Pieces Op. 2. Originally written for oboe, but given its premier performance by Nielson himself on the violin, the works are perfect for flute. We were instantly engaged and impressed by Kuri’s warm and pure tone, impeccable breath control and the expressive questioning phrases and wistful echoing motifs from a most sorrowful and sweet piano accompaniment. These are very popular pieces for audience and performer, with Fantasy Piece No. 2, Humoresque, Allegretto Scherzando, always enjoyed by listeners with its fine scampering activity and conversational exchange of melodic patterns. Fabulous flute vibrato, joyful lyricism and a cheerful major key close (despite the work’s D minor central key) added sunshine and joviality to the performance.
Kenji welcomed the audience, introducing the repertoire to come: two major works written for violin, but today with new colour and challenges in refreshing arrangements for flute by Galway and Kurita. Antonin Dvorak’s Sonatina in G Op. 100 is a richly flavoured and colourfully designed four-movement work. The Allegro risoluto revealed fanfare-like themes and cheerful folk-dance rhythms, with lyrical melodies and buoyant pastorale-like airs and graces. Always impressive was the duo’s balance and range of sympathetic dynamics and timbres in each movement. The Larghetto was a truly fine arrangement of short romantic episodes that led to a funereal section with ominous repetitive pulse beats closing on a despairing low, low chord from the piano. The Scherzo Molto vivace was not too vivace, with Kuri maintaining a lightly skipping character and uplifting mood, giving us a warm and delicious tone on the flute’s lower octave in particular, while showing he is a master on the demanding double and triple tonguing required. A Finale – Allegro was most entertaining – at first full of syncopated Czech dance rhythms, then assertive with animated accents and skipping rhythms. Surprising tempo changes brought a delightful Irish-flavoured slow air, its timeless simplicity and beauty followed by uplifting jig rhythms as excitement built and the music galloped forward on the home straight.
Described as a “simply a gorgeous work”, and rated as one of the finest sonatas ever written, Cesar Franck’s Sonata in A for violin and piano was the central work after interval. Also arranged by Galway and Kurita, the first of the four movements, Allegretto ben moderato, opened with dreamy soft piano chords, the melody line exploring wide and wandering intervals and broad melodic lines. Increasing energy and rippling piano accompaniment brought passionate motifs, echoing, weaving and circling in flowing circles, freely easing to a delicate pianissimo close. A surging perpetual motion from the piano accompaniment carried long legato flute lines through a very beautiful and picturesque Allegro movement, with fluency and virtuosic technical passages performed with apparent ease and agility.
Dramatic dark piano chords introduced a freely expressive recitative-like solo flute for the unusual structure of the 3rd movement, Ben Moderato: Recitativo-Fantasia. Free in metre, expression and emotional development, there were many sublime moments with a most sorrowful closure. Earlier, when introducing this work, Kenji had spoken of it as Franck’s wedding present for the young violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, and humorously suggested these troubled emotions suggested “pre-wedding jitters”, with the next 4th movement, Finale Allegro, fully celebrating the occasion with joyful wedding bells ringing out in the piano’s high register. It was quite forgivable for the charming opening melody, which is so well-known, to be heard being hummed smoothly, softly and in tune by audience members who were thoroughly immersed in this performance.
Romance and passion, elegance and charm, were indeed to the fore in this sensitive interpretation, Kenji’s final wedding bells adding a triumphant close to a grand sonata known for its most difficult piano part. There are not enough superlatives to describe Kuri’s flute playing. Following this outstanding recital, the encore from Dvorak’s American Suite, 4th movement Andante was a warm and lyrical addition, closing this very grand concert with a most calming and serene melodic gem.
Photo credit: Midland Express.
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Julie McErlain reviewed the recital “Romantic Flute and Piano” performed by Masahide Kurita (flute) and Dr Kenji Fujimara (piano) at Opus 30 Gallery, Castlemaine on July 27, 2024.
