Tanglewood, Lenox, MA
July 25, 2019
by Michael J. Moran
 |
| Stefan Jackiw |
The four sonatas for violin and piano by Charles Ives
constitute a unique sound world. All written between 1914 and 1917, they quote
from hymn tunes which this insurance-executive-by-day and church organist on
weekends wrote or arranged for church services, as well as from various
patriotic songs and marches.
In an imaginative program on Thursday, violinist Stefan
Jackiw and pianist Jeremy Denk played them in reverse order by number, which
the loquacious Denk explained in droll spoken introductions to each piece
reflects their order of difficulty. He also indicated which hymns members of Hudson
Shad (tenor Mark Bleeke; baritone Eric Edlund; bass-baritone Peter Becker; bass
Wilbur Pauley) would sing before the quartet in which they’re quoted.
The fourth sonata, which opened the program, is subtitled
“Children’s Day at the Camp Meeting,” as it depicts a child’s view of an
outdoor religious ceremony. While all four sonatas are in three movements,
their tempo notations vary considerably. A raucous piano interlude in the
central slow movement is humorously marked “Allegro con slugarocko,” but the
ragtime-influenced finale ends with a quiet fragment of “Shall We Gather at the
River?” The slow outer movements of the third sonata surround a jazzy, foot
stomping “Allegro” with mystical reflections on “Beulah Land” and “I Need Thee
Every Hour.”
The second sonata, which followed intermission, is the most
exuberant and lively of the four. Its dancelike middle movement, titled “In the
Barn,” quotes “Turkey in the Straw” and the “Sailor’s Hornpipe.” Denk called
the first sonata, which concluded the program, his and Jackiw’s favorite, for
its visionary tone and elaborate writing for both instruments. Jan Swafford
calls it “the grandest and most expansive” Ives sonata in his eloquent program
notes.
Though offset by many passages of serene beauty, lengthier
sections of this groundbreaking repertoire require great virtuosity of its
performers, and this duo met these demands head on. Their kinetic energy, with
Jackiw in almost constant motion on his feet, and frequent eye contact with
each other reinforced their deep engagement with the music to the enthralled
audience. Hudson Shad’s stirring accounts of the hymn tunes provided startling
and welcome contrast.
