The Phillips brothers–Jean-Marc, also violinist with the acclaimed Trio Wanderer, and cellist Xavier–join forces and deliver technically accomplished, emotionally intense, and musically absorbing performances of Kodály’s Sonata and Duo that easily rival the catalog’s best. Cellist Xavier makes light of the solo sonata’s cruel double-stops and cascading leaps, and negotiates the high-lying declamatory passages with the same laser-like focus and assurance we might associate with Birgit Nilsson in Wagner and Strauss. Although he arguably stretches the central Adagio within inches of its breaking point, Xavier’s seemingly endless bow arm and stunning array of colors beckon and sustain your undivided attention. He makes the delicate pizzicato and arco alternations sound as if they’re coming from two different instruments, and not always cellos!
By contrast, in the Duo both Xavier and his violinist sibling Jean-Marc transform their instruments into a single eight-stringed, impeccably tuned entity as they suavely maneuver the busy ostinatos and long-lined melodies back and forth. The drive they bring to the outer movements conveys an orchestral sweep that differs from the Turovsky Duo’s more confrontational, inflected style of playing. The engineering creates a semblance of a small, intimate hall, with just the right amount of space between musicians and audience. Powerful music and powerful performances–how can you miss? [3/27/2006]
