In what must be one of the most publicized concerts in a long time at the Peabody Institute, faculty member Amit Peled recreated a recital given there by revered cellist Pablo Casals on Feb. 12, 1915, exactly 100 years later to the day -- and played it on the same cello.
Given the advance build-up, including on national radio, and given the genuine cool factor of the event, it wasn't surprising to see a packed house Thursday night. The sense of occasion -- it was also Founder's Day at Peabody (papers establishing the conservatory were signed Feb. 12, 1857) -- couldn't be missed.
Things could have turned terribly stuffy under the circumstances, but the moment Peled walked onstage in dress-casual, there was no chance of that.
Part of Peled's appeal has always been his naturalness, his ability to dissolve any sense of a barrier between artist and listener. That's how it was on this occasion, especially in the second half of the evening, when he talked about Casals, the cello and the music, and even opened up the floor to a few questions.
The 1733 Goffriller instrument that Casals purchased a couple years before he was in Baltimore for that recital a century ago is periodically loaned to gifted cellists by his widow, Marta Casals Istomin, and the Casals Foundation. (Casals Istomin planned to attend Thursday, but didn't make it due to some travel difficulties.)
That Peled was a great choice for the privilege of playing the Casals cello was readily apparent throughout the recital. The music-making was consistently stylish and communicative, not to mention technically solid.
And the cello was an equal star, with its low-register tone as deep and dark as a vintage burgundy, the higher notes warm and clear. (At Peled's recommendation, the instrument was extensively overhauled last year.)
The program Casals played in 1915 -- not too heavy on the sonatas, several short character pieces -- was typical of the good old days.
Working to duplicate that program has made Peled a champion of Casals' approach; as he told the crowd on Thursday, musicians today too often serve up a three-steak meal, no room for dessert.
The Casals mix has a lot to recommend it and hardly lacks for substance. (Eminent violinist/pedagogue Aaron Rosand is one of the few artists I've encountered in the past couple of decades who have championed this vintage approach).
Peled brought vigor, colorful articulation and, in the Largo movement, considerable nobility of phrase, to the opening Handel Sonata in G minor, and had the benefit of Noreen Polera's polished, vibrant partnering at the piano.
Bach's C major Suite for unaccompanied cello flowed with a steady pulse and expressive richness. The Sarabande-inspired wonderful dynamic nuances from Peled, who also brought out the folksy twang in the Gigue with extra charm.
The cellist and pianist maintained a deft of balance of elegance and wit in Beethoven's variations on a duet from Mozart's "Magic Flute." A set of three poetic Faure works included the endearing "Elegie," which the players delivered most sensitively without turning draggy. Saint-Saens' Allegro Appassionato had a nice kick and abundant color from cello and keyboard alike.
The Baltimore Sun review of Casals' 1915 performance makes no mention of encores, so Peled was free to make his own choice -- the opening "Prayer" of Ernest Bloch's "From Jewish Life." The cellist phrased it with a melting tone and subtle, vocal-like inflections; Polera's contributions proved no less expressive.