Duo brings comfort to music recital

A violin-piano duo has the same level of comfort as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich – it’s comforting and timeless, a good fit for any occasion.

For the next St. Albert Chamber Music Recital on Saturday at Don’s Piano Warehouse, programmer Nancy Watt brings this soothing ambience with the stylings of violist Frank Ho and pianist Dr. Bianca Baciu.

The duo presents several Romanian inspired works in the first half, followed by Beethoven’s powerful Sonata No. 7 in C minor in the second.

Both instructors at MacEwan University’s Alberta College Conservatory, they first paired up five years ago, meeting at the Northern Alberta Concerto Competition where Baciu was artistic director.

In chatting, Ho and Baciu discovered they shared the same musical outlook and viewpoint.

“We started out having to verbalize musical ideas. But lately we’ve come to know each other’s heartbeat. We just look at each other for cues,” Ho says. “We have a great enthusiasm for performing and a dedicated purpose – not just for performing, but in a commitment to teaching.”

Ho, who immigrated to Edmonton from Hong Kong as a child, won a scholarship to Yale. But an injury related to the overuse of an arm made it impossible to perform, and sidelined a budding career as a chamber musician.

Returning to Edmonton to wait for surgery, he started teaching as a private instructor and discovered a new interest and passion.

Performing once more, Ho believes Baciu is an ideal partner.

“She’s very capable and very persistent and there’s a touching expressive quality that works well with my music.”

Baciu, who is Romanian and received her bachelor of music from the Transylvania University, cherishes the notion of introducing two of her country’s composers – the renowned BĂ©la BartĂłk and the less recognized George Enescu.

The duo opens the 90-minute program with BartĂłk’s Six Romanian Folk Dances, a lively popular melody with different characters and moods.

Following is Enescu’s Sonata No. 1, the first of three sonatas composed for piano. It was one of his early works, composed at 16 while studying in Paris. Since Enescu followed in the footsteps of mentors such as Brahms, it is characterized by late Romantic flavours.

“His mature style was not apparent in his apprentice work. Later, like BartĂłk, he incorporated folk music in his compositions.”

The concluding gem is Beethoven’s sonata, a dramatic four-movement work.

“Drama is inherent in the music. When Beethoven writes in a C it puts us on alert. He’s put something of himself in it and it runs the gamut of emotions from dark, serene, light-hearted and back to the drama and angst of the first movement.

Kick-starting the evening is special guest Katianne Bargen, 13. The young Westlock pianist is a student of St. Albert music teacher Ina Dykstra.