Sol Gabetta in Concert.

Concert-goers had a real treat last night to the tune of one Sol Gabetta who played at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall with the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Mr. John Storgårds.  His conducting alone was enough to move mountains, and so did the concert proceed with the ‘Variations on a Theme by Frank Bridge’ by Mr. Benjamin Britten, who is celebrating his centenary this year.  IN any regard, it was a piece fit for a king with string, string, string.  And evoked for one the peacefulness of the English countryside, for indeed the ending gave a kind of pallor of a certain dying of the light in the distance that one could hear stretching way out into the yonder horizon across the fields.

            Next on the program, came Sol onto the stage in a flowing red dress which suited her Argentinian, tango-style on the cello.  She rocked and swayed back-and-forth in a tango-esque manner which suits her instrument.  Indeed, she could not have managed the kind of back-and-forth melodies which she played across the cello last night if she had not undertaken this style of playing.  Just as she had shown herself to do two years before in the Shostakovich Sonata for Cello and Piano, so she did last night.  Her glorious instrument made sweet melody and the orchestra was well in-tune as well, for not only did Sol play, but also did she flourish in the playing of the Concerto, which was of course memorized.  Her style is different from that of the late Mstislav Rostropovich.  One finds that Rostropovich’s playing is rather more forward and he has a sound which is very good, but not quite as sexy as Sol, if I may be so bold.  In any case, it was a marvelous concert to which the audience responded with a standing ovation immediately after her performance.  It was such to move mountains indeed, and everyone was very appreciative of the temperature which had certainly been raised that night by Sol’s playing on the cello.  One could well imagine how Sol could be taken up into the heavens on a cloud of angels with her playing: Just how magnificent it truly was.  It was all one could have hoped and more. 

            The tempo during the piece changed as well and this change was heightened by the changing moods in the piece and Sol’s solo playing which highlighted the grandiose scheme of Shostokovich, who truly knew what he was doing when writing for the cello.  He had enough long-bows to satisfy the enthusiast and the Sol’s plucking was demonstrative and done with aplomb.  She may be the next Jacquoline Dupré.  For truly one stands mesmerized when confronted with her sweeping playing and etc. 

            Then audience members were treated to a final triumphant “Spring” Symphony by Robert Schumann which rocked the socks of all in attendance that night.  It was truly big and significant.