Music / Stravinsky, Schubert and Beethoven – Masterpieces for Violin and Piano, Jimmy Park, violin; Alexander Yau, piano. At Wesley Music Centre, February 28. Reviewed by LEN POWER.

Showcasing masterpieces that embody the notion of a duo proved to be a very good idea for this pair of musicians, one on piano and the other on violin.

They showed beyond doubt that they can play as one with three distinctive works by Stravinsky, Schubert and Beethoven.

Returning home for this special performance, Jimmy Park (violin) is undertaking post-master’s studies at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. Alexander Yau, a Juilliard School graduate, is an associate lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

They commenced their program with Igor Stravinsky’s Divertimento, originally written for the ballet in 1928 and arranged for violin and piano in 1932. This work is colourful, rhythmic and playful with an underlying tension. Yau and Park gave it a fine performance, clearly bringing out all the distinct characteristics of Stravinsky’s work.

The next item was Franz Schubert’s 1826 Rondo in B minor. This work is both highly energetic as well as lyrical, challenging players both technically and interpretively. Their performance was exciting and well-controlled throughout.

The final work of the program was Ludwig van Beethoven’s 1803 Sonata No. 9 in A – the Kreuzer.  This major work in three movements has a reputation for technical difficulty in performance, requiring the ability to achieve a wide range of emotion in the music. The performers met that challenge superbly, especially with their electrifying playing of the exuberant third movement.

These works may have tested the performers, but both appeared relaxed and one could sense they were thoroughly enjoying playing together.

To end this concert of highly emotional music, the performers gave a calming encore of the sweetly romantic Liebeslied by Fritz Kreisler.