Kavakos and Pace take a bow in Santa Fe

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The Santa Fe Chamber Festival’s 53rd season got off to an auspicious start on 16 July. Greek violin virtuoso Leonidas Kavakos and master pianist Enrico Pace came to town for the first time and performed a thoroughly captivating, special pre-season gala recital of some of their greatest hits.

Beethoven’s Sonata in A Minor for Violin and Piano led the programme with Kavakos furiously hammering the opening presto, and gracefully sliding in and out of the movement’s lyrical theme with Pace echoing triplet and semiquaver-note arpeggios and thematic lines, creating a dramatic conversation. 

The musicians drove the third and final movement of Beethoven through rhythmic leaps and frantic arpeggios with pure energy and a resonance that would last throughout the evening. Acoustics in the historic St Francis Auditorium tend to fall-off in the back rows, but Kavakos and Pace maintained a bright tone that lit up the entire room.

At the intermission, the person sitting next to me enthused that Pace was as much a superstar as Kavakos. She admitted sheepishly that she was biased, being a piano teacher. I agreed with her, both artists were superb that evening.

The duo also showed a wry sense of humour, especially in Stravinsky’s Divertimento for Violin and Piano. Kavakos roared powerfully through the sharp spiccatos, and with a wink and a nod to the audience, pivoted to the lighter, whimsical danses motifs as if to say, aren’t we being silly now? Meanwhile, his co-conspirator Pace nodded and smiled in agreement as his fingers danced glissandos across the keyboard.

The audience reacted to these gestures, several times letting out muted laughter. What a wonderful surprise to find that the dark and intense violinist seen often in brooding headshots, could be fun-loving and generous in person, sharing total delight with his listeners, while bouncing around in a shimmering purple jacket. It was a nice touch.

Mozart made an appearance; his mournful Sonata in E Minor for Violin and Piano was performed by Kavakos and Pace with the required solemnity and grace. The programme ended on a very high note with Franck’s stunning Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano – a fluid and keen performance by both musicians.

I closed my eyes for a few moments during the final movement, Allegretto poco mosso, and it felt as if a full-throated chamber orchestra was commanding the stage.