No, not to YOU, my faithful blogophiles; not yet. That’ll come very soon. Kindly read on.
Violinist Megan Julyan-Holland and her husband, cellist James Holland, have held the positions of Principal 2nd Violin and Principal Cello of the Charleston Symphony for quite some time. I’ve known them well ever since I was a member of the Symphony Chorus back in the nineties. They’ve also been teaching their art to Charleston’s children – and have been showing them off at monthly recitals at my home-base, Millennium Music – for quite some time.
Megan and James recently decided to move back to Megan’s hometown, Albuquerque, NM – and brought their pupils to play at Millennium for the last time about a week ago. So, when I learned that they were giving a Piccolo Spotlight recital last night, nothing could keep me away … not even the juicy Intermezzo concert I had to pass up.
Their program was a Hispanic one – beginning with a pair of selections by Spaniard Enrique Granados. Albuquerque pianist Pamela Pyle joined Megan for a sprightly go at one of the composer’s well-known Spanish Dances, in an arrangement for violin & piano. Megan’s hallmark sweet tone and idiomatic interpretation made it a real treat. Then Pyle kept things going with another dance from the same cycle of pieces – this time in its original version for piano solo. This one was a sweet and gauzy nocturne – and she bought it off with great delicacy and atmosphere.
Enter James, for one of Argentinian Tango King Astor Piazzola’s sultry and flavorful adaptations of his national dance-form: Le Grand Tango, for cello & piano. James’ burnished sound and sensual reading made it special. Then all three musicians returned for the magnum opus, Brazilian Master Heitor Villa-Lobos’s Piano Trio No. 2. Actually, this was the least Hispanic-sounding piece of the lot, coming across more like French impressionism, a-la Debussy or Ravel. Our Musicians made a real occasion of it, delivering this rare and unusual piece with great skill and flair.
Megan & James (along with Megan’s sister Robyn Julyan and her new husband Ben Tomkins – both also soon-to-depart members of the CSO’s violin section) have been leading members of our artistic community for a long time – and I couldn’t pass up this chance to bid them a final, fond public farewell … and to thank them for making a real difference in the quality of our musical lives. And I, for one, am losing a brace of cherished friends (sniffle….). Y’all come back, hear?
