All Roads
Blue Griffin, 2023
8/10
The esteemed violinist Brendan Shea and inimitable pianist Yerin Kim cover the evolving musical aesthetics that passed through the culture of Vienna over two centuries, and it makes for 4 in depth pieces by Beethoven, Schumann, Schnittke and Beach.
Beethoven’s “Sonata for Piano and Violin, No. 3 in E-Flat major, Op. 12” opens the listen with the keys and strings dancing around each other with precision and adventurous that’s full of beauty and grace, and “Suite in the Old Style for Violin and Piano”, by Schnittke, follows with so much intimacy between the stirring strings and heartfelt keys.
The emotive “Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105” lands on the back half, where the pair interpret Schumann’s work with waves of calmness versus tension that showcases each player’s unparalleled playing, and Beach’s “Romance for Violin and Piano, Op. 23” exits with a tremendous amount of gorgeous instrumentation between the duo’s agile and dreamy interaction.
Shea and Kim have been performing together all over the globe for over 10 years, and that chemistry and attention to detail certainly helps make for a rich and often ebullient display of song craft that leaves an indelible impression.