Isabelle Faust, Violin & Alexander Melnikov, Piano

Seasoned duet partners Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov make their Duke Performances debuts with a program demonstrating their musical mastery and meticulous attention to scholarship and detail. Both Faust and Melnikov are noted for their devotion to historically-informed performance practice, and their recordings and performances have received consistent praise for drama and subtlety. Critics note this attention to sensitivity in their collaborations, and individually they are highly sought-after as concerto soloists with the world's top orchestras and conductors.

Their program at Baldwin Auditorium features two early Beethoven violin and piano sonatas; their recording of the complete Beethoven sonatas earned Gramophone's Recording of the Year in 2010, giving audiences in Durham a chance to hear why The Guardian called this recording "essential listening." They will intermix the Beethoven sonatas with two 20th century masterworks - Stravinsky's classically-inspired Duo Concertante and Bartók's acidulous First Sonata for Violin and Piano.

Program
Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in D Major, op. 12, no. 1

Stravinsky: Duo Concertante for Violin and Piano

Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 5 in F Major, op. 24 ("Spring Sonata")

Bartók: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1, Sz. 75