Suvan Agarwal

At first, Susani's Familiar Dreams, a work unfamiliar to me, begins with arpeggios of fine, penetrating and beautiful tone. Perhaps it is an homage to Claude Debussy — it calls to mind his Arabesque. The melody emerges in the upper register, adorned with harp-like arpeggios, and perpetual motion continues throughout. There is no shadow or darkness; the dream is not an unpleasant one. In Cypresses, too, the arpeggios weave beautiful harmonies. The scale passages that occasionally emerge never feel mechanical and are played with remarkable clarity and elegance. The strong double-stop glissandi in the compulsory piece make a striking impression. As my ears grow accustomed to the language, the listening points seem to shift, and the music begins to sound almost conventional for its era. The descending scales have a powerful impact, and their concluding “snap” is striking and effective. The dynamic range is bold and sweeping, and the ending arrives with disarming simplicity. The Bach that followed was captivating with its beautiful and gentle tone. The campanella trills was especially lovely, and the expansive breadth of the ending was superb! Finally, his Haydn. In the Allegro moderato, the articulation was crisp, and even the fast, intricate passages were rendered with great clarity. One's body feels lifted by the light, joyful rhythms. The decorative figurations fall effortlessly into place, and all the wit and charm of an early sonata come alive. The Minuet draws the listener in from the very first upbeat, with its ornamented grace notes. The changes of tone color are wonderful, and in the Trio, the smooth, singing quality — so characteristic of the guitar — would surely move even keyboard players. The light articulation of the final Presto sparkles! The interplay between the inner-voice arpeggios and the upper and lower voices shows meticulous control in every detail! The performance carries the listener through to the end without a single faltering moment. One feels a a sense of resonance and joy in hearing Haydn played both properly and with such delight.