The stars were aligned. Cellist Pieter Wispelwey and pianist Piers Lane harnessed Elisabeth Murdoch Hall’s exceptional acoustics to create a scintillating performance of three stunning cello works in the first of their three-part recital series.

Both have a strong personal connection with the Hall. Lane selected the Recital Centre’s pianos and performed at the Centre’s opening night; and Wispelwey said in a recent interview that “the golden aura” fed by the acoustics made it his favourite concert hall.

Pieter Wispelwey. Photo supplied

Night I of the duo’s three-part Melbourne series featured sonatas by Prokofiev and Shostakovich, with the first of Benjamin Britten’s three cello suites spliced in between them. Nights II and III have a similar format, with the Night II featuring classical sonatas (Schubert and Mendelssohn), and Night III devoted to French ones (Chopin and Franck).

The program opened with Prokofiev’s three-movement sonata in C major.  The range of tones and colours they evoked gave the music a fresh and dynamic edge. Moments to relish included the dramatic opening on the cello’s lowest string and Lane’s elegant interpretation of the charming second theme in the first movement and the sudden mood swings that energised their interpretation.

Wispelwey introduced Britten’s nine-movement suite by playing and explaining snippets from it. His captivating performance presented a succession of vivid sound pictures, including a tender ‘balcony’ scene, a militaristic march and ensuing battle (‘with some fatalities’); an animated musical conversation (in the fugue); and a seamless three-minute drone he sustained while ‘things happened’ around it.

Shostakovich’s D minor sonata is characteristically full of contrasts: a lush opening theme, juxtaposed with a lighter motif: a rhythmically relentless movement; a bare but emotionally charged slow movement, and a jaunty/frenzied finale. This work showcased Wispelwey’s rich tone, Lane’s nuanced touch and the duo’s technical brilliance.

As an encore, they played Glazunov’s transcription of Chopin’s C sharp minor (‘cello’) study; sealing the wonderful evening with the cello’s soulful melody and an exquisitely warm and delicate piano accompaniment.

Wispelwey’s expressive gestures underscored the drama inherent in all three works and gave his performance a warm, human touch. We could sense his complete immersion in the music.

Another highlight of this performance was the spontaneous and inventive way these two sensitive performers collaborated to bring their chosen program to life. With dozens of albums and thousands of performances behind them, they nevertheless played every exquisitely polished note as if it had just been conceived. They have left their mark on this music.

Pieter Wispelwey and Piers Lane: Night II (17 September); Night III (18 September), Melbourne Recital Centre.

Wispelwey also plays with The Bowerbird Collective on 20 September at Blackheath Community Hall, NSW (sold out), and at Wollongong Art Gallery, NSW on 23 September.