This Saturday night, celebrated pianist Wu Han and her equally celebrated husband, cellist David Finckel, play a duo recital of Russian works at Mandeville Auditorium.
“I’d say it’s about time. The last time we played a joint recital in La Jolla was before we took over SummerFest,” said Wu Han from the couple’s New York apartment, where they live with daughter Lilian. Lilian, who turns 12 the day of the recital, will accompany them in La Jolla. “You might see us in the Village. We couldn’t leave her home.”
The recital program includes Sergei Prokofiev’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in C Major, Op. 119; Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Sonata for Piano and Cello in G minor, Op. 19; and the Southern California premiere of contemporary Russian composer Lera Auerbach’s Sonata No. 1 for Violoncello and Piano.
“[Auerbach] came to our concert at Aspen and passed us a CD. It was just extraordinary so we decided to commission her a piece for us,” said Wu Han, adding that it is a powerful work with a strong emotional impact, an original voice and a distinct sound. “Audiences usually just go crazy over it.”
“I was happy when David Finckel and Wu Han asked me to write a large-scale work for them,” the composer says in her program note. “They form a very dramatic union, capable of captivating audiences with magnetic intensity and powerful interpretations.”
How did this dramatic union come about?
“We met when I won a competition,” Wu Han said. “The prize was getting to play with the famous Emerson String Quartet [of which he is a longstanding member].”
At the time, she didn’t really know how famous because she didn’t read English and hardly spoke it. The Emerson’s regular pianist cancelled several times that season and they phoned Wu Han to ask if she would play with them.
“They’re a great group with such big heart,” she said. “I just became friends with all of them ” for life now. I’m having the best, most privileged life to be surrounded by such great musicians.”
She must admit that of the four, Finckel has the most beautiful eyes.
“I would not deny that,” she said. “Actually, I fell in love with the music making. It was very natural from the beginning. It’s been like that ever since. We have the best time making music together. That’s always where our relationship is based.”
Having established ArtistLed (www.artistled.com), the first musician-directed, Internet-based classical music recording company, in 1997, Finckel and Wu Han were co-artistic directors of La Jolla Chamber Music Society’s SummerFest from 1998 through 2000. In 2003, they launched Music @ Menlo, a summer music festival in the Silicon Valley, and as artistic directors of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, they just announced programming for their first season. They recently released a well-received ArtistLed recording of works by Johannes Brahms, played by the two of them.
Wu Han and David Finckel play sonatas by Russian masters at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. Mandeville Auditorium is on the UCSD campus, 9500 Gilman Drive. Tickets are $32 to $36.
For tickets and information, visit www.artpower.ucsd.edu or call (858) 534-TIXS.