It was a privilege to hear such a rich fare of music, both the programming and performance. Daniel Hope is a powerful interpreter, who retains a demeanor of humility in spite of his stature (both physical and musical). He seems entirely committed to plumbing and presenting the truth of the music he plays, and it was appreciated. The Messiaen piece was a revelation, and I was grateful for its inclusion. For me it was a refreshing antidote to the previous "modern" piece, which lacked the human depth and feeling that Messiaen showed could be represented in late 20th century music. The big "hook" that drew me to the concert was the Franck sonata, which has been a big favorite of mine for decades (I wore out the grooves in my 10" vinyl recording by Isaac Stern). Such unmitigated, unapologetic, relentlessly erotic passion has no parallel in chamber music, as far as I'm concerned, and the two performers seem to have shared my feelings for it. However, it was interesting to me that the two performers didn't seem to have agreed on the tempo and expressive pace in many places (it seemed underrehearsed), which at first was confusing and a detraction, but then I realized that they were both such good and sincere performers, I should be happy to be getting two masterful interpretations for the price of one, simultaneously!
I joined the standing ovation.
COMPLAINT: Some people turned their cell phones on for short or long periods of time during the concert. It was a very offensive distraction for the rest of the audience. This is an increasing problem, and something should be done about it!