Henrique Eisenmann told members of the capacity audience of about 100 at the 1900 Building on Friday, July 7, that the recital was his fourth appearance in the Kansas City area. His collaboration with fellow Brazilian Lívia Nestrovski last year was stunning. (Plastic Sax review.) In 2018, the pianist and the Israeli bassist Ehud Ettun concentrated on jazz. (Plastic Sax review.)
Last week’s concert with the storied cellist Eugene Friesen allowed Eisenmann to demonstrate entirely different aspects of his talent in a 90-minute exhibition of Brazilian chamber music splashed by colorful flourishes of jazz.
The duo opened the concert with a vintage choro. Brazil was further represented with interpretations of compositions by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento and Pixinguinha. The emotional resonance of both men’s vocals on a few of the Brazilian standards provided the evening’s biggest surprise.
Oscar Castro-Neves’ arrangement of a Johann Sebastian Bach piece was an ideal bridge to renditions of works by Béla Bartók, Felix Mendelssohn and Claudio Monteverdi.
Even as Friesen proved himself to be a rowdy alternative to Yo-Yo Ma, Eisenmann’s enthusiastic scholarship and boundless pianism stood out. My $36 ticket provided a priceless experience. Consequently, missing Eisenmann’s ostensible fourth appearance in Kansas City represents a cultural tragedy.