ometimes you just need a relaxing Saturday night after a long week and what better way to relax than to sit back, take a deep breath and enjoy a beautiful concert. And that is exactly what I did this Saturday night. At 8 p.m. in the Slosberg Recital Hall, cellist Prof. Joshua Gordon (MUS) and pianist Randall Hodgkinson performed music by Frank Bridge, Paul Hindemith and Sergei Rachmaninoff in a beautiful performance titled "Times of Turbulence: Music for Cello and Piano, 1901-1919."

There was a large turnout-around 60 guests crowded the hall to listen to this fantastic duo. I assume that most of them were in the Brandeis Music department, as they all seemed to know each other and during intermission the people in front of me were discussing the composer Haydn.

Gordon is a distinguished cello instructor at Brandeis who is also a member of Brandeis' Lydian String Quartet. Hodgkinson, also a renowned musician, has made frequent appearances as a recitalist and soloist at major orchestras including those of Philadelphia, Boston and Atlanta. Gordon and Hodgkinson have worked together in the past and made an album together, Leo Ornstein Complete Works for Cello and Piano.

As a cellist myself, I appreciate good technique and Gordon's technique was impeccable. His fingers moved up and down the neck of the cello effortlessly; he had beautiful vibrato that adjusted for tempo; he was in tune; he had a good quality of sound.

Gordon had perfect technique but he did more than just that-his music was emotionally moving. His tone was rich and there was a depth to his sound, the type that only a cello can produce. The slow parts of the pieces had a rich, melting quality, similar to the sensation of eating a warm chocolate cake-it was that delicious. During the faster parts, Gordon kept his quality of sound while moving toward an intense forte. Hodgkinson's technique was equally impressive. His hands flew across the keyboard and barely grazed the keys during the slow parts.

The first piece, "Sonata for Cello and Piano" by Frank Bridge, was fabulous. The three movements complemented one another perfectly and Gordon and Hodgkinson played them to perfection. The Allegro ben moderato was beautiful-the clarity with which Gordon played his notes, even in the upper register, was sublime. When Gordon took the back stage and played lower notes on the C string, Hodgkinson showed off at the piano, playing a higher, contrasting and moving melody that went beautifully with the cello's low drone.

The "Sonata for Cello and Piano Op. 11 no. 3" by Paul Hindermith was much more intense than the Bridge sonata and really reflected the title of the concert: "Times of Turbulence." Gordon's bow flew across the cello as Hodgkinson pounded the keys and stomped on the pedals. The musicians' body movements reflected this intensity. Gordon hunched his shoulders and moved his head to the vigor of the piece. Hodgkinson moved backward and forward at the piano in time with the music.

The first movement started with a heavy piano part followed by an intense and dramatic cello entrance. The piece ended with a cello glissando and then came to a rapid, sudden end. The piece was also technically exquisite. Gordon displayed an extraordinary use of the bow-planning his bow lengths to reflect the tempo and loudness of the piece so that it flowed perfectly. In the second movement, the interplay between the pizzicato of the cello and the precision of the piano made the two instruments sound more alike than they normally do and as a result they seemed to have an intimate conversation.

After the intermission, Gordon and Hodgkinson played "Phantasiest??k in B major for Cello and Piano Op. 8 no. 2" by Hindemith and "Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor Op. 19" by Rachmaninoff. I especially enjoyed the Sonata, during which the cello and the piano would sometimes play intertwining, reoccurring and catchy melodies. The melodies were still playing in my head after the concert.

Gordon and Hodgkinson, two extremely talented musicians, put on a fantastic concert on Saturday night. The crowd was ecstatic and the pair came out to bow for three rounds of applause.