"At Brandeis, I have had many satisfactions, a fair amount of frustration and one unique opportunity, as chairman of the School of Creative Arts, to collaborate in the creation of entire departments of music, fine arts and theater," reads a passage in the autobiography of the late Irving Fine, a former professor of music at Brandeis.Fine's legacy was celebrated Sunday afternoon in Slosberg Recital Hall in an annual concert dedicated to his memory featuring Prof. Daniel Stepner (MUS), first violinist of the Lydian String Quartet, and Sally Pinkas, a pianist-in-residence and music professor at Dartmouth College who received her Ph.D. at Brandeis.

Four pieces were performed in the concert, each with multiple movements. Neither Stepner nor Pinkas seemed to miss a beat, playing with pinpoint accuracy, whether the piece was slow and nostalgic or quick and energetic.

"Sonata for Piano and Violin," (1948) an original work by Fine, was exceedingly well written. Moving quickly with an upbeat rhythm, it captivated the audience instantly, and was a great piece with which to open the concert.

The second piece, "Romances for Piano Solo" (2004) by Daniel Pinkham, didn't perform as well. The piece featured six very distinct parts, and it was hard to capture the separate feelings of each of them in such a short time, despite Stepner and Pinkas' excellent execution.

Stepner's solo, "When the Bow Breaks" (2000) by David Rakowski, was a welcome relief after the somewhat disorienting "Romances." It was the most adventurous piece in the set, and had the most powerful effect. The song moved at an extremely rapid pace, especially when Stepner plucked the violin's strings instead of using the bow. This technique was the inspiration for the piece's title and lent a brilliant staccato effect, a departure from the more traditional and soothing classical style.

The concert closed with a bang, uniting fast and slow, as well as loud and soft, elements in "Sonata in A Major, for violin and piano" (1860) by Csar Franck. The piano part was especially demanding, as it showcased fast movement on both extremes of the keyboard, requiring immense physical skill.

With an array of pieces from classical and contemporary eras, Stepnar and Pinkas demonstrated what music is all about. Fine would have been delighted.