Once a prodigy pianist and composer, perhaps among the ranks of Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg, 20th century experimental Russian composer Leo Ornstein abruptly retreated from public life in the early 1930s out of disgust with the musical world.It was then that the eccentric Ornstein built his own music school, which he ran until his retirement in 1958. He then disappeared entirely until 1970. When he was discovered by a music expert while vacationing in a trailer park with his wife, Ornstein revealed that in the 40 years since he had last performed he had never stopped writing music.

Such eccentricity was evident during the final installment of this fall's Brandeis Marquee Music Series, in which virtuosic Lydian String Quartet cellist Joshua Gordon and Randall Hodgkinson, a member of the piano faculty of the New England Conservatory and Longy School of Music, performed in Slosberg Recital Hall Sunday.

Gordon and Hodgkinson utilized great skill in a wide range of sonatas, preludes and other musical arrangements by Ornstein. Many of the pieces consisted of multiple sections with common musical themes but a range of dynamics. Some moved quickly, others at a more leisurely pace, but all had a sound unique to Ornstein.

Gordon's strong cello seemed to be balanced perfectly with Hodgkinson's nimble skill on the piano-he seemed to use all of its 88 keys at least once during the concert's span. The cello's deep and full tones contrasted well with the light piano touches, especially when Hodgkinson approached his instrument's highest notes. Both musicians hardly missed a note, though occasionally their timing seemed somewhat off. Having been very conscious of harmonies, and by having the two instruments echo each other, he always emphasized the interplay between the two musicians and their instruments in his duets. This vision was only improved by a strong execution by the musicians.

The performance was enhanced by a segment featuring an audio recording of an interview with Ornstein. The audio reflected Ornstein's personality, displaying that he was well aware of both the quality of his music and the dependence of its survival upon future music aficionados. His enthusiasm and passion-evident here-were perhaps only matched by Gordon and Hodgkinson's expert performance of his music.