For those who view classical music as predictable, generic and unrelatable for the general audience to appreciate, and even for those accustomed to listening to Mozart and Beethoven, cellist Prof. Joshua Gordon (MUS) and pianist Randall Hodgkinson would surely change your mind. Their most recent performance, Passionately Modern: Music for Cello and Piano after World War II, took place on Oct. 3 in the Slosberg Recital Hall. According to the program, the Gordon & Hodgkinson Duo's critically acclaimed New World recording, Leo Ornstein: Complete Works For Cello and Piano, was named one of the top 10 classical recordings of 2007 by the All Music Guide. However, one need not see the duo's impressive background to hear and witness its fearless execution and complete mastery of musicality and professionalism. Gordon offered his explanation of modern music after World War II to the audience: "The three works here are hardly representative of every possible direction that music was headed in after [World War II], nor are they necessarily representative of the cutting edge for that time. But each work stands out as a complete, communicative and passionately expressive statement, showing that the combination of cello and piano is still filled with possibilities, and capable of using modern materials while carrying on a heroic and virtuosic tradition."

Gordon and Hodgkinson demonstrated the previous statement with great capability as they explored modern motifs in each work that often incorporated more thematic, traditional ideas in unexpected, sometimes startling ways. While every movement of the three works defied conventional categorization, there was a unifying effect on the audience that made them feel in ways that no classical, Renaissance genre could-in the midst of conflicting atonality, restricted bow techniques and discordant rhythms under tension, a strong, provocative expression of an individual emerged at various twists.

The performance began with Sonata in C, Op. 65 by British composer Benjamin Britten, who wrote the piece for the renowned Soviet cellist Mstislav Rostropovich in 1960. The composer described the opening movement, "Dialogo: Allegro," as a "discussion of a tiny motive of a rising or falling second," consisting of initial short chords and abrupt bowings of the cello and inharmonious lines of the piano gradually coming to an agreement by which the two instruments responded to each other's melodies and even switched roles. The movement was followed by "Scherzo-Pizzicato: Allegretto," during which tonality was purposely shifted and haphazardly organized while Gordon's tumultuous pizzicato complemented Hodgkinson's lyrical statements.

During "Elegia: Lento," the two musicians painted a gloomy and forlorn background, with bittersweet melody with a twist in the traditional ABAB pattern. "Marcia: Energico" seemed to reflect the cello as a mourning, screeching voice that resulted from subsequently increasing tension from preceding movements. Lastly, "Moto Perpetuo: Presto" consisted of both instruments taking turns generating a series of short but energetic pulses of minor chords that increasingly startled the audience when they experienced thrill within discomfort.

Looking around the audience, I noticed various responses-many people were respectful elders who seemed to absorb the shocks that the two musicians released through their mediums of expression, either by silently nodding or watching the performance attentively with teary eyes. Some seemed to be transfixed by their memories of the past. Some students sat in respect, impressed by the complex yet clear expressiveness of the music.

Their next piece was Duo Concertante by Gunther Schuller, who personally inspired Gordon during a fellowship at what was then called the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood in 1984.

It consisted of three movements, each with a different mood to be captured: some forlorn and harsh, some eerie and disturbing and some peaceful and heavenly while deviating from the traditional tonal melody. This piece fully rejected the misconception that modern music cannot be melodic and expressive. The truth is quite the opposite-it is full of twists and surprises of beautiful, unique combinations of ideas that absolutely resist simple identification.

Last, but not least, was Sonata in C Major, Op. 115 by Sergey Prokofiev, which ended the program with a refreshing tone with traditional Russian folk themes that never fully developed nor crystallized due to its modern-themed interruptions. Its second movement, "Moderato," began reflecting Prokofiev's dedication to writing music for children, evolved into a sweet romantic melody in the middle and reverted back to playful tones towards the end. Amusingly, its unexpected ending caused several members in the audience to gasp in incredulous disbelief that the performance had just ended. Soon after, however, the audience began to applaud for the pair's extraordinary musicianship.

Leaving Slosberg, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself relieved and refreshed, as Gordon and Hodgkinson completely commanded my fullest attention and magically lured me into their fantastic world of modern music.

As much as it refuses categorization, it limits words to fully justify the high caliber of its composition and execution. In order to better understand the duo's work, I recommend experiencing it firsthand at Joshua Gordon's website, joshuagordoncello.com.