Mayumi Sakamoto at St Mary’s ‘A superb pianist of great intelligence and class’

ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentary
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A fairy Princess descends on Perivale to show us with such modesty how Grieg can really sound in the hands of a master.Eloquence,elegance a multifaceted sense of colour and above all a complete mastery of style that was recognised with the Gold Medal at the International Grieg Competition in Oslo .A breathtaking mastery with fingers that belonged to the keys like limpets searching out ravishing sounds that are hidden within and are only found by a very select few.They are great artists indeed and a very rare breed.It was Dr Mather who was approached by a Japanese member of the audience asking if his wife could give a concert at St Mary’s -‘She plays quite well’ he said and the family had recently transferred to Ealing sharing their time between Tokyo and Ealing.Looking at her CV Dr Mather was amazed to see the success that she had won in many International Piano competition.The result was today’s concert that in Dr Mather’s words was ‘sensational – a pianist of great class’ and in fact one of the finest recitals out of 2000 that St Mary’s has ever had.

From the very first notes there was authority and ‘weight’ which gave a depth to the sound of great beauty.The repeat of the opening of the prelude was like an echo in veiled tones of whispered secrets.The Sarabande was unfolded with disarming simplicity followed by the stylish Gavotte of rhythmic energy with a beautifully fluid trio.An Air of poignant beauty with a depth of sound, the return of the melody in the tenor register with ornamentation was deeply moving.But it was the clarity and ‘fingerfertigkeit’ of the Rigaudon that was so impressive ,played as it was with infectious good humour.It contrasted with the nostalgia of the central episode before the return of the opening.It closed a transcendental performance of aristocratic authority
Mayumi explained the affinity to nature of the Lyric Pieces by Grieg and the Japanese works that she had chosen to contrast with them.It is ‘Divinity’ that decides all types of nature and it is this simple belief that joins the two worlds together.Certainly her performance of ‘To Spring’ had something of the divine to it.Rarely played these days the Lyric pieces are of disarming simplicity and beauty it is good to be reminded especially by a pianist of such sensibility and stature.Like Gilels they can bring a subtle shading and sumptuous sense of balance to these pieces and show us with an explosion of beauty what jewels they can be in the hands of real artists.
A beautifully expressive and expansive page of improvised beauty and luminosity
Beautifully wistful as I remember from Gieseking .This Butterfly just slipped from her fingers with a very subtle sound palette.A jeux perlé of improvised freedom but given a shape of beguiling insinuation
A much longer work of a Messianic delicacy of brittle sounds of poignant beauty and what a wonderfully atmospheric ending of great suggestion .
A similar sound world that the Japanese works share but with the immediately subtle recognition of Grieg’s native folk idiom played with such delicacy and subtle shading.
A change of mood brought us this Japanese dance of throbbing rhythms building to a tumultuous climax and showing us another side to the pianist’s character.Florestan had appeared on the scene
An important work rarely played these days.
Cherkassky used to include it regularly in his recitals but it takes a great musician to give it shape and form joining seemingly rather fragmented episodes into one united whole.
Mayumi with her superb musicianship brought this youthful work to life with a freedom and sense of character but also a sense of shape and overall direction as she opened with a passionate outpouring of Romantic sounds.
An Andante of simplicity allowing the music to flow naturally with a ravishingly sensitive cantabile A measured Minuet was played with a capricious sense of style and the Finale with dynamic drive bursting into mellifluous interludes of driving passion and closing with a climax of glorious sumptuous sounds.

Born in Japan, Mayumi Sakamoto graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts Mayumi has been studying at the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater Hannover in Germany on a scholarship from the Rohm Music Foundation since 2005 and gained the KA degree (“Diplom” degree in Music, Artistic Training in Music) in 2007 additionally graduating the Soloist-diploma course 2013, with the orchestra prize. 

Mayumi won the 1st prize and the Prix d’Oslo at the International Edvard Grieg Piano Competition in Norway> She was the 2nd Prize winner at the Top of the World International Piano Competition in Norway as well as at the XII Andorra International Piano Competition accompanied by the Special Prize for French Pieces of Music and Special Scholarship in Andorra. Pinerolo International Piano Competition in Italy, the Scottish International Piano Competition and the 2003 Leeds International Pianoforte Competition, a semi-finalist at the 2002 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, and a diploma recipient at the Van Cliburn International Piano CompetitionShe also received prizes at numerous piano competitions in Japan including the 1st Prize at the 52nd All Japan Student Music Concours at the age of 15.Mayumi has recorded a CD of the Mozart’s piano concertos with the WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln in 2012, and Grieg’s Piano Concerto with Göttingen Symphony Orchestra, Germany, 2013.

https://www.mayumisakamoto.com/english

The generosity of Kapellmeister Mather A celebration of a great man and his team on the 2000th Anniversary concert

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