Saturday 25 November 2023 

THE LISZT SOCIETY ANNUAL DAY 2023

William Bracken ,winner of the 2022 Liszt Competition revealed only a year on to be a musician of mastery and remarkably committed artistry.I have heard this young artist over the past few years as his studies progressed at the Guildhall and was astonished and delighted today to hear how he has developed into a mature artist of stature .With a kaleidoscope of sounds he brought a fluidity and luminosity to the ‘bells’ as portrayed by Liszt and Debussy.It was a very interesting juxtaposition to hear Liszt’s rarely played ‘Les Cloches de Genèvre’ with Debussy’s bells from Images Bk 2 and as William very eloquently said they were both at different times in history painting pictures through music.Liszt in a more formal way whereas Debussy was more fragmented and improvisatory.

The two Liszt opening pieces were revelations of simplicity and beauty. ‘Au Bord d’une source’ is a miniature masterpiece and obviously was the inspiration for Ravel’s ‘Jeux d’eau’, but has been neglected in the concert hall since the famous recording of Horowitz .It is a perfect miniature tone poem and a continuous flow of jewels glistening over a constant stream of gentle sounds like water flowing over a mountain stream.Williams sound world was of a clarity and cleanliness never hard but always luminous even in the gently exciting climax.It was a sound that reminded me of Tamas Vasary and the very fluid Hungarian school of playing of Anda ,Kocsis or Ranki.

William has some strange rather eccentric ways though of taking his hands off the keys and leaving the sounds to finish the piece with the pedal still on or throwing his hands in the air like a cat on a hot tin roof ( better than last time I heard him but wonder if they are really necessary).He would do good to take Brendel’s own advice to himself as he said he did not sing or moan like Gould but he did make grimaces that he too was aware of and tried to cure by having a mirror next to the piano in the practice studio. A small point when a young artist actually listens to himself with sensitivity and intelligence and at times great passionate involvement.His passionate vehemence was especially noticeable in ‘Les Cloche de Genèvre’ where his magical embellishments and sense of balance also allowed the melodic line to shine with purity and beauty.The ending of this remarkable work was pure magic as he had endowed this tone poem with beauty combined with architectural shape.

The three Debussy Images were played with a luminosity and bathed in pedal but still managing to keep the utmost clarity with a wondrous sense of balance and superb use of the pedals .The moon shone as never before as it illuminated so magically the remains of the distant temple and it was a true jewel box of sounds as William’s touch was so varied with gong like precision as he struck the keys with such sensitivity.The ‘Poissons d’or’ were allowed to flitter fleetingly in absolutely clear waters unimpeded and at ease ,at times in very suave French style.

In the Chopin Fourth Scherzo he brought a sense of discovery and living a story to every strand.The quicksilver changes of character were revealed with virtuosity and passion – some strange pianistic jiggery pokery in fast passages but always with the musical meaning uppermost in mind.The mellifluous central episode unwound with simplicity and aristocratic fluidity and contrasted with the subtle refined virtuosity that surrounds it.The grandeur and nobility he brought to the final pages was quite breathtaking.

‘En rève’’ a late piece by Liszt that ends on a question mark pointing into the distance with such optimistic uncertainty .It was a piece that my old teacher Gordon Green used to enthuse about and insist that we all play – it is only a page long and is of the same simplicity of Mozart such had Liszt distilled his musical thoughts into a few essential notes of such poignant meaning.

The Variations on ‘Weinen,Klagen,Sorgen,Zagen’ were given a monumental performance where Williams mastery both technical and musical were exposed to the full as this work unfolded with its beseeching descending chromaticism .His astonishing virtuosity contrasted with the simplicity of the chorale melody before the triumphant ending in the blaze of glory of a fervent believer.

 

Liszt is alive and well and today in Perivale

1. Cheuk Kin Neo Hung (China, b 2003) 3rd Prize

‘Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este’
from Années de pèlerinage – Troisième Année – Italie, S163

Variations on a theme from Bach’s ‘Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen’ S180

2. Spencer Klymyshyn (Canada, b.1999) 2nd Prize

Petrarch sonnet no 104
from Années de pèlerinage – Deuxième Année – Italie, S161

‘Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude’
from Harmonies poétiques et religieuses, S173

3. Hedong Li (Hong Kong, China, b.2004) Highly Commended

Rigoletto concert paraphrase S434

‘Après une lecture de Dante – Fantasia quasi sonata’
from Années de pèlerinage – Deuxième Année – Italie, S161

 

4. Fang-Lin Liu (Taiwan, b. 2001) Highly Commended

La lugubre gondola (I) S200/1

‘Chasse-neige’
from 12 Études d’exécution transcendente, S139

Hungarian Rhapsody no 12 in C sharp minor S244

5. Letian Yu (China, b.2008). First Prize

Valses oubliées, S215
No. 1 in F sharp major
No. 2 in A flat major
No. 3 in D flat major

‘La Campanella’
from Études d’exécution transcendante d’après Paganini, S140

‘Danse macabre’ – transcription of Saint-Saëns Op 40 S555

Performances will be followed by Jury Deliberation and Winner Announcement
Jury:
Melvyn Cooper, Leslie Howard, Minkyu Kim and Mark Viner.

It was a unanimous decision to award first prize to the fifteen year old Letian Yu

Minkyu Kim – mastery exults to the glory of Liszt

https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.wordpress.com/2019/12/01/liszt-comes-to-perivale/