The extraordinary class of Michail Lifits.Nine young pianists of artistic integrity and refined musicianship who illuminated the beauty of Chopin’s 21 nocturnes
The extraordinary class of Michail Lifits.Nine young pianists of artistic integrity and refined musicianship who illuminated the beauty of Chopin’s 21 nocturnes
All 21 nocturnes by Frédéric Chopin were performed under the motto ‘Images of the Night’ on the same evening. The cycle, which is an important part of piano literature and which Chopin composed between 1827 and 1846, was presented to the public by various students of Prof. Michail Lifits’ piano class at the Weimar University of Music in December 2023. “Chopin made the soul of the piano sing. His music combines the singing and the virtuoso in a very organic way, which allows us pianists to experience a very intense connection with our instrument,” says Lifits.
A quite extraordinary line up of pianists each with an individual poetic sensibility that illuminated these 21 gems with refined artistry and musicianly intelligence.Professor Lifits sharing his genial mastery with young musicians only too ready to be inspired and moved by such refined beauty where every note has a poignant meaning to bring to life the wishes of the composer.
A beautifully shaped aristocratic rubato of natural fluidity .Beautiful voicing of the thumb in the central octave episode of op 9 n.1 and there was mystery and poetic beauty of the pianississimo legatissimo of timeless beauty before the final return of the opening. Beguiling radiance and a refined tone palette he brought to one of the best known Nocturnes : op 9 n. 2 ,and the agitato of op 9 n. 3 was played with a superb sense of balance sustained by a bass that allowed the melodic line to sing out unimpededA chiselled beauty of the Andante cantabile of op 15 n.1 ,wistful and enticing of disarming simplicity.The beautiful physical movement of his arms and hands gave great fluidity to all he caressed from the keys.Even the ‘con fuoco’ was played with nobility but always singing and never harsh or ungrateful but part of the overall architectural shape.He brought rich bold sounds to op 15 n. 2 ,the nocturne that Rubinstein made his own .There were trills and embellishments that were mere vibrations of sound and if his youthful passion made the ‘doppio movimento’ a little unsteady he brought pure magic of timeless beauty to the coda.A beautiful architectural shape of subtle shading in op 15 n.3 ,the poor relation of the three,but not in this man’s sensitive poetic hands.There was a wondrous stillness to the chorale and his control of sound in the coda showed a masterly sense of legato as the music disappeared into the distance with wondrous beauty.The barely murmured left hand of op 27 n.1 caressing the keys as the melancholic melodic line just floated and hovered above the radiantly poignant sounds .The ‘piu mosso’ entered so stealthily building to a passionate climax with the ‘con anima’ played with ‘soul’ not strength and the left hand octave recitativo played with nobility and enviable legato.Op 27 n. 2 was rather slow but was imbued with poetic beauty with a magic question and answer and the dying sighs in the coda were of truly glowing beauty.Simplicity and beauty rather than drama and nobility until the final bars where the drama was finally played out with passionate commitment . Its twin op 31 n. 2 was allowed to flow so naturally and if the central ‘piu agitato’ could have been more horizontal than vertical it was played with the great temperament more of an Impromptu than a NocturneHe brought a beautiful cantabile to op 37 n.1 with the chorale played with string quartet richness .Op 37 n. 2 was thrown off with the same ease and charm as the third Impromptu as he brought a gentle pastoral flow to the beautiful central episode Sumptuous elegance and style as the ‘ poco più lento’ entered in whispered tones building very subtly to a climax and cascades of octaves as it reached out for the ‘doppio movimento’. Here the melodic line was floated on a passionate outpouring of exhilaration and excitement as the final notes spread their wings to reach into the infinite of the longest and most complex of all the nocturnes. Op 48 n. 2 was played with a flowing tempo full of subtle colours and inflections and poetically slowing down almost to a halt before the return of the theme .The often whimsical ‘molto più lento’ was here played with subtle shaping of poetic beauty as vibrations of sound filled the air before a final etherial farewell and a beautifully placed final chord.Op 55 n.1 was Cherkassky’s favourite nocturne and Mikhail played it with the same poetic fantasy as the great master.The ‘piu mosso’ entering with elegance and subdued passion leading to a beautifully shaped cadenza of passion and breathtaking beauty as the main theme returned. This time embellished with poetic artistry and cascades of notes gently accompanying a deep tenor melody of subtle beauty.The ‘Lento sostenuto’ of op 55 n.2 is one of the most passionate outpourings of all the nocturnes and was played with aristocratic authority with whispered counterpoints of scintillating radiance and hidden beauty. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2024/04/11/trapani-the-jewel-of-sicily-where-dreams-can-become-reality-the-international-piano-competition-domenico-scarlatti/Hands that waded into the waters with beautiful natural movements as she sculptured the sounds of these two last late nocturnes.There was a whispered beauty to the B major nocturne ,played rather slowly but with a poetic explosion of ornaments of ravishing beauty.There was languid beauty to the E major nocturne with a beautifully fluid central episode of imposing ‘agitato’ and the meeting of the two worlds as the nocturne was brought to a poignant ending.Three posthumous nocturnes were played with a simplicity and beguiling beauty .Op 72 n. 1 was bathed in pedal as the melody of nostalgia was played with subtle artistry and beauty.The nocturne in C sharp minor op posth was played with great delicacy and a chiselled beauty and the final C minor was played with aristocratic poise.
Una risposta a "The extraordinary class of Michail Lifits.Nine young pianists of artistic integrity and refined musicianship who illuminated the beauty of Chopin’s 21 nocturnes"
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 
Una risposta a "The extraordinary class of Michail Lifits.Nine young pianists of artistic integrity and refined musicianship who illuminated the beauty of Chopin’s 21 nocturnes"