Categoria: Senza categoria

Alessandre Tharaud the Aristocrat of the Piano

ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentaryLascia un commento
The second time this month that I hear Alexandre Tharaud and what a joy it turns out to be to admire this aristocrat of the piano. As in St Johns in London ,here in Rome too the scores firmly in view on the piano stand . Whereas in London it was for the Goldberg Variations,here in Rome a mixed programme of Ravel,Grieg and Beethoven op 57. I am totally against solo pianists using the score(look at the difference it made to Curzon and most notably Richter)but if this is the only way we can have this remarkable artist,then so be it. I think it would add another dimention without the score , his playing is so reminiscent of my renowned Mentor Guido Agosti.The whole musical world flocked to his studio in Siena to hear the most refined,intelligent musicianly playing with such perfect and subtle balance between the hands that the colours combined with power ,energy and good taste made one relisten to the most hacknied pieces as if one were listening anew . And so it was with Tharauds” Appassionata”. A revelation as though one were listening to it for the first time.The slow movement in places very original with his simple,fresh musicianship to the fore. If the Ravel Sonatine and Miroirs missed the sumptuousness we are used to, it was more than compensated for by the musical precision and clarity of sound,most probably as Ravel intended it. The scarlatti sonata with the repeated notes ,so often heard as a study and here played as an encore was played at times almost as a frenzied dance.
To say that the other encore,Bach/Siloti ,was sublime with his complete command of colour,dynamic gradations ,combined with the sheer beauty of sound,would indeed be an understatement,for it was simply divine. We all used to flock to Agosti ,I suggest we all flock to this young man who reminds us ,in such a simple way,of values that are so often forgotten these days And now Beatrice Rana and Pappano ‘s new cd on the long drive home.Has the opening theme of that old war horse of Tchaikowsky ever sung out with such an expressive voice ……..already in the charts at 21 and rising rapidly to number one I am sure .Beatrice Rana perfezionata con Benedetto Lupo all.Accademia di S.Cecilia.All in the family so to speak. “Hausmusik” indeed ,and all thanks to Bruno Cagli who believed in and realised his dream.
What a fabulous place this is and now I have Menahem Pressler New Year DVD to enjoy infront of the log fire this evening .Playing with the score Presslers voice sings out as no other can………

ILEANA

ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentaryLascia un commento
Hecuba by Euripides the last role that Ileana played on the 2nd december 2005 struck down by an aneurism in the second performance that day ……….declaiming : ” an eye for an eye when will it ever end………….” She really believed it and it was at that moment that she was taken from us. Ghandi said “If the populations continue to take an eye for an eye ,in a short time this will be the land of the blind………..” This is our history This is our present This is the world we live in . Human nature does not change but our attitude and awareness can and should . It is only through Art,History,Culture and Communication that we can learn and improve ………….. Ileana was a great example of someone who gave without expecting anything in return……………a great example of simplicity and modesty . Let us not forget. She died in my arms declaring her love for me and thanking me for our life together(.Almost thirty years had passed since she was my pupil in Siena for Lydia Agostis class ” Da schoenberg ad Oggi” in which I was her assistant.) She said …no declaimed…….. that she was the happiest and most fulfilled person that she could imagine .She said it was like Manon Lescaut and made me promise no rhetoric.This is life were her last words taken from the play she loved playing so much by Pirandello:”La vita che ti diedi” infact it was the final line in every sense. Those around her in the hospital where she was taken have never forgotten.
L’ultimo ruolo di Ileana. Ecuba di Euripide. Durante la seconda replica quel giorno e’ stata stroncata da un aneurismo proprio nel momento quando dichiarava :” Un occhio per un occhio quando mai finira” Credeva davvero ed era in quel momento che si e’ accosciata per terra sul palcoscenico di suo amato Teatro – nostro figlio infatti.
Ghandi ha detto:”Se i popoli continuano nella practica di togliere occhio per occhio,in breve tempo avremo un mondo dei ciechi” Questa e’ anche la nostra storia. Questo e’ il nostro presente. Questo il mondo in cui viviamo.
Ileana era una grande esempio di una che dava senza aspettando niente in ritorno…un grande esempio di modestia e semplicita’. Non dimentichiamo E morta tra le mie braccia dichiarando suo amore per me e ringraziandome per la nostra lunga vita insieme.Quasi trent’anni infatti. Declamava che era la persona piu’ felice che poteva immaginare .
E come Manont Lescaut diceva .
Mi ha fatto promettere niente retorica .
La vita e’ questa era sua ultime parole prioprio come la dramma di Pirandello che amava recitare cosi tanto “La vita che ti diedi”
E‘cosi era
Quelli intorno all’ospedale dove abbiamo portato non dimenticheranno mai.

Ilya Kondratiev at the Elgar Room

ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentaryLascia un commento
Full house at the Royal Albert Hall for the young russian pianist Ilya Kondratiev. Impeccable Mozart as you would expect from the class of Vanessa Latarcheat the RCM where this young virtuoso is perfecting his quite considerable artistry. If the last movement of K310 could have sung and been shaped with more legato was probably due more to the piano than Ilyas natural musicianship. Strange how in Liszts Fantasy and Fugue on BACH it is the performer that is fundamental whereas in Bach the instrument and performer are incidental. And what a virtuoso performance we were treated to. It is also nice to remember that it was this score that my old mentor Vlado Perlemuter had on his music stand when he died a few years ago. And what a coincidence that Ilya followed the Liszt with one of Perlemuters favourite pieces Debussy Pour le Piano. Here given a magnificent almost orchestral performance without a hint of sentimentality.I could just imagine Vlados approval. Three Preludes by Gershwin admirably suited to Elton Johns Red Piano Tour Yamaha, generously donated to the Elgar Room by Marksons pianos ended this ,that was in so many ways a remarkable recital. Virtuoso performances full of excitement and energy but sadly lacking in the sense of song that Ilya so magically projected as encores in three Schubert/Liszt song transcriptions . Here Ilya sang his heart out with a sumptuous sense of balance and colour and made you realise just what neglected masterpieces these really are. No mean feat for a young man on a Sunday morning. Here he is pictured with Canan Maxton from Talent Unlimited who does so much to help these wondrous young musicians find an audience.That is all they need…..no mean feat though these days l

Mihai Ritivoiu at the Reform Club 25th November 2015

ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentary1 commento
A dream come true for Mihai Ritivoiu performing at the Reform Club the venue used by Jules Verne in his novel “Around the World in 80 days”.His grandmother used to read the book to him and he often used to wonder what a ” Gentleman’s Club ” would look like. So now he knows and also knows what a great venue the library is for his refined piano playing. Schuberts great C minor Sonata played with all the intellectual rigour allied to a sure sense of structure allowed the many sublime moments to be appreciated without sentimentality but with real noble sentiment. Rigoletto Paraphrase at just the right pace and in the right place for the ball. Mozart ‘s Sonata opened this pre lunchtime programme played with all the intelligence and sensitivity that one would expect from a student of Joan Havill. The concert was for the Beethoven Gold Medal Prize Winner…..and it would have been a real treat to have some Beethoven from this very fine player……but time is very precious at the Reform Club ~there is a country to govern ~so fingers crossed that there might be a repeat performance in the not too distant future.

Craig Sheppard at the RCM

ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentary1 commento
+36Christopher Axworthy ha aggiunto 40 nuove foto.24 novembre alle ore 18:48 ·
Real revelations at the RCM at the appearance in the UK again of Craig Sheppard.In the 1970’s when he and Murray Perahia won the top prizes at Leeds ,he became a real favourite playing regularly in London with the major orchestras. For quite some years now he has been missing from the concert scene in Europe. On todays revelatory recital and masterclass one demands to know why? All I can say is that we have been loosing a lot but Mr Sheppard has evidently been refining his quite considerable musicianship,together with a humanity and understanding that is very rare indeed. This is someone who really knows and has no intention of playing the know it all teacher and so with the superb young Ilya Kondratev it was a real meeting of minds and prepared to experiment to find the solution for one of two problems together. At one point he even said he felt like calling Beethoven so he could explain some of his ornamentation more clearly.That ,ofcourse ,would have fallen on deaf ears,Mr Sheppard! But it was the humility and wish to find the solution together that was so refreshing. The only other time I have encountered such helpful masterclasses where teacher and pupil were equals ,was at the RCM with Emanuel Ax. Great compliments to Vanessa Latarche,Ian Jones and of course above all Norma Fisher for convincing these wonderful artists to come to work together with the amazing talent that is being nurtured in a country that has always looked to the east or the USA for such potential. Welcome back Mr Sheppard some of us still remember you and look forward to sharing you with a new generation.

Graham Johnson at the Guildhall

ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentaryLascia un commento
 Wonderful to be reminded that music,poetry,history and art are all a means of expressing human feelings and experience of life . And for Schubert such a short but full one. Sheer piano playing has no place here. Graham Johnson together with Menahem Pressler ,as Dame Fanny reminded me after hearing a song recital on the radio of Graham this spring ,are examples of piano playing that trascends the piano and music is allowed its true voice at last…….seems so simple but is ,in fact,so rare. Masterclass at the Guildhall today

Florian Heinisch at Steinway Hall

ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentaryLascia un commento
 Interesting concert at Steinway Hall of the pianist Florian Heinisch for the Keyboard Charitable Trust. In the presence of the composer Sidney Corbett ,the world premier of his PostScript(to an unsent letter). A very evocative piece full of atmospheric sounds beautifully realised by Florian. Schonbergs 6 piano pieces op23 ,this very complex piece fully rendered without the score. If the classical repertoire did not have the finish or the polish of his contemporary interpretations ,the choice of Images lib.1 ,Bachs B major Prelude and Fugue BWV 893 and the rarely heard two movement sonata op 54 of Beethoven ,showed a refreshingly informed musical mind in his choice of repertoire Of course the real hero of the evening was Dott.von Bredow ,founder member and trustee of the KCT who has done more than anyone ,with his passion for music, to promote young artists,providing many concert engagements not only throughout Germany but expanding almost daily to include Turkey,Jerusalem and Spain. For he knows that it is only through playing in public regularly that these very gifted young artists can aspire to take their just place in the profession. Little could we imagine that Moritz von Bredow will have 97 patients tomorrow morning, clammering for his professional consultancy in his clinic in Germany. Passion for music and helping the young evidently has no limits at the KCT. “Hats off” indeed.

Simon Trpceski at the Barbican november 2015

ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentary1 commento
 A standing ovation and five encores for Simon Trpceski’s Chopin recital at the Barbican tonight. A Pogorelich type control of the keyboard but with such extremes of dynamics that the musical line was not always clear. What had happened to what Richter described as”the good old traditional cantabile”(describing with great love and admiration the art of Artur Rubinstein) Passing from first to fifth gear did not allow us,the audience,to follow the great musical line. Some extremrely beautiful,almost inaudible,sounds that the audience followed in hushed reverence.Here is a man who obviously loves the piano and is a supreme pianist in total control. Perhaps for this reason the last prelude op 28 and a little waltz so simpatically announced that he had played since childhood ,were the most satisfying performances. Maybe the simplicity of a child would be the clue to more coherent performances. However it was a very enjoyable way of ending a day full of glorious music making. What a place London is Cherkassky was right when he said it was the only place to live

ALEXANDER ULLMAN AT THE RCM 21st September 2015

ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentaryLascia un commento
Alex Ullman Prize Winners Concert at the RCM

All those that remember that very distinguished musician Kendall Taylor will be pleased to know of the Beethoven Competition at the Royal College of Music in his name .And I think Kendall Taylor in his turn would be very glad and proud to know that this year it is in the extraordinary hands of Alex Ullman.

 

Beethoven Prize – Chopin recital ………has no importance what is played when it is played like this .

 

All the sounds of the Golden Age of piano playing were here and the kaleidoscope of sounds extracted from this wooden box of strings and hammers was nothing short of magical.Actually a beautiful Steinway “D” but not always as evident as on this happy occasion.

 

Strange but very effective choice of opener with the so called ” Cat ” Waltz op.34 n.3 .Its fanfare type opening actually the perfect foil for what was to come.” Kitten on the Keys” came to mind for the velocity of the opening but that was soon put to rights with the total contrast and the refined,subtle colours that he found in the middle section .

 

Canons covered in flowers comes to mind as the Polonaise Fantasie was unveiled and given its true place as one of Chopin’s greatest works.. Grandure,nobility,virtuosity was all here and the subtlety of the return of the main theme revealed the true meaning of Cortots'” avec un sentiment de regret” so clearly written in my copy years ago by his disciple Vlado Perlemuter.

 

The great A flat Polonaise at the end was given a young mans’ performance full of verve and passion and the left hand octaves beautifully played allowing the right hand to sing as so rarely heard since Rubinstein.Missing perhaps the aristocratic heroism and timing that will come with maturity.

 

The B flat minor Scherzo too given a thrilling account with such subtle contrasts.Infact all through the concert his wonderful sense of balance was apparent allowing the piano to sing as only a great singer could do .The Berceuse and two nocturnes were remarkable for this and many other reasons notably the nobility and strength in the nocturnes.

 

Golden Age of Piano Playing live and well and one is reminded of that other great english pianist Stephen Hough so admired by Shura Cherkassky the master of them all for subtlety,nuance and colour .

 

Book soon for Alex’s Chopin recital at the Wigmore Hall on Sunday the 28th February for the Keyboard CharityTrusts’ Prizewinners concert, before the word spreads .

THE MIRACLE THAT IS ALBERTAZZI

ChristopherAxworthyMusicCommentaryLascia un commento

The Miracle that is Albertazzi

Ultimo aggiornamento: 4 minuti fa

 

PubblicaAmici degli amiciAmiciAmici tranne conoscentiSolo ioPersonalizzataAmici più strettiArea di RomaVedi tutte le liste…Teatro GhioneFamiliariConoscentiTorna indietro

Last night at Ostia Antica in Rome .Giorgio Albertazzi’s memorable interpretation of Marguerite Yourcenar’s Memorie di Adriano.

 

Remarkable ” tour de force” by what must surely be one of the greatest actors of the age,Now unbelievably in his 92 year ,Over an hour on stage in what is the essence of Yourcenars famous story of Adriano.

 

In fact you could say that Albertazzi is Adriano so intense and concentrated is his one man performance it draws the public in to his almost intimate confessions.

 

Accompanied only by some very atmospheric sounds mainly fomr Evelyn Megnaghi and with the regal presence of Stefania Masala and another two actors Albertazzi held the stage alone for over an hour.A veritable feat of memory but also of comunication … this is the real art of an actor and what a lesson he gave all those fortunate enough to have been present in this magical setting.

 

Even the ” Gods” were silenced by il Maestro for the rain storm that delayed the start of the performance was abaited right until the very last line when the heavens opened up again..When Albertazzi speaks even the Gods must listen