Some remarkable Hausmusik in the noblest of traditions at St Barnabas in Ealing today. A retired doctor shared his tireless enthusiasm with his numerous and discerning public in this very large church with an amazingly good acoustic. Hugh Mather recently celebrated his one thousandth concert in St Barnabas and St Marys in Ealing and Perivale .Both venues very well known to all the great young aspiring talents that Dott Mather has taken under his wing during his retirement from medicine. On his beautiful Bosendorfer grand Dott Mather caressed the opening melody of Schubert`s Arpeggione that left no doubt to his considerable musical skills.Skills that were matched on this occasion by Jamal Aliyev one of the finest young cellists of his generation.A real musical conversation where the quite considerable musical problems of this masterpiece were swept aside in music making of such immediacy and mastery that it was a privilege to be present on such an intimate occasion. The last movement played with such charm and wit one almost wanted it never to stop.How much he enjoys playing with Dott.Mather Jamal confided afterwards swept along by his irresistible passion for music. In Dott Mathers charming introduction to Beethoven’s monumental last cello sonata he let slip that after one of the most sublime Adagios ever written Beethoven decided to end with one of his most treacherous fugues. Confiding in the more than fifty year difference in age between he and Jamal he said he would give it a go and hope for the best. He need not have mentioned it because so carried along by their real music making we were not aware of the enormous terror that this work holds for all that attempt to conquer its secrets. Another tireless supporter of young talents Canan Maxton was present as always for her stars from the stable of her Talent Unlimited a charity she founded to help all these amazing young talents that seek only an audience. Charity begins at home they say and this is very much the home of Dott.Mather and his remarkable team dedicated to providing just such a platform. In fact invigorated by his Beethoven he enthusiastically announced next friday the annual concert of the intercollegiate Beethoven Competition winner,Ilya Kondratiev .Another wonderful way to spend lunchtime in this remarkable musical oasis and like Jamal another of the stars helped by Talent Unlimited. How much these young artists owe to these two indefatigable promoters of great talent in the making.
Categoria: Senza categoria
Anna Fedorova at the LSE
Anna Fedorova literally flew into LSE today and swept everything in her way off their feet. What progress since her very fine recital here last year as a promising student to the transformation into a great artist.
The four ballades of Chopin played with a very decided musical personality that restored the nobility and sentiment that so often can turn into sentimentality. The contrast in the second ballade between the almost beseeching,searching opening melodic line to the tumultuous outbursts led to as fiery a coda as I have ever heard .The return of the quiet opening few bars was quite magical. The third and fourth ballades given a new and fresh hearing.The fourth in particular with some unusually convincing passion in parts that so easily can fall into sentimentality. So the four ballades conceived as a whole monumental masterpiece that in her hands it surely is. Three Scarlatti sonatas delightfully introduced by Ann who certainly showed herself more at home at the piano than with the mechanics of a microphone. No encores were offered or expected after that exhilarating lunchtime. Much looking forward to more Chopin on the 25th from another remarkable pianist from the Keyboard Charitable Trust Stable Alexander Ullman
Piano tour de Force at the Romanian Institute
Concert at the Romanian Culturale Institute in Belgrave Square,packed out for the first collaboration with the Keyboard Charitable Trust in a concert billed as a Piano Tour de Force to celebrate that remarkable musician George Enescu. Two of the KCT`s finest pianists Evgeny Genchev and Mihai Ritivoiu in a real feast of virtuoso piano works by Bach,Chopin,Liszt ,Vine ,Silvestri and,of course Enescu. The majestic Overture in a French style with Evgeny that opened the concert contrasted well with Carl Vine`s Toccatissimo with Mihai,written as a trial of fire for the Sydney International Piano Competition. The sharp well defined rhythms brought to life by the two young virtuosi with a real sense of urgency and impulse but never lacking in sharp dynamic contrasts. The overt virtuosity of the Vine superbly brought to life with real feats of dexterity from delicate pianissimi to overpowering fortissimi ,never a harsh sound from this young musician always with a clear sense of line . The virtuosity was less evident in the Bach of Evgeny ,but anyone who knows these pieces will have appreciated the real tour de force needed to bring this neglected masterpiece to life. Two Enescu pieces: Mihai with the Pavane and Evgeny with the unpublished Regrets ,gratefully sent for the occasion by the Enescu Foundation. The music has much in common with that other polyhedric genius Ferruccio Busoni and reflects very much the period it was written . Evgenys beautifully suggestive sound palate suited Regrets and led to some very refined music making and for us with the wish to hear some more of these much neglected works. Mihais Pavane was more down to earth which may have been indeed a later less romantic piece. And now the two great romantic works on the programme Chopin`s Polonaise Fantasie op 61 and Liszt`s Dante . In this beautiful house in one of London’s most elegant squares it must have been reminiscent of the duel between the great virtuosi of Liszt`s day. Mihais Chopin perhaps more fantasy than polonaise but playing of such refinement as to be reminded that these masterworks are indeed canons covered in flowers . Evgenys Dante had all the diavolism that Liszt himself must have demonstrated coupled with some sublime contrasts that put the much played work into its true perspective as one of Liszt` s true masterpieces. The duel now over the fun could begin with our two young virtuosi joining forces,four hands on one piano for Constantin Silvestri`s Romanian Dances from Transylvania. Reminiscent of Bartok I well remember Silvestri as conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and at the RFH and it was interesting to be reminded of what a real musician meant in days not so far away every bit as reminiscent of the kappelmeister of Bachs time. These dances played with real” joie de vivre” now the concert was drawing to a close and a very insistent public were rewarded with a repeat performance of one of the more energetic dances. Great success was crowned with drinks in the beautiful wood panelled library of this magnificent Romanian Institute We look forward to many more such enjoyable and instructive evenings in the future
HAO ZI YOH at St James’s
More surprises in London today at St James`s with the Malaysian pianist Hao Zi Yoh. A waif of a young girl in a flaming red dress came floating on to open up a real Pandoras box infront of an attentive and delighted audience. A real conjuring trick on a not easy Fazioli piano. In her hands Beethoven`s op 109 was restored to its rightful place at the pinnacle of the piano repertoire.The form,as we have come to expect from her much admired teacher Christopher Elton ,strictly adhered to but with just the right flexibility and sound that is the stuff of only a chosen few. One of those that springs to mind immediately is Alicia deLarocha .Often I would sit in the wings of my theatre during her recitals and would marvel not only at her composure and complete command but at the ravishing sounds that such a small hand could conjure up from a box of hammers and strings .Infact turning baubels into gems just as Hai Zi Yoh did today with Albeniz Rondena and Triana . Szymanowski`s DonJuan Serenade from Masques proceeded this and she made just as persuasive a case as Richter in restoring this pianistic masterpiece to the repertoire. Of couse it takes a trascendental technique to be able to do justice to this amazingly intricate web of sounds Almost as an encore we got some pure jazz with Kapustin`s Oscar Peterson like Blue Bossa Paraphrase. And here as with all seasoned jazz players we were treated to some very refined and exhilarating piano playing. Let us not forget this extraordinary prize winner of the Jaques Samuel Piano Competition
Vitaly Pisarenko Rachmaninoff 3rd piano concerto
Vitaly Pisarenko’s triumph with Rach 3 at the RCM today . It was almost 50 years ago since I heard the much publicised debut of an 18 year old John Lill at the RCM in this same work with the student orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult. The work was that was then considered the almost impossibly difficult Rachmaninov third piano concerto. I spent most of my after school time at the free concerts offered by the RCM . The much publicised film Shine was based on this very debut of John Lill. Confusing David Helfgott with John Lill .And Angus Morrison his teacher with the much more well known Cyril Smith . So it was with great nostalgia that I returned today to hear this young virtuoso in the same work.A work that has become almost standard repertoire for most advanced students these days. But can this concerto have ever received such an impassioned and involved performance as today.Only once have I heard a similar participation and that was with Vitalys teacher,Dmitri Alexeev in Rome thirty years ago with the radio orchestra . Maybe now Vitaly could take more time and let the impassioned lines stand in their own noble space.But one must note he was not helped by an orchestra that was obviously not used to playing with an artist of this calibre and sounded as though they needed to listen more attentively to the lesson that was lain before them by this remarkable young musician. However a roar of approval justly greeted this remarkable performance. Beseeched for an encore ,that was understandably not conceded, as he had given this performance absolutely every ounce of energy and concentration that he could muster. Next time,dear Vitaly, for this is just the thrilling beginning to an illustrious career as was John Lill all those years ago.
Strums ,Drums and Fireworks
Very interesting discussion between Yevgeny Sudbin and Elena Vorotko at the RAM today under the title Ancestral Voices,strums,drums and fireworks.Dott.Vorotko showed us the various possibilities of the instruments in Scarlatti`s day although there is no evidence of which intrument he preferred.In fact Mo Sudbin pointed out that there were no performance indications in the original scores that have been collected.It was interesting to note that where Scarlatti wanted a dynamic difference he wrote more or less notes.Any expression was added by ornamentation in a “tasteful”way.I suppose that herein lies a clue that is the word “taste”.Gone are the days of Pastoral and Capriccio the names given to two Scarlatti sonatas in the Romantic period.Of course in the period of so called “Romantic” pianism to transmit certain emotions and sounds it was necessary to use pianistic effects.The Busoni Organ transcriptions may still have a sense in their attempt to reproduce organ sonorities on the piano ,and in any case are Masterworks in their own right. .However I think that thanks to pianists like Michelangeli,Alicia dellarocha,Angela Hewitt,Pires and even Martha Argerich we have come to be convinced of Scarlatti`s purity almost Mozart not to say Bach like .The addition of piano effects ,octaves,pedal ,however discreet can take away from the absolute purity of the original conception.Even Horowitz , considered by some the greatest pianist alive or dead,resisted from calling on his enormous arsenal to add to the purity of these gems. However hats off to the RAM for finding two great artists ready to battle this age old problem out. No winners or loosers it is as I say a question of taste
Vital Pisarenko in Padua
What a day in Padua today with the recital by Vitaly Pisarenko at the Circolo di Padua for Agimus and the KCT. After the poetic recital of Luca Buratto in the morning another astonishing performance from Vitaly Pisarenko in the afternoon.
A masterly lesson in control,colour and musicianship. After even more interesting performances of Haydn E minor sonata and Schumann Fantasiestucke than that heard only a week ago in London we were treated to a transcendental performance of the nine Etudes Tableaux op 39 by Rachmaninov. An electric atmosphere created by the beauty of his Schumann ,where already in the coda one could feel that rare atmosphere created when the artist,music and audience become one. Such was the atmosphere created for one of the most beautiful performances of Rachmaninov imaginable. The incredibile control of sound in the second study almost defied belief as the music disolved into a whisper but with a sense of balance that allowed the melodic line to shine above a shimmer of accompaniment. Never has the famous number 5 in E flat minor sounded so noble and desperate. The menace of the “Red Riding Hood” study had us sitting on the edge of our seats . And this was a discerning,aristocratic audience in an exclusive private club totally unused to surrendering itself to this sort of seduction. The transcendental virtuosity of the final study had people on their feet craving for more. After so much insistent applause poor exhausted Vitaly pulled out of thin air a most magical ,yearning early melody by Rachmaninov .A piece,incredibly, he tells me he learnt in two days especially for this concert. I doubt that such magic will be experienced for a long time to come but will live on for many a year in the memory of those lucky enough to have been present today. Lovely to see so many pianists in the audience too … and here seen withLeonora Armellini and her distinguished pianist- teacher mother.
Luca Buratto and the Giants Sala dei Giganti today 17th January 2016
Wonderful sunny day in Padua today for two Sunday recitals by two very remarkable young pianists.
The first in the Sala dei Giganti by Luca Buratto winner of the prestigeous Honens competition in Canada .
The last time I was in this magnigificent hall was with Perlemuter all those years ago when Filippo Juvarra begged me to bring him to Padua after his debut in Italy at the age of 81.We also shared Annie Fischer in the same way- Teatro Ghione,Rome and Sala dei Giganti ,Padua.
Alas neither Perlemuter or Annie Fischer are still with us but Filippo still is and it is thanks to him that we can hear some remarkable young musicians on a Sunday morning in Padua.
Luca ,amazingly similar to his teacher Davide Cabassi who gave so many memorable recitals for us in Rome for a series twinned with that remarkable Academy in Como directed by William Nabore.
The influence on Luca was evident as it was with Davide …..coming from the revolutionary playing of Radu Lupu.
Even the same chair with a back and the extreme exploration of those magical sounds between piano and pianissimo and the true legato that Wilhelm Kempff was searching for in his mature years.
How to reconcile this Eusebius with his twin Floristan of course is always the question and not always easy to resolve.
The magical sounds in Thomas Ades Darkness Visible were beautifully realised thanks also to a very fine Steinway concert grand in Luca’s delicate hands..
The beautiful hand gestures,reminiscent of Rosalyn Tureck ,in Bach’s Capriccio on dearly departed brother led to a finely shaped performance.
If in the Debussy Estampes ,as elsewhere it seemed that Luca’s left foot was happiest on the soft pedal and was always seen hovering rather lost when it was not,there were many magical sounds from this really ultra sensitive musician. It was just missing that sense if rhythmic contrast so important where the impression is already present in the notes especially in Debussy.
Schumann Carnaval remarkable for the lack of sentimentality that we are all to often treated to.
In fact surprisingly masculine Chopin that really for the first time seemed to fit into the structure of the piece.Leading to a superb virtuoso rendering of Paganini.Rarely can it have been given such a secure rendition. Aveu again without a hint of sentimentality led to a strangely angular March of David against the Philistines . In all a very original and in many ways poetic performance where the reconciliation between Florestan and Eusebius was not totally resolved.
A single encore of sheer magic in Schumann’s Davidsbundler n.14 showed us that we were lucky this morning to be in the hands of a real poet- Eusebius in fact, and like Davide Cabassi,Radu Lupu and Kempff , we were in the presence of a real magician trying to convince us that in that big black box of strings and hammers there are so many magical sounds to be found and here was someone on a voyage of discovery intent on finding them. Bon Voyage Maestro Buratto you have found the right path on your voyage of discovery and thank you for sharing it with us this morning.
Lukas Geniusas at St Johns Smith Square ,London.
Great expectations awaited the return to London of Lukas Geniusas,the young Lithuanian ~Russian pianist much admired recently in the Tchaikowsky Competition in Moscow. Supreme control and superb sense of balance that allowed him to make the piano sing in a way that is all too rare these days. The first Brahms sonata that so often is given a heavy orchestral sound was here in the hands of this magician sheer poetry. Rarely have those rather ungrateful chords sounded so beautiful.An orchestra ,yes ,but the Berlin Philharmonic in this pianists hands.So many magical moments but maybe the most sublime was the way he sang the second subject of the first movement In no way was the rythmic energy sacrificed, for this was a full blooded performance reminiscent of a young Wilhelm Kempff. The Beethoven too ,so often thrown off as early Beethoven can be.Full of astonishing contrast but never sacrificing the overall line and impetus ,so much part of Beethoven’s soul. Astonishing sounds too after the interval in 3 Burlesques by Bartok.Here in the hands of this master pianist were the most beguiling pieces that made one wonder why they are not heard more often. I think the answer lies that there are not many pianists after Richter that can rise to the challenges that they pose. Prokofiev 7th sonata came as a bit of an anticlimax with the first movement too fast to really allow the contrasts to tell.The second movement not simple or projected enough.The last movement for its control and unrelenting rhythmic impetus brought the recital to a triumphant end. Unfortunately two Chopin encores in extreme bad taste .A mazurka with the strangest rubato and a “Cat “waltz at such breakneck speed it was more reminiscent of “Kitten on the keys” than the” aristocat” that it could be in the hands of a Rubinstein. Pity to finish on such a note after a recital of some supreme musicianship and trascendental piano playing.
Paris in Perivale
The beautiful 12th century church of St Mary’s in Perivale was the venue for a recital by Vitaly Pisarenko . Seen from a distance this wooden church could almost be in some scandanavian country instead of in the middle of Ealing golf course. It is the venue ,together with the nearby and much larger brother St.Barnabas ,of some extraordinary concerts by some of the most talented young musicians around. Founded by Hugh Mather and his remarkable team they are to celebrate ,this coming week ,their one thousandth concert . This concert by one of the stars of the Keyboard Charitable Trust coincided in New York with a memorial concert for Paris Ionescu,grandson of the founder of the Trust ,cruelly taken from us at only 28 years of age just before Christmas. In New York another of the KCT stars :Bolai Cao was performing . So for us with New York in our hearts it was a doubly poignant occasion. And what an occasion it was! This beautiful little gem full to the rafters for some extraordinary music making by one of the younger generation’s foremost pianists. His reputation from his triumphal television appearances in the Leeds International Piano Competition last september had be watched and admired by a vast audience and so it was with great anticipation that he performed in this exquisite venue to an enthusiastic audience. And the cherry on the cake were indeed the homemade tea and cakes offered to their very attentive audience at the end. Starting with Haydn’s.E minor sonata it was obvious from the first note that here was a most sensitive and intelligent performer. If the slow movement could have been projected more as almost an operatic aria it was more than compensated for by the” joie de vivre” and charm of the final vivace. So many beautiful things in Schumann ‘s Fantasiestucke op 12. From the sublimely whispered Des Abends to the almost Haydnesque impish humour of Traumes Wirren. In all this the extreme.control of dynamics and the sheer beauty of the sonorities found led to a truly memorable account. Too many unforgettable moments in a performance where the music was allowed to speak in a direct and simply way. Warum …..indeed beautifully and delicately projected,and if Grillen could have been allowed to sing more one felt that here was an original musical mind at work .The atmosphere created at the Ende vom Lied was reminiscent of the unforgettable performances of Rubinstein. So having forged his credentials as as a true poet of the piano it came as a thunderbolt the sheer energy and musical virtuosity ,after the interval ,with Chopin ‘s First Scherzo. For me one of the finest performances on record and judging from the cheers of this discerning audience I think there was no doubt in any one’s mind that we were in the presence of a true master. Confirmed by the passionate virtuosity combined with extreme delicacy of the Scriabin Fantasy and Third Sonata that closed the programme. A single encore of a recently found fragment by Rachmaninoff confirmed the intelligence of this remarkable young musician. Graced by the presence of Nina Walker now in her 90th year ,who I well remember in recital with Monserrat Caballe. Enthusiastic, as we all were ,she announced that she would be in the front row for Vitaly’s Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto at the RCM on the 3rd of February……I think there will be big queue for tickets with the reputation that he is fast gaining. At the end of this memorable concert.a charming note from Bolai Cao in New York to reassure us that he is rehearsing and that all is well. In fact New York ~ London we were united music ………..
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 