So today was busy. Pianist Garrick Ohlsson at 5pm at the Filharmonia Naradowa, who played brilliantly. Bach, Szymanowski and Chopin. A huge titanic technique but also a glorious tone. Reminded me of Julius Katchen actually and also Lazar Bermann. My first outing with Szymanowski and I loved it. An odd inclusion in his piano style is his desire to extract a vibrato from the piano by swaying the finger over the key after depression - a technique well known and used all the time by string players, particularly cellists. Only thing is, the laws of physics say that moving a piano key on its mounts can do nothing to the sound made by the strings, as by then the escapement has kicked in and the hammer has moved away from the strings. However, I have seen this done before very occasionally. Jazz pianist Keith Jarrett does it sometimes for example. I experimented with it as a teenager with a pianist friend at school and we imagined we had results but... Mr Ohlsson appeared exhausted at the end of the long and taxing program, but the audience were very appreciate - deafening applause and full standing ovation - and we were treated to three encores, one of which was the Rachmaninov Prelude in C sharp minor. Such an interesting perfomance, notable for its radical tempo changes and incredible light and shading combined with massive fortes, without bashing. There were no Lang Lang hysterics and acrobatics here - this was playing in the best old-school 19th century tradition - a huge weight technique resulting in both power and subtlety and always a golden tone.
Then at 8.30pm the Chopin piano concerto in F minor played by Yulianna Avdeeva, with Kremerata Baltica directed by Gidon Kremer. Oh, she was superb. She is obviously Eastern European trained - very high lifting of the fingers and incredible precision - where every single note counts equally and tone is generated for every note even in fast passages. The result is clarity like you've never heard before. Also the ability to extract the faintest nuances and the greatest fortissimo with equal ease. A totally relaxed player who captivated the audience. Never bashing, never percussive. Support by the string orchestra directed by Gidon Kremer was magnificent. Stunning ensemble playing. And a lush sound that achieved incredible unity - they were as one. They also all had smiles and constant gestures of joy as they played. That's something I don't see much, if at all, in Australian orchestras, except maybe in Tognetti's ACO.
Finally, at 10pm, a concert at the Church of the Holy Cross, eight blocks away, but I had 30 mins so no probs. A polish piano student, named Krzysztof Ksiazek studying at the Hanover Hochshule in an all Chopin recital, played on Erard grand piano No. 30315 (I dated it as manufactured approx 1858). A fine old instrument with new strings and tuning pins. The sound was old but still had an appealing tone, although I'm not sure how much time he had to practice on it before the concert. He played well, but the instrument was being taxed way beyond its capabilities, as he was trying to extract modern concert-grand sounds and volumes from its small frame, sound board and primitive action. It needed the lightness of touch of Chopin playing it I think to do the music justice. But, in the quiet passages, there were some beautiful moments of tone colour. Actually, I would really like to hear him on a modern piano, his technique was very fluid and he craved volume, which the piano could not deliver.
I have had the most fantastic day and evening.
On the walk home, I was approached by a guy who asked me if I was interested in a strip show with lots of beautiful live girls. I said that I had just been to a Chopin piano recital at the Church of the Holy Cross and that I felt his particular offering would not be an appropriate end to my evening. He burst out laughing and actually agreed, and bade me goodnight.
More to come soon,
Antoni Magee
Apartament 502, Rezydencja 1898
72 Marszalkowska Str.
Warszawa 00-676
Polski
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