Chopin and His Europe Festival 2010 - Jan Lisiecki at the Filharmonia, Warsaw - Evening of August 25

In previous Chopin i jego Europa Festivals this almost indecently young genius of the instrument and  academic studies at school (15 years old and leaping years of formal teaching with ease and negligence) gave scintillating and idiomatic performances of both Chopin concerti.

This evening's concert featured him in Mozart (the Concerto for Two Pianos in E major KV 365) with Howard Shelley on the second instrument and conducting the fine Sinfonia Varsovia. Lisiecki's limpid style, acute articulation and sense of grace suited the music to perfection. The fact that Chopin was to follow Mozart showed perceptive programming as his stylistic origins lie there and in the counterpoint of Bach rather than Rachmaninov, Scriabin and Prokoviev as so many seem to think. There was also a pleasant Overture by Chopin's contemporary, the popular Polish composer Karol Kurpinski and the first performance in modern times of an inoffensive Piano Concerto in C major Op. 14 by a forgotten contemporary, Franciszek Lessel. He  was from Pulawy and studied with 'Papa' Haydn. The final movement wonderfully evoked the perfumes and rhythm of a fashionable fin de siecle ball. It is excellent to place Chopin in his proper cultural milieu.

The Rondo a la Krakowiak in F major Op.14 was given a divine poetic opening by Lisiecki and a perfect rendering of the style brillant so beloved by the young Chopin. The  Andante spianato and Grand Polonaise in E  major Op. 22 came off less well to my mind. The Andante was indeed superb in control and idiomatic rendering of the climat de Chopin  (so difficult to grasp) but the Polonaise lacked sparkle and forward momentum to my mind. The greatest performance I have ever heard of this work was by the Polish pianist Wojciech Switala in a recording he made some years ago for Katowice Radio - difficult to obtain.

For a great deal more on the Wunderkind  Jan Lisiecki, an artist to my mind who will inherit the mantle of Artur Rubinstein see: http://en.chopin.nifc.pl/chopin/persons/detail/id/6801  and please buy his recording of the two Chopin Concerti on a modern Steinway in the new 'White Series' CD from the Chopin Institute:  http://sklep.nifc.pl/?produkt=2_28&jezyk=eng

He possesses all the innate musical qualities I chime on about - he does not pound the instrument and allows the music its own poetic voice.  A superb concert that had the audience shouting and cheering. Too young for this year's International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw but I predict he will eventually win this gruelling marathon.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elisey Mysin recital - XVII International Piano Forum - Bieszczady Without Borders - Sanok, Poland

Image
Astounding musical experiences a lways happen i n Poland! Has been happening to me for as I long as I began visiting the country to work in 1992. The astonishing recital by the child prodigy  Elisey Mysin   I watched online last night prompted me to write this review immediately. It was broadcast from the International Piano Forum, a Polish musical event now in its seventeenth year. The Forum (lectures and concerts) is held in the town of Sanok (the 'capital' of the remote Bieszczady Region). I knew or know nothing about this remarkable Forum until last night.  The concert was  'In Memoriam Tatiana Shebanova',  that magnificent Russian pianist who died so tragically of leukemia in 2011 whilst at her pianistic peak. The concert was organized by her husband, the Chairman of the Piano Forum Council, Prof.  Jaros ław  Drzewiecki.    Tatiana Shebanova was one of the first pianists I heard play works by Fryderyk Chopin (1810-18...
Read more

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995) and his Ferraris - not only an immortal Chopinist

Image
Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995)   There is little need for me to introduce Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, one of the greatest pianists and musicians of all time.  I have been listening to a remarkable live recording of a concert he gave in Warsaw in 1955. His Bach/Busoni Chaconne from the Partita in D minor No.2 BWV 1004 is surely one of the greatest ever recorded.   Michelangeli's    knowledge and command of the piano as an instrument was unequaled, permitting his soul and ours to take unhindered flight. His total identification with the music, his majestic 'Olympian' and 'Apollonian' playing has often been described as 'unearthly' even to the point of bordering on the cold classicism of a perfect Athenian statue. I once heard him play Debussy and Beethoven many years ago  in the Royal Festival Hall in London, performing  on two distinct Steinway concert grand pianos, one for each composer, individually tuned and prepared by himself. His hea...
Read more

73rd. International Chopin Piano Festival 3-11 August 2018, Duszniki Zdroj, Poland

Image
The Chopin Bench in Havana, Cuba The  Dworek Chopina  where the piano recitals take place Full English details of the programmes, biographies of Artists and Professors as well as Masterclasses are available using this link: http://festival.pl/wp-content/uploads/73-MFCh_2018_EN.pdf From the Reviewer's Notebook  SATURDAY, AUGUST 11 CHOPIN'S MANOR 8.00 PM Piano Recital SERGEI BABAYAN This distinguished musician and pianist requires little introduction. He has appeared at the most famous international music festivals with all the great orchestras of the world under the most renowned conductors, at the finest music venues as well as having been awarded most of the glittering prizes. For me his most outstanding claim to fame is his close relationship with the composer and pianist Daniil Trifonov as teacher, guide, philosopher and friend. I was unfortunately unable to attend this recital and recordings of it are unavailable. ...
Read more