Ken, Author at ROVING PIANIST

Vienna Philharmonic: The Show Must Go On

Saturday, February 26th, 2022 by Ken Leave a Comment

Vienna Philharmonic Carnegie Hall February 2022

Vienna Philharmonic at Carnegie

On February 24th, 2022, we saw the most remarkable Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra concert at Carnegie Hall. It was an all-Rachmaninoff program whose conductor and pianist were cancelled the day before the concert, due to current world events.

In their place, pianist Seong-Jin Cho flew in from Germany and Yannick Nézet-Séguin of the Metropolitan Opera stepped in as conductor.

Seon-Jin Cho is an energetic young performer who had a daunting task at Carnegie. In Central European Time (CET), he started to play at 2:25 a.m.

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No 2

From my balcony seat, the keyboard was visible from end to end like an airport runway from an incoming flight. Seong-Jin Cho’s hands were too distant to see clearly. Would he play the opening 10-key-wide left hand chords as written, or would he use a small-hand workaround? Some pianists will play the bottom note like a soft grace note; others will roll (arpeggiate) those chords. But Mr. Cho’s opening sounded as the composer intended.

Thereafter, Mr. Cho bounced and kicked his way through the concerto with spiky verve. While the piano often blended into the orchestra, Mr. Cho punched the low end through and dazzled us with high-end keyboard pyrotechnics. His brief Schubert encore was invisible by comparison.

Rachmaninoff: Symphony No 2

I own a precious 1994 recording of this symphony by Yuri Temirkanov and the St. Petersburg Symphony. It is my baseline for this work. And Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s conducting was theatrically expressive, adding a whole extra dimension to the performance.

The conductor’s interpretation was well-paced and devoid of the tempo rushes I’ve heard elsewhere. This is a sweeping, soaring symphony with progressively larger climaxes salted with strong brass. And yet, something was missing in the brass: it lacked the languishing vibrato I prefer.

Closing thoughts

Some of our top pianists have stepped on to the world stage by standing in for others, but Seong-Jin Cho is already on that stage. He didn’t have to take on this challenge, but the audience at Carnegie was grateful that he did.

This was the first time I had seen the Vienna Philharmonic. Their performance was so clean that it would have been easy to take them for granted and give all the credit to Rachmaninoff. Their first violin’s solo fragments in Rachmaninoff’s 2nd symphony were particularly sweet..

As Mr. Nézet-Séguin said afterwards, if anyone wants an encore, the Vienna Philharmonic would be playing at Carnegie for the next two evenings.

Violinist Grace Park’s All-French Concert

Tuesday, December 7th, 2021 by Ken Leave a Comment

Grace Park and Joseph Liccardo

On December 13th, 2021, 2018 Naumburg Violin Competition winner Grace Park will give a recital at Carnegie Weill in partnership with pianist Joseph Liccardo.

On December 4th, Grace and Joseph previewed their all-French Carnegie program at Robin Shoemaker’s New York salon. The program spans from the 17th century to the 20th.

Ms. Park explained that it starts with the ethereal (Messiaen), progresses to the dreamy (Fauré), steps back to get grounded (Leclair) and culminates in the clarity of Saint-Saëns.

Messiaen: Thème et Variations

Thème et Variations opens with a plaintive motif that evolves through 5 variations. Ms. Park’s violin flowed over Mr. Liccardo’s nuanced and at times surreal accompaniment. The work peaks in the 5th variation, and the violin gradually steps down to a long, fading B over rolling piano bass. It was simply stunning.

Fauré: Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano in A major Op. 100

Grace Park playing Fauré

Ms. Park launched attacca into Fauré. We knew to expect this, yet there was applause at the end of Fauré’s first movement. Perhaps this was due to the closing flourish of that allegro molto. Or did the audience think that it was still Messiaen?

Fauré’s sonata contains hints of César Franck’s Sonata in A major, composed decades earlier. Both have that wistful, dreamy French feel. My favorite part was the andante, where pianist Joseph weaved a translucently evocative dialog with the violin.

Leclair: Violin Sonata in D major Op. 9 No. 3

Stepping back to the 17th century, Fauré’s cloudy impressionism was banished by Leclair’s baroque sunshine. Ms. Park’s ornamentation was well-articulated and her double-stopping was strong and satisfying. The final movement (Tambourin: Presto) was a manic folk-dance that had us chuckling.

Saint-Saëns: Sonata No. 1 in D Minor Op. 75

Saint Saëns writes engaging, almost cinematic music, and his Sonata was captivating. We were struck by how well-coordinated the musicians were, no matter how challenging the material.

The work opens as a bumpy Allegro Agitato. The piano variously leads, mirrors and follows. While occasionally it takes the foreground, more often its role is to underpin the irrepressible violin.

The final movement is a rambunctious Allegro Molto. It was breathtaking to watch Grace’s tiny fingers work the fingerboard while her bow danced and Joseph’s piano pulsed tirelessly. Their spirited performance earned a standing ovation.

Grace and Joseph with host Robin

Closing thoughts

When Grace Park (https://www.graceparkviolin.com/) performed at this venue in 2018, she used a 1799 Nicolas Lupot violin.

This time her violin was a 1739 Montagnana. “I love the brilliance of the instrument”, she told me, “the soul of a soprano”.

We love the brilliance of the Grace Park/Joseph Liccardo duo. Collaborating for over 7 years, their coordination is uncannily perfect and their refined musicality a delight.

Finally, there’s still time to get tickets for their December 13th recital at Carnegie Weill.

Pianist Wynona Wang Will Make You Smile

Sunday, November 7th, 2021 by Ken Leave a Comment

Wynona Yinuo Wang

On November 6th 2021, pianist Yinuo (Wynona) Wang entered the Shoemaker Salon with a light step and a radiant smile. A Juillard student with promising credentials, she seemed energized by this intimate setting.

Mozart: Sonata No. 13 in B-Flat Major K 333

This sonata opens with a charming allegro, crisply articulated by Ms. Wang. In subsequent movements Wynona surprised us with her lyrical flair and Beethoven-sized passion. Her Mozart appetizer became part of the main course, and we loved it.

Rachmaninoff: Prelude in F-Sharp Minor Op. 23 No. 1

The dark, F-Sharp Minor Prelude’s drifting melody and textured chromatic waves tug at our deepest emotions. In a scant few minutes, Ms. Wang’s heartfelt performance filled the salon with somber and yet ethereal yearning.

Rachmaninoff: Daisies Op. 38 No. 2

Rachmaninoff wrote his Daises song in Russia in 1916. Later, after moving to America to escape the Russian Revolution, he transcribed it for piano. In Ms. Wang’s program, Daises served as a breathing space between his massive preludes.

Rachmaninoff: Prelude in B Minor Op. 32 No. 10

Ms. Wang told us that this prelude (inspired by 1887 painting The Homecoming) was Rachmaninoff’s favorite. And it is also a Roving Pianist favorite. This quintessentially Russian work is among Rachmaninoff’s most satisfying, and Wynona Wang’s performance was moving and authentic. I loved how she stretched the harmonics of the Steinway’s deep bass in the closing moments.

Rachmaninoff: Prelude in G-Flat Major Op. 23 No. 10

The G-flat Prelude is gentle and luxuriously atmospheric. Wynona’s nuanced dynamics and clarity of voicing created some of the most sublime moments of the evening. As one guest commented afterwards, everyone in the room was connected through the spiritual beauty of Ms. Wang’s interpretation.

Rachmaninoff: Études-Tableaux Op. 39 Nos. 8 and 9

These are not my favorite Études-Tableaux, but they were well-executed. The first (Op. 39 No. 8 in D Minor) was a rolling, deliriously ecstatic clangor. The second (Op. 39 No. 9 in D Major) felt somewhat cluttered.

Schumann: Sonata No. 1 in F-Sharp Minor Op. 11

Wynona Wang owned Schumann’s sonata from its opening motifs, through romantic interludes, fugue-like diversions and seemingly endless clattering repetitions. While Schumann can feel clumsy in the wrong hands, Ms. Wang’s artful presentation showcased this lengthy, challenging Sonata at its best.

Meeting Wynona

At the piano, Wynona Wang vanished into her performance. But in person, Wynona Wang was engagingly present and effusive. She knows that she’s good, and basked happily in our admiration. In a few years, we could be standing in line for her autograph.

Wynona with host Robin

Winona Yinuo Wang NYC 2021

Wynona with the Author

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