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Kissin Conquers Carnegie Hall May 2023

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Evgeny Kissin Carnegie Hall May 2023

Evgeny Kissin, Carnegie Hall, May 2023

I’ve always liked pianist Evgeny Kissin, but sometimes I feel ambivalent about his interpretations. See my reviews of his Carnegie Hall appearances in May 2018 and November 2015 for more on this.

But Kissin’s May 2nd, 2023 Carnegie Hall piano recital was a “must see” for Roving Pianist (RP), because of its program. Many others must have felt the same: Carnegie’s main auditorium was packed to the back of the balcony and there were also audience seated on stage.

Bach: Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903

I first heard Bach’s sublime Chromatic Fantasia at Lisa Yui‘s inspiring Juilliard evening class Keyboard Literature in Concert Baroque & Classical. I couldn’t wait to hear what Mr.  Kissin would make of this delightful work.

Kissin was impeccably tailored and bowed long, with dignity befitting a great man. His Bach was also perfectly presented, punctuated by emphatic head-nodding and underpinned by intense concentration.

The fugue’s simple ascending theme transported us in a DNA-like three-dimensional musical helix, closing with a short cadence. My companion had one word for Kissin’s fugue: “perfect”.

Roving Pianist and Fan

Everyone wants a selfie with RP

Mozart: Sonata in D Major, K. 311

From the chirpy opening, through the generally lyrical slow movement and into the dancing close, Kissin’s Mozart was light and benign.  Sandwiched between Bach and Chopin, it was in place chronologically. However, it felt out of place emotionally.

Chopin: Polonaise in F-sharp Minor, Op. 44

In contrast, Kissin’s F sharp minor Polonaise Op. 44 was dark and stunning. His two-handed keyboard runs were so fierce and flawless that they felt like an oceanic roar. It was a breathtaking display of Kissin at his most magnificent.

Rachmaninoff: Selected Piano Pieces

Rachmaninoff occupied the entire second half of the recital. The scheduled works included Lilacs, a couple of Preludes, and five Études-Tableaux from Opus 39. Kissin’s Études-Tableaux were satisfyingly Russian, played with appropriate force and angst. I would highlight two of them.

I love Étude-Tableau Op. 39 No. 2 in A Minor, but Kissin’s was missing something. Those pedal-like bass notes were just too pale. What was he thinking? Let us hear those low A’s, Evgeny! I have to stay with Denis Matsuev for this one.

Étude-Tableau Op. 39 No. 9 in D major was probably the best of the scheduled Rachmaninov. This  driven work had it all, from cinematic sweeps, twinkling ascending thirds, dramatic modulations, cacophonous clatter and stomping boots!  We wanted Russian pianism, we got it, we applauded deliriously.

Kissin announces an encore

Kissin announces an encore, Carnegie 2023

Rachmaninoff: Prelude in C-sharp Minor Op. 3 No. 2

For encores, Kissin went all-Rachmaninoff. We cheered him on in the afterglow of his Études-Tableaux. But in truth the first two encores were small cheese.

Not so the last encore! As Kissin played the opening chords of the emblematic Prelude Op. 3 No. 2 n C-sharp Minor, we drowned him in our delight and clapped like crazy folk. We cheered for 19-yr-old Sergei Rachmaninoff who wrote it. We cheered for Evgeny Kissin in his prime. And we cheered because we knew from this choice that it was the last thing Kissin would play that evening.

Everyone loves this Prelude, pretty much. Sometimes we turn our noses up at it because it is so popular, or so melodramatic, or whatever. But under Kissin’s hands on May 2nd, 2023, it was remarkable. Mr. Kissin restrained his closing pace to the edge, and it worked. It was the most satisfying performance of this work that I have ever heard.

I have no audio from this concert, but I did find Kissin playing this encore in a March 2023 video.

Roving Pianist

RP waiting for Kissin

Final Thoughts

Notwithstanding Rachmaninoff’s Opus 39 No. 2, Roving Pianist nominates Evgeny Kissin as World’s Greatest Living Pianist. His Bach was exquisite, his Chopin Polonaise a revelation, and his Rachmaninoff Op. 3 No. 2 was everything we wanted it to be.

 

 

 

 

Janice Carissa Wows Central Park West

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Janice Carissa

Janice Carissa at Central Park West

Janice Carissa

Indonesian pianist Janice Carissa has an impressive history and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Juilliard. So I was really excited to attend her New York recital on Saturday Feb. 25th, 2023.

Granados: Allegro de Concierto

Janice radiated competence from the opening flourish of this lush, flowing showpiece. She was equally at home in Granados‘ fast arpeggios and his more reflective moments. Her strong bass punctuation stitched the work together perfectly.

Granados: The Maiden and the Nightingale (Goyescas)

Janice played this sweetly romantic morsel with restraint and sensitivity. Her twinkly nightingale, appearing near the end, was suitably forlorn. If the melody in this work sounded oddly familiar, it is because it inspired the popular song Bésame Mucho by Consuelo Velázquez.

Janice Carissa

Janice Carissa playing Liszt

Granados: The Puppet “El Pelele” (Goyescas)

This cheery work was entertaining and showy. Watching Janice play, I was struck by how strong her hands were, and how assured she was at the keyboard. There might have been a minor slip here or there, nonetheless it was thrilling to watch.

Liszt: Rhapsodie Espagnole

Janice Clarissa tackled this extremely demanding work with comfort and panache. Her performance was for the most part sizzlingly clear and well-articulated. If it started sounding clangorous at the end, that’s because of Franz Liszt!

Jaya Suprana: Fragmen

Inspired by Balinese dance, this work impressed me tremendously. As explained to me, it is composed in a pentatonic melancholic tone. This is why it sounds “different” to my Western ear, and part of what makes it so beautiful.

The most representative version I could find on the Internet was played by Janice Carissa herself a decade ago.

Janice and Robin

Janice Carissa with host Robin

Perspective

Janice Carissa is a confident, engaging pianist. Her choice of repertoire for this concert was rooted in childhood memories of Granados’ music, making for a delightful Spanish-themed evening.

But by the time Liszt came around, I was in the mood for something less showy and more reflective. What else was this remarkable young pianist capable of? How will she evolve?

I discussed this with Janice, who told me that her goal as a performer is to spread the joy of music. She succeeded in doing just that at Central Park West. Judging by her audience’s response, she is well-positioned to be successful in this ultra-competitive field.

[Thank you Aryo Wicaksono for your insights into Fragmen]

 

 

Pianist Wynona Wang in South Kingstown, RI

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Wynona Wang

Wynona Yinuo Wang at Core Memory Music

Wynona Wang

I first met Chinese pianist Wynona Wang at a house concert in New York in 2021. I was so impressed that when I learned she was to play as a Concert Artists Guild artist in Rhode Island on October 8th 2022, I had to attend.

Core Memory Music

Core Memory Music, Rhode Island

Core Memory Music

The Core Memory Music venue in South Kingstown, Rhode Island is a 3 to 4 hour drive along the I-95 corridor from New York. The time commitment made me hesitate, but fate intervened in the form of a message from Craig Maynard, founder of Core Memory Music. Could I swing through Manhattan and pick up Ms. Wang on my way?

And so early on concert day, I pulled over in Midtown to collect my passenger. I didn’t recognize her at first, because New York is full of young Asians in skinny jeans. But up close she was the same Wynona Yinuo Wang whom I predicted would be signing autographs for us in a few years. I felt the weight of my responsibility to get this remarkable pianist to Rhode Island in one piece, on time, and rested. When she dozed off en route, I felt a sense of accomplishment.

Wynona Wang rehearsing at Core Memory Music, RI

Ms. Wang rehearsing

As we arrived at Core Memory Music, a technician was making final tweaks to the sparkling 9-ft Steinway. Ms. Wang had told me that she finished learning one of the program works just a few days earlier. She needed time on the concert instrument to get ready. Soon enough, she was riffing through elements of the program.

Wynona’s Wang’s Program

The program for this event was unusually focused. It spanned compositions from a period of just 14 years at the start of the 20th century. As Ms. Wang explained to us, these works shared a common theme of grief that each composer interpreted differently.

In pre-recital chat, Ms. Wang identified Rachmaninoff as the composer she felt most passionate about. This may explain why I find myself so attuned to Ms. Wang’s interpretations. Indeed the entire program was a feast.

The opening Scriabin Waltz was a flowing, melodious aperitif from a bygone age. In retrospect it served mostly to warm the audience up for what was to come.

Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin is a baroque-style suite written in memory of friends lost in war. Wynona’s interpretation was elegant and restrained. Her second movement (Fugue) was impeccably timed, like jeweled clockwork. And I particularly loved her Forlane, a jazzified dance whose descending minor seconds gave me shivers. The closing Toccata was deftly executed but felt a little out of place.

In contrast, Janácek’s Piano Sonata staggers with pain. Ms. Wang’s slower second movement was spellbinding. At times she appeared immobile, her fingers barely moving. After the last notes faded, the audience was silent for 15 seconds. Partly this was because of the ambience that the pianist had evoked. But also it was because this work is unfinished, and Ms. Wang chose to let the audience feel that.

Rachmaninoff Études-Tableaux Op 39 No’s 1, 2, 8, 9

While Rachmaninoff constituted only a quarter of Ms. Wang’s recital, he overshadows much of the other repertoire with the sheer massiveness of his music (as well as his hands). Some of his works are “Russkaya Dusha” (Russian soul) personified. including these Études-Tableaux.

I hardly know where to begin with the Opus 39 Études Tableaux.  Ms. Wang’s No 1 in C minor rocked us beyond words. She has so much power, and Core Memory Music’s Steinway D has such a magnificent bottom octave, that she left us stunned in our seats.

Then there’s No. 2 in A minor, my personal favorite ever since I heard it played by my friend Ivan Gusev. Ivan, I know a Chinese pianist who takes this work to another level. Her name is Wynona Wang, and you need to hear her. I recorded her performance, here on YouTube.

As if that were not enough, Wynona also gave us No. 8 in D minor and No. 9 in D major. I am at a loss to describe how these works impacted the Core Memory Music audience. In their own words, I heard “wow, yay, bravo, BRAVO!!”. In the words of Craig Maynard, our host, “So, Rachmaninoff is smiling. Wherever he is, he’s smiling”.

Closing Thoughts

Wynona Wang is a confident, impressive pianist who totally wowed the Core Memory Music audience. She plays with such authenticity and conviction that Mr. Maynard and I wondered, were she to make mistakes, whether we would even notice.

Ms. Wang has the passion, musicianship and audience appeal that are essential for success. We hope that her time with Concert Artists Guild will help her evolve to her full potential.