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Pianist Ivan Gusev plays at Private Event

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Ivan Gusev

Pianist Ivan Gusev was born in Kazakhstan. He has two degrees from the Moscow Conservatory, an institution that produces pianists of the pedigree of Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav Richter etc.

So when I received an invitation to attend Ivan’s recital in a private home, I was thrilled. A Russian School pianist playing Rachmaninov! I couldn’t wait to hear him play.

The program opened with some light Mozart. Thereafter the recital grew progressively more intense, closing with fireworks in the form of a virtuoso Rachmaninov prelude.

Mozart: Sonata No. 12 in F Major K322

Mozart’s Allegro opens friskily, bouncing back and forth to minor key arpeggios, with glimpses of Beethoven-like drama. Gusev glided through this with confidence.

The gentle Adagio over a clockwork (Alberti) bass introduced us to Gusev’s signature head-back eyes-closed happy face. Mozart can have that effect on people!

The closing Allegro Assai was a little more rambunctuous, giving Gusev room to show some pianistic flair.

Schubert: Four Impromptus, Op. 90

Gusev addressing the audience

Schubert’s weightier warmth allowed Gusev room to be more expressive. Here, as throughout the recital, I was struck by how focused he was and how rich his sound. The deep low end of the house Steinway helped.

Grieg: Six Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 3

These short Grieg works are, as Gusev noted, very romantic. He played them with passion, but to me the works themselves were incoherent.

Here and there we heard echoes of a folk dance or a lullaby. At other times, Grieg sounded like Chopin having a bad practice day.

Rachmaninov: Three Etudes-Tableaux

Of the selected Etudes-Tableaux, I most enjoyed the first (A minor Op. 39 No. 2 “The Sea and the Seagulls”). Gusev’s resonant harmonics glowed. His right hand crossed his left in a slow, mesmerizing arc for the bass motif. Indeed his presentation of Rachmaninov’s cacophonous layers was so riveting that I momentarily forgot to breathe.

The E-flat minor had more of a movie-theme feel. It was expansive, pounding and appropriately slushy. After the opening drama and subsequent clatter the theme returned, crumbling into dissonance. Again Gusev projected emotion with controlled intensity.

Gusev gave an expansive, weighty performance of the C minor Op. 33 no. 3 (compare with Yuja Wang, Berlin 2018) . When the big theme came forward over a dominant low end, the result was quite different from what you hear in other performances. I loved it.

Rachmaninov: Prelude in B-Flat Major, Op. 23 No. 2

From the resounding opening through dazzling two-handed descents to glittering right hand swirls, Gusev threw everything he had into this showpiece. He appeared enraptured, playing with such vigor that the piano shook.

This was a remarkable performance, larger than the pianist and the setting. While one could nitpick here and there, I felt that this was Rachmaninov as he should be played. As the final chord faded, someone shouted “yeah!”. The pianist stood up with a huge grin. He knew that he had nailed it.

Encores: Chopin Waltzes

The first encore was Chopin’s Waltz in A minor Op. Post. This is a forgiving work that pianists can easily put their personal stamp on. Gusev’s Waltz was adventurous, with liberal rubato and fast upper register runs.  Finally, Gusev played Chopin’s Minute Waltz Op. 64 No. 1.

Russian soul?

Ivan Gusev’s performance style is low-key. Sometimes he leans into the piano or tilts his head back. At other times, he raises an arm to punctuate a phrase. His facial expressions are not theatrical. They are those of a pianist immersed in creating an authentic musical experience.

With the exception of Grieg (for which I hold the composer responsible), Gusev’s entire recital was enjoyable. But his Rachmaninov outshone everything else. It was simply stunning.

Was this because Gusev is, as he explained to me, culturally 75% Russian? Or is it more a product of his Moscow Conservatory education? From either perspective, I miss only the vodka and zakuski.

Pianist Jocelyn Lai at Central Park West

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Jocelyn Lai at the Shoemaker Salon, February 2019

On Saturday evening of February 23rd 2019, I was privileged to attend pianist Jocelyn Lai‘s recital at Robin Shoemaker’s residence on Central Park West. The program was an interesting mix anchored by one of Schubert’s last piano sonatas.

Haydn: Sonata No. 55 in B flat Major, Hob XVI 41

In Haydn’s time, Ms. Lai noted, the Sonata would normally be a salon performance. Indeed the tight acoustics of Robin’s salon suited Haydn’s chirpy 1784 work. His twirls twinkled like confetti from Ms. Lai’s fingers, making for a delightful start to our evening.

Jacques Hétu (1938-2010): Variations pour piano, Op. 8

If Haydn was an icebreaker, Hétu’s dissonance-driven work was more like shattered icicles. As Ms. Lai explained, Hétu explores the complete range of expression of the modern piano in just 9 minutes.

Although Hétu was somewhat opaque to me, I take comfort from the fact that a musician of Ms. Lai’s caliber values it. It is a credit to her interpretation that the rest of us could find moments to appreciate in this eclectic work.

Ravel: La Valse (arr. for solo piano)

Jocelyn Lai speaking

Jocelyn described Ravel’s La Valse as a waltz that gradually disintegrates. In her luxuriously lugubrious performance we heard (and felt through the floor) that disintegration. It was a sonic feast on Mr. Shoemaker’s deep-voiced Steinway.

Although the work is often associated with the collapse of Austro-Hungary during the first World War, I heard also in Jocelyn’s performance what Ravel referred to as “the light of the chandeliers bursts forth at the fortissimo”, an early and positive motif that recurs later in the work.

In Ms. Lai’s hands, Ravel’s conflicted masterpiece lurched from order to chaos, joy to anguish and back. And yet in its final downward slump it somehow was triumphant. I could not help but think that the pianist must have felt similarly after such a workout.

Jocelyn Lai with Robin Shoemaker

Schubert: Sonata No. 21 in C minor D 958

Schubert’s Sonata was a huge contrast to the weight of Ravel. After opening with Beethoven-esque drama, the Sonata evolved into more Schubertian territory, with fleeting melodies and, as Ms. Lai noted, a somewhat haunting demeanor. The second movement was absolutely beautiful, and perhaps more haunting than the first.

In her introduction to the Schubert, Ms. Lai described the last movement (Allegro) as “incessant galloping” and joked about its pianistic challenges. However she sailed through all those hand-crossings and gave a rousing performance that had some of us practically dancing in our seats.

Albéniz: Triana from Iberia Bk. 2 No. 3

We laughed at Ms. Lai’s imaginative take on this work (a guy with too much cologne!) and enjoyed her performance. Albéniz’ hand crossings looked harder than Schubert’s, but Jocelyn Lai never let technical challenge get in the way of expression.

In Conclusion

Audiences appreciate when a musician introduces the works in their recital. Jocelyn provided insights that helped us get into the right frame of mind for each item, particularly valuable for the inscrutable modernism of Jaques Hétu, and for Ravel’s mercurial La Valse.

Beyond such professionalism, we saw in Ms. Lai a pianist immersed in her repertoire. Her performance was about Haydn, Hétu, Ravel, Schubert and Albéniz, not herself. This leaves it to your reviewer to note that she is an excellent pianist and her recital was a blast.

You can learn more about Jocelyn Lai on her web site. The site contains her calendar of upcoming events, including information about her participation in the Hilton Head International Piano Competition where there is a page devoted entirely to her.

UPDATE: Jocelyn Lai NYC recital March 4th 2019 – click for detail

Pianist Han Chen Returns to Central Park West

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Han Chen

Han Chen playing Thomas Adès

On August 10th, 2018 Robin Shoemaker once again hosted pianist Han Chen at his Central Park West salon.

Mr. Chen’s program consisted of his repertoire for an upcoming competition in Calgary, Canada.

Han Chen thanked Robin and guests for the opportunity to play these works before a live audience. He explained that this is an essential part of how a pianist prepares.

Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 19 in C Minor D. 958

From the semi-religious grandeur of the opening chords to the manic gallop of the last movement, Han Chen played Schubert’s Sonata with a driven energy that captivated his listeners. At times the rhythm of the piano was reflected in audience motion, as if people were feeling an urge to get up and dance.

On a sticky New York evening the keyboard can get slippery. A couple of times Mr. Chen had to dry his fingertips. He did this in the blink of an eye, with an arm gesture that looked like pianistic panache. If I had not been seated up front, I would have perceived it as Lang Lang style swagger.

Thomas Adès: Concert Paraphrase on Powder Her Face

Chen immersed himself in this contemporary work with conviction. He was fun to watch because his style is very expressive, but I did not understand Concert Paraphrase on Powder Her Face. Its erratic rhythms and pauses, drifting harmonies and apparent lack of melody left me feeling confused.

I reached out to Mr. Chen after the recital for insight. He explained that the work arose from an Adès opera, and talked about the appeal of the technical challenges of the work.

Franz Liszt: Reminiscences de Don Juan

Host Robin with pianist Han Chen

Under Han Chen’s hands, this demanding work was entertaining and impressive. You can watch him perform it at the Rubenstein Competition (2017) on YouTube at CHEN Han | F. Liszt – Réminiscences of Don Juan, S. 418, Stage I.

On this evening at Central Park West he rose to the challenge literally, rising from the piano bench to put more emphasis into key moments. At one point he even seemed to snarl at the piano.

[encore] Glinka arr Liszt: Chernomor’s March from Ruslan and Lyudmila

I was surprised that Mr. Chen gave an encore after playing his full program with no break. This short and punchy work was a pleasant bonus, at times reminiscent of Mussorgsky.

Han Chen and the Honens Piano Competition

I first saw Han Chen play at Robin’s home in 2017. It was a remarkable event that you can read about in my post Pianist Han Chen at Central Park West. Han went on to reach the semi-finals of the 2017 Van Cliburn Piano Competition.

It was our great pleasure to be Han’s audience for this dry run for the 2018 Honens Piano Competition. His selection showcases his enormous power and virtuosity, affording him moments of triumph reminiscent of Lang Lang. He will do well at this competition.

And Yet

And yet, the moments I personally liked most came during the Schubert Sonata, where Han’s keyboard alternately bubbled with joi-de-vivre and gleamed with serenity. If it is for young pianists like Han Chen to challenge us with new music such as Thomas Adès, it is for those of us at the other end of life’s spectrum to encourage Mr. Chen to share more of his reflective side.