Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas presents Dzmitry Ulasiuk in Review
Winners of the 25th (2017) International Chopin Piano Competition
Dzmitry Ulasiuk, pianist
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
September 17, 2018
As a Winner of the 2017 International Chopin Piano Competition of the Fryderyk Chopin Society of Texas (Corpus Christi), Belarus-born pianist Dzmitry Ulasiuk (www.dzmitryulasiuk.com) took the stage of Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall for his half of the winners’ concert with what amounted to a full program in itself. Expectations were high, naturally, but he met and surpassed them with exceptional artistry.
Mr. Ulasiuk chose to open with Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75, a thirty-five-minute set of Prokofiev’s own piano arrangements from his famous ballet. The rest of the pianist’s program was Scriabin, including the Sonata No. 9, Op. 68 (“Black Mass”), and the Sonata No. 5 in F-sharp Major, Op. 53 as his finale. Shorter offerings included the Nocturne for the Left Hand, Op. 9, No. 2, two Etudes from Op. 42 (No. 4 in F-sharp Major and No. 5 in C-sharp minor), and three Mazurkas (Op. 3, Nos. 7 and 9, and Op. 25, No. 3).
Curiously, for this Chopin-inspired competition, Mr. Ulasiuk played no Chopin, but, as he noted following his gracious opening remarks, “Chopin exists here between the lines” – referring to the great piano legacy of Chopin which can be felt in all piano compositions following in the Romantic period and beyond. Particularly in the Scriabin Mazurkas one felt – for obvious reasons – the strong connection to Chopin; when one plays Russian music as well as Mr. Ulasiuk does, however, any names, nationalities, or needs to justify repertoire tend to disappear.
It should be noted that Mr. Ulasiuk began his portion of the program around 9:45pm. The first part of the program, already close to 90 minutes long, had been lengthened by an encore requested of the first winner by one of the contest’s administrators – Chopin’s Polonaise Op. 53, no less! Mr. Ulasiuk proved himself to be a consummate professional, showing not the slightest bit of fatigue. In fact, this listener was already starting to flag due to the late hour but was immediately rejuvenated by the first notes of his intense musicianship.
The Romeo and Juliet pieces were superb. First of all, Mr. Ulasiuk projects quite easily the huge and well-balanced sonorities that reach every corner of a concert hall. One couldn’t help thinking, through the thundering bellicose Montagues and Capulets and the balletic Masks, how ideally suited he must be for Prokofiev’s Third Concerto – but back to the pieces at hand! Along with ample power and technique, Mr. Ulasiuk revealed sensitivity and soulfulness at all the right times, giving a hallowed feeling to Friar Lawrence (with the perfect amount of breathing in his phrasing!) and creating beautifully delicate shadings in his haunting rendition of the Dance of the Girls with Lilies. He captured the character of each dance expertly, making Mercutio spring to life and weaving a spell in Young Juliet. The final dance, Romeo and Juliet before Parting, conveyed more heartbreak than Shakespeare’s own words could. Mr Ulasiuk is an artist of depth and mastery, with unwavering conceptions which capture his listener. His conception of Romeo and Juliet was one to remember, and one hopes he will consider recording the set.
There are times when a reviewer simply decides to put pencil and paper away and enjoy the music, and this was one of those times. The remainder of this well-crafted program only confirmed one’s initial impression that Mr. Ulasiuk is an exceptional artist. Scriabin’s Nocturne for the Left Hand was controlled beautifully, with only occasional differences of opinion on the pedaling (it would seem on the verge of being too much, but all did make sense ultimately). In the Etude in C-sharp, oddly, one wanted a bit more pedal to help enhance the expansive harmonies, and basses in particular, but again these were matters of personal preference, and his interpretations were never less than persuasive. His playing always had direction and dramatic shape.
Scriabin’s “Black Mass” Sonata was one of the high points of the Scriabin selections, and it has never been this reviewer’s favorite, so kudos are in order! Again, Mr. Ulasiuk had a cogent and cohesive interpretation. Poetic renditions of three Mazurkas followed as a musical buffer before the Sonata, No. 5, which was given a performance emphasizing its inherent jolts and extremes.
The Fifth Sonata is viewed as a transitional work between Scriabin’s early period, in which the kinship with Chopin is felt strongly, and the late period, with its wild, mystical explorations. Mr. Ulasiuk’s performance favored the edginess of the latter. One imagines that there must have been some cross-pollination happening during his work on the Ninth Sonata, which on the other hand felt more rooted in tradition and graspable than usual – a refreshing surprise. In any case, both performances were nigh impossible to fault, save for the occasional near-negligible smudge, and both were thought-provoking and compelling.
In summary, it was a brilliant recital by an artist whom one will certainly want to follow. Bravo!
