Twelve piano students from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University performed an all-Liszt program, one of so many tributes honoring the composer’s 200^th birthday. The pianists hailed from many nations and represented several degree programs at the university. While the repertoire offered selections from Liszt’s more well-known works, the program exhibited his multi-faceted genius as a virtuoso pianist, an unparalleled transcriber, and a visionary composer.  The general level of playing was of an extremely high caliber; the students played with confidence, technical security and musical sensibility proving that the music department at Rutgers is on a par with the world’s most prestigious conservatories.

Most musicians cut their teeth in group recitals, whether in their suburban teacher’s living room or community music school recitals. This is an awkward and nerve-wracking experience; one waits in the wings unsure of when he will have to step onstage and face the specter of inevitable comparison. To relax and find one’s stride in just one or two pieces is extremely difficult and the performer must go through the same physical preparations (dressing for performance, arriving on time, trying the instrument, etc.) as he would for a full-length recital.  Often the most sensitive artists can be sabotaged by the endeavor, whereas the more arrogant temperaments barrel through their nerves. The brutal arena of competitions is even more grueling.  Paradoxically, the audience frequently comes away with a totally different impression; the listener appreciates the diversity of the performances and how an instrument can transform under each pair of hands. While one might have personal favorites, he is not consumed by the ego of a single soloist. 

The award-winning author, lecturer and pianist David Dubal acted as master of ceremonies for the evening, interspersing the musical selections with commentary which both enlightened the audience and inspired the performers.  His inimitable, spontaneous yet reverent manner infused a festive aura into this event. 

The program opened with Paul Conrad’s sensitive and lyrical rendition of “Au lac de Wallenstadt” from the “Annees de Pelerinage”.  Eva Shu-Yu Huang followed with “Gondeliera” from “Venezia e Napoli”, which after a slightly stiff beginning settled into an evocative barcarolle.  A full range of sonorities were present in Jahye Kim’s account of “St. Francis of Paola Walking on the Waves”.  Three etudes followed; “La Leggierezza”, one of Liszt’s most Chopinesque works, was played with feverish ardor by Mina Nourbakhsh, Zin Bang delivered a powerful, headlong Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor, and Alexander Beridze demonstrated an easy, fluid technique and piquant rhythm in “La Campanella”.

The second half of the program began with Liszt’s song transcriptions.  Miao Hou presented “Gretchen am Spinnrade” and the ferociously difficult “Erlkonig”, demonstrating exceptional technical mastery and a strong connection with Schubert’s original songs and texts.  Schumann-Liszt’s “Widmung” was played with tenderness by Junko Ichikawa, conveying more of an inward dedication than an open declaration of love. Two transcriptions of Liszt’s own songs followed; “O pourquoi donc” was rendered with delicacy by Huizhon Shen, and “Am Rhein, im schonen Strome” was performed with haunting mystery by Chia-Shan Cheng.  These are lesser-known works which deserve more hearings.

Erickson Rojas, who arrived late as a result of untold travails in traveling, played a hypnotic, insightful “St. Francis of Assisi Preaches to the Birds”. He demonstrated superb tonal control over the filigree and trills in the upper register, and was able to create a truly declamatory, legato vocal line in single notes. The listener was drawn into the inner dialogue between saint and avian creatures. Mr. Rojas unfolded the narrative brilliantly in this work, which can seem amorphous in less capable hands.  The closing work on the program was the “Mephisto Waltz No. 1”, which seemed almost too easy for Yevgeny Morozov.  His performance was more of a romp than a dance, and one would have wanted a more ravishing, seductive middle section. But Mr. Morozov certainly has no shortage of mechanical facility and energy.

Min Kwon, director of the piano department and teacher for the majority of the evening’s performers, offered gracious acknowledgements at the conclusion of the concert. A notable pianist in her own right, she proved to be a skillful and enthusiastic organizer as well.  Anniversary tributes have become a tradition among the Rutgers pianists, and Ms. Kwon anticipates a recital next year celebrating the 150^th birthday of Claude Debussy.

–Alexandra Eames for New York Concert Review; New York, NY