Concert dedicated to Rachmaninoff and Khatchaturian in Review
Kariné Poghosyan, pianist; Jason Tramm, conductor;
The MidAtlantic Philharmonic Orchestra
St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, New York, NY
September 20, 2023
It was a joy this week to accept an assignment to review an evening of concerti for several reasons – one being the piano soloist Kariné Poghosyan, whom I had reviewed favorably for New York Concert Review in 2009 (at the much-missed Steinway Hall on 57th Street) and whose passionate playing has since attracted admirers globally. Another enticement was the program itself, honoring composer anniversaries of Sergei Rachmaninoff (150th) and Aram Khachaturian (120th). The conductor Jason Tramm was yet another draw, having impressed on several occasions as an orchestral Pied Piper – and this would be your reviewer’s first time hearing him lead a group called the MidAtlantic Philharmonic Orchestra. Not least of all, this concert offered the chance to explore a magnificent building, the St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral, which dominates an entire block of Second Avenue at 34th Street.
It is important to state right away that this occasion was no ordinary concert. Not only was the event marking the 32nd Anniversary of Armenian Independence, but it happened to take place the day after particularly severe losses to the Armenian community from attacks on the disputed Artsakh region, a tragedy so devastating that the organizers had considered canceling the concert in the wake of it all, according to the Very Rev. Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan in his introductory words; music won, however, as the unifying and healing force that it is, and we learned later that all concert proceeds would go to affected families in Artsakh.
Even the most curmudgeonly critic would want to avoid the usual dissection of performances under these circumstances, as the collective grief of the Armenian community seems to overshadow all else. What becomes paramount at such times is the spirit, and there was plenty of that.
Especially spirited was the Khachaturian Piano Concerto in D-flat major, given a fiery and athletic ride by Ms. Poghosyan. This was the part of the program that one would stash away in one’s memory. Though the work has an impressive discography of champions including Moura Lympany, William Kapell, Alicia de Larrocha, Marc-André Hamelin, and a few dozen others, Ms. Poghosyan’s performance here had a unique vibrancy – partly of course because it was live and partly because of the occasion. Her own Armenian heritage embraced Khachaturian’s in a performance of fierce energy, pride, and affirmation. She has a strong bond with this composer, as also evidenced in her important recording of his work for Naxos, and here she brought his music to life with confident pianism and strong projection of its phrases and moods.
On a largely visual note, Ms. Poghosyan has become known for her demonstrativeness in physical movements at the keyboard, a quality that is controversial among pianists, with this reviewer finding both pros and cons depending on what naturally supports the music. Though some of her movements could be thought to be unnecessary or distracting, it seems that through them she helped illustrate the emotional journey of the music better than captions ever could have for some of her less experienced listeners – an advantage here especially, given the rather indistinct sound in this reverberant space. Beyond that, some of the full-body thrusts seemed designed to help the Khachaturian’s percussive attacks overcome the rather dull sound of the church piano – though it seemed overall that there was little one could do to change that. The challenge was to pierce through the orchestra’s overwhelming power as well as the church’s reverberant wash – and though that was a tall order, her gestures might have at least helped the synchronizing, had everyone been attentive.
The Khachaturian’s deeply soulful central movement was a highlight, with the welcome appearance of that rarely heard instrument, the flexatone (often replaced in concert by similar but more readily available instruments). A very young Mason Tramm contributed his efforts here admirably, supported by the strings. For those unfamiliar with the flexatone, it is akin to the musical saw in its eerie bending of pitch, and it has a percussive element as well. Its sound is perfect for this composer’s slower doleful lines, and alongside Ms. Poghosyan’s clear and expressive playing, there was some memorable music-making.
Also notable throughout the work were the bass clarinet lines, ennobled by the strong, pure sound of Timothy Hanley. The orchestra seemed to gain confidence and polish along the way, and Ms. Poghosyan shone especially brightly in the impassioned finale. The audience roared its approval as the beaming pianist and conductor shared bows and fist pumps – Ms. Poghosyan with noticeable Armenian flag colors on her right wrist. That was the “takeaway image” for this concert.
Among elements one may choose not to take away, but which need to be mentioned as a matter of course would be the rest of the program preceding the Khachaturian. Close to twenty minutes past the designated start time of 8 pm, we finally heard the opening piano harmonies of Rachmaninoff’s glorious and ever-popular Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. It is a piece that would be more than enough for one evening for most pianists (Yuja Wang’s marathons notwithstanding), but unfortunately on this occasion it felt more like a mere appetizer for the Khachaturian.
Despite Ms. Poghosyan’s physical exertions, including mini-launches off the bench with several of the opening chords, the muffled piano and garbled acoustics got the better of everyone. One also couldn’t help getting the sense – perhaps through some rubati that felt unsettled rather than natural – that this was not where the pianist’s heart truly dwelt. As the orchestra entered, they revealed a similar ambivalence. Rough patches seemed to suggest insufficient rehearsal time, and tempo discrepancies threatened to send the piece off the rails. These moments may be what led the pianist to be even more physically demonstrative in the attempt to corral some rogue orchestral personnel, but unfortunately, without a sufficiently compelling sound to match the visual, there were sections of chaos, scrambling, and blurring. Efforts to shoehorn cues into rapid fingerwork or wait midflight should rarely be necessary, but some of those were oddly impressive to anyone knowing the work’s challenges.
Why these issues beset the Rachmaninoff so much more than the Khachaturian is something of a mystery, but it is possible that the latter, being less well-known, had elicited more careful rehearsal. One might assume that orchestra players would know the Rachmaninoff almost well enough to play it without a conductor – after all, my pew neighbor was singing along with it (audiences, please do not do this!); alas, however, the piece still demands and deserves maximum effort.
After such stressful moments in the Rachmaninoff, many pianists would want to collapse, but – make no mistake – Kariné Poghosyan is a force. She had stood out fourteen years ago as having “a passionate musicality that transcends repertoire issues, ‘off’ nights, and a host of other challenges…” (New York Concert Review, vol. 16, no. 3, 2009), and in some ways, this concert validated that comment. Given the rather “off” start to the evening, her rebound into the Khachaturian (after barely a two-minute break) was mind-boggling. Her finish was triumphant. Brava!
