Legato Arts presents Rachel KyeJung Park in Review
Rachel KyeJung Park, pianist
Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
March 13, 2023
There was something for everyone at a recent concert at Weill Hall given by pianist Rachel KyeJung Park, Assistant Professor of Piano at Jacksonville State University and recipient of numerous distinctions in Korea and the US. Of greatest interest to me were selections from 12 Heilige Glockenklänge für Klavier, a US Premiere of music by Korean composer M. W. Johann Kim (b. 1959). The balance of the program featured standard repertoire, including Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 109, Chopin’s G minor Ballade, Debussy’s Estampes, Ravel’s Alborado del Gracioso (from Miroirs), and Rachmaninoff’s Etude-Tableau Op. 39, No. 6 in A minor. The final work on the program was the pianist’s own arrangement of the traditional Korean song (and unofficial anthem), Arirang.
Dr. Park started the evening off with confidence and color in the four fascinating selections by M. W Johann Kim, 12 Heilige Glockenklänge für Klavier (or 12 Holy Bell Sounds for Piano). The first piece, Am Anfang (Beginning), started with a great chordal burst, from which emanations of color seemed to stream. The second piece, Frieden des Herrn (Peace of the Lord), was the most bell-like of the four, with hints of Debussy and Messiaen. The third piece, Freude, emerged as rather boisterous, starting with a lively ostinato and growing dance-like and brilliant (with bell sounds not too detectable to this listener, though it was exciting, as it stood). Finally the fourth, Liebe (Love), closed the set with a melody in ebullient right-hand octaves over quasi-impressionistic chords, trills, and passagework. These are intriguing pieces, unique in expression though reminding one of Messiaen, Scriabin, and the impressionistic composers. Dr. Park did an impressive job projecting their spirit while handling their technical complexities, and the composer was present for a well-deserved ovation. His works, we learn from some texts that were available at intermission, are created with his own acoustically inspired system called bell sound harmony, based partly on the work of Kurt Anton Hueber and grounded in Mr. Kim’s own faith. One hopes to hear more of this fascinating music.
Moving to more familiar music, Dr. Park played Rachmaninoff’s Etude-Tableau Op. 39 No. 6 in A minor (often called “Little Red Riding Hood”). It was striking for the relative slowness (compared to many performers) of her opening chromatic runs – but the initial surprise became admiration as these passages (likened to the growling of the wolf) “growled” all the more for not being rushed. Dr. Park has clearly no trouble with high-velocity fingerwork, as the ensuing challenges were easily met at very high speed. Well done!
Debussy’s Estampes followed, and each of the three pieces was played with great care, though with varying degrees of emotional power to this listener. Pagodes, the first of the three, left nothing wanting. Redolent with the sounds of Debussy’s beloved gamelan, it was happy in Dr. Park’s hands. La soirée dans Grenade was well done overall, but, to this listener, it needed a more sultry, smoky feel in its habanera, and a lusher, more expansive climax. Jardins sous la pluie conveyed well the shimmering colors and repeating rhythms of its subject, gardens under the rain, though it lost focus at times.
After intermission (and a change of evening dress from red to brilliant turquoise), we heard Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 109 in E major, one of the master’s great three final sonatas for piano. Rather than assess each movement blow-by-blow, suffice it to say that it was probably an “off night” for this piece; if one had to pinpoint the source of the several mishaps, however, they might relate to this pianist’s favoring of the right hand. Gifted with a penchant for all things cantabile, this pianist seemed to need a bit more thorough attention to the bass lines and harmonic underpinnings. (Underpinnings that are neglected have a way of getting revenge at the oddest times, and some did just that.) Beyond that, this listener felt at odds with some of it purely interpretively – with the first movement feeling overly “prettified,” and the Andante theme of the finale exuding sweetness more than nobility.
Ravel’s Alborado del Gracioso from Miroirs seemed well suited to this pianist, and that is quite a compliment, considering what notorious challenges it presents, from its rapid repeated notes to its double glissandi. Dr. Park was up to the demands and played with fire and flair. Her repeated notes, incidentally, were superb.
Chopin’s G minor Ballade was also well in hand overall, and though I didn’t agree with every interpretive decision, the work was solid and well prepared throughout, with excellent tonal balance and control, pearling runs, judicious pacing, and plenty of spirit in the coda.
The final work on the program was also a delightful surprise, Dr. Park’s arrangement of Arirang – which turned out to be not just a rhapsody on Arirang but also on Amazing Grace, the tune that opens the piece. Her rendition was charming, as is the piece itself, reflecting a lovely and grateful spirit. Dr. Park has a gift for embellishing and harmonizing, and one hopes she will do much more in this area.
An enthusiastic crowd gave a standing ovation and was rewarded with an encore of Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu, played well enough that it might have been put on the program itself.
