The Sixth Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition Presents Gala Winners Recital in Review

Pianists Antoni Kleczek, Ukki Sachedina, Sua Lee, Katelyn Vahala, Tianle Chen,

Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, New York, NY

 December 8, 2019

It is always a revelatory experience to hear the winners of the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competitions (TIBC), as this reviewer has done numerous times, and this year’s edition, the sixth, was no exception. The TIBC was conceived in 2003 by pianist Golda Vainberg-Tatz to honor her mentor, the celebrated Bach interpreter Rosalyn Tureck (with Dr. Tureck’s blessing shortly before she passed away), and the piano competitions began in 2008 (now in odd-numbered years, but having taken place 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019). Each event is an enormous undertaking, superbly organized by the dynamic and elegant Ms. Tatz, and each draws an international jury and outstanding international participants (now ranging from ages 8-28). Focusing on Bach, but by no means exclusively Bach, the TIBC events have selected some stellar pianists, and its winners are lighting up the stages worldwide.

Thanks to the abundance of J. S. Bach’s output, there was a dizzying array of categories for awards (one counted 8 by genre, plus four additional prize categories). On Sunday we heard the five winners. Antoni Kleczek (USA) won in Category 2 (Inventions, Sinfonias, Duets) and shared the Contemporary Music Award. Ukki Sachedina (USA) won in Category 3 (Preludes and Fugues). Sua Lee (Korea) won in Category 4A (English Suites, French Suites, and Partitas 1,3), and Katelyn Vahala won in Category 4B (Partitas 2,4,5,6, and French Overture), as well as sharing the Contemporary Music Award. The winner in Category 7 (Recital) and Category 8 (The Goldberg Variations) was Tianle Chen (China).

As with many artistic endeavors, a piano competition needs backing, and this one has drawn the support (among others) of pianistic luminary Evgeny Kissin, for whom TIBC’s Evgeny Kissin/Steinway and Sons Recital Grand Prize is named. This year, that Kissin Prize was not awarded, not because some high level was not reached, it was explained, but because the voting for that prize must be unanimous, and it was not.  Other prizes not awarded included Category 5 (Various Works), Category 6 (Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, Italian Concerto, Sonatas), and the award to the Outstanding Competitor from the Juilliard School.  On the subject of luminaries, though, the Kern Foundation “Aspiration” (named for the formidable pianist Olga Kern) offered the Aspiration Foundation Award which was won by Antoni Kleczek, the afternoon’s youngest performer at age thirteen.

Antoni Kleczek opened the winners’ recital with a masterful performance of Five Bagatelles (1994) by Carl Vine (b. 1954). The Five Bagatelles are also known as Threnody, after the fifth Bagatelle, which is entitled Threnody (for all of the innocent victims). Carl Vine composed the set in a way that embraces a variety of styles, and it was thus an ideal vehicle to reflect a performer’s range. The first piece, marked Darkly, opens with an eerie feeling of foreboding, and Mr. Kleczek captured this mood with complete immersion. The second piece, marked leggiero e legato, pits driving eighths and sixteenths below longer notes in the treble phrases, and it is a digital test, in a way, to ensure that the tops emerge clearly over the rapid finger-work – this pianist was more than up to the task. The third movement, the set’s slow soulful centerpiece, was beautifully introspective in the rendition of this young musician. The fourth jazzy piece had just the right swing to it, giving the set a brief lightness, and the fifth, a haunting bell-like lament, showed again that this young pianist possesses a musical maturity far beyond his years.

The second pianist was Ukki Sachedina, playing Felix Mendelssohn’s Prelude and Fugue in E minor op 35. no 1 – as Mendelssohn’s Preludes and Fugues are allowed in Category 3 in combination with Bach’s own. Mr. Sachedina gave this Prelude great thoroughness and dedication, with minimal fuss and all of the emotion concentrated in the sound. The Fugue lived up to all expectations set by the Prelude, with clarity, excellent control of dynamics, and attention to each detail of counterpoint. The entrance of Mendelssohn’s own E major Chorale theme was truly noble, as was the hallowed quiet ending.

The first actual Bach of the program came from the afternoon’s third pianist, Sua Lee in three selections from Bach’s English Suite in D minor. We heard the Prelude, Sarabande, and Gavotte. Ms. Lee gave the Prelude an improvisatory feel, letting it naturally unfold into the Allegro section, which was remarkably controlled.  Only some slightly rushed repeated bass pedal tones departed from the utter steadiness, but these seemed almost inevitable in the excitement of Bach’s building. The Sarabande sounded as I had never heard it before with all manner of surprising personal touches in the double (including, unless this listener was dreaming, no Picardy third at the close – a surprise). The second Gavotte in D major was similarly graced with some very individual ornamentation and was striking and ethereal. It is rare to see this sort of individual playing in such a young performer so it will be interesting to hear how she develops over time.

The fourth pianist Katelyn Vahala gave a confident account of selections from Bach’s Partita No. 4 in D major – the Overture, Menuet, and Gigue. The Overture had just the right regal quality in its double-dotted rhythms, and what followed was excellent, though for this listener it seemed that some of the ornaments may have encumbered the tempo slightly in spots – or perhaps that deliberate quality was intentional.  With Bach, as stated by the jury chair Jeffrey Swann, there is such a wide range of possible interpretations – and sometimes that flexibility is applied to expressive manipulations of rhythm – this listener just wasn’t always in complete agreement. The Gigue closed and was wonderfully rhythmic and robust. Among Gigues this Partita’s one is quite a difficult one, with leaps that snag the best pianists, but with only the minutest exceptions Ms. Vahala was right on target. The playing all around was that of a highly accomplished pianist.

The afternoon’s final pianist Tianle Chen played two selections, starting with Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Chorale from Cantata no. 147) in the Myra Hess version – it was sensitively wrought. As winner in the Goldberg Variations category, he had the dubious obligation to extract a segment from this sacrosanct set, but he chose well (or someone did) with the Aria followed by Variations XX-XXX. Again Mr. Chen impressed. It is probably a challenge to leap from the Aria to Variation XX, especially at the lightning speed Mr. Chen chose for the latter, but for whatever reason it had momentary rough spots that one suspects could have been avoided with a bit more breathing room. Variation XXI was a joy, perfectly clear in each voice. Mr. Chen has superb fingers for detached rapid passagework, and one was reminded of the playing of Gould at times (if that is acceptable to say in this Tureck-oriented environment). In Variation XXIII, Mr. Chen’s staccato sixteenths moved to seamlessly perfect 32^nd notes, and there was tremendous lightness and clarity. Occasionally in the parallel thirds one wanted more “traction” (as well as in Variation XXIX) lest things run away – but all in all one was left simply wanting to hear the whole set. Mr. Chen’s pianism has much to offer the world.

The judges included Jeffrey Swann (chairman), Michael Charry, Emanuel Krasovsky, André Laplante, Joanne Polk, Matti Raekallio, Jose Ramos Santana, Mark Sullivan, and Douglas Sheldon, and a preselection jury of Martin Labazevitch, Mark Sullivan, and the director Golda Vainberg-Tatz.

Congratulations to all of them for their selections, to the young pianists, to their teachers, to the contest administration, and of course to all who learned great repertoire without winning a prize – undoubtedly, they have won in important ways, as does anyone who gets to know Bach’s music. Here’s to hearing more in a few years!

by Rorianne Schrade  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY