Yoko Suzuki, piano
Yoko Suzuki, piano Frank and Camille’s Piano Salon, New York, NY November 20, 2009Appearing in the United States for the first time, pianist Yoko Suzuki played an excellent recital of Spanish music. Tokyo-born, Ms. Suzuki received her Masters degree at the Marshall Academy in Barcelona (where she currently resides) and has performed regularly in both Europe and Japan. She lists among her teachers the recently deceased Alicia de Larrocha.
Opening with an emotive Evocacion from Iberia Book I by Albeniz, Ms. Suzuki showed remarkable suppleness of phrasing, though occasionally her tempo felt a bit slow and lacking in the dreamy flow that one admired in her teacher’s playing. El Puerto, which followed, was spirited and polished. Next came a work of the underrated Mompou, his Canción y danza No. 6. Ms. Suzuki brought out the poignant harmonies just right, conveying a strong identification with this style.
The Maiden and the Nightingale (from Goyescas) and Allegro Concierto, both by Granados, followed. In each case the Lisztian element was dominant, the trills and passagework perhaps intensified by the bright Yamaha and live room.
After a brief intermission, Ms. Suzuki was joined by Yukiko Tanaka (primo) in four-hand pieces, starting with three of Mompou’s playful Comptines. Also for four hands (Ms. Suzuki now Primo) were Montsalvatge’s Tres Divertimentos, again lighter fare. Josep Garcia Gago, a relatively novel name here in the U.S., was the composer of the next solo, Triptico Romantica, which was anything but novel in the styles of its three movements, Schumanniana, Berceuse, and Impaciencia, the latter played with wonderful restless surges.
Ms. Suzuki concluded her recital with De Falla’s Fantasia Baetica; while lilting in the lyrical spots and well mastered in the demanding passages, it was not quite as fiery as this reviewer would like.
The first encore, the Ritual Fire Dance from El Amor Brujo, was effective, especially with Suzuki’s introduction, using music from the preceding “A Media Noche.” Danza del Molinero from The Three-Cornered Hat of Falla closed the fine recital. Incidentally several of the works on this program can be heard on her 2007 recording entitled “Spanish Piano” and released on the Columna Musica label.
