Michail Lifits, piano

Michail Lifits, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
November 23, 2009

Pianist Mikhail Lifits is on quite a winning streak. At his recent solo recital as First Prize winner of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, his impressive biography did not even list his top prize in the Busoni Competition, which he had won too recently to list!

Hearing his Schumann Arabesque, Op. 18, one could easily imagine how Mr. Lifits charmed several juries in one season: he has strong musical imagination, highly personal phrasing and dynamics, and none of the noisy hokum that abounds in contests. That said, it should be interesting to see how he develops and controls (or doesn’t) some rather eccentric tendencies apparent throughout the evening. Rubato was stretched at points to excess, and phrases were frequently what one might call “front-loaded” with lines starting richly and fading to perilously fine threads (occasionally disappearing or needing to be revived, as with a string player running out of bow). While the latter characteristic enhanced moments of the Arabesque, it can seem formulaic if one is not careful. In any case, there was in each work a compelling individuality that kept one listening intently, and Schumann’s Fantasy Op. 17 was given an especially sensitive and poetic reading, closing the first half quite well.

Four “Moments Musicaux” Op. 16, by Rachmaninoff opened the second half with brilliance and a wonderful flexibility in shifts of mood. Occasional reverse dynamics baffled here, as elsewhere, but the overall performance was potent.

The Suite for Piano by Daron Hagen was brought to life by more of this pianist’s expert changes of mood, from the jazzy and conversational to the haunting and lyrical. The work itself (a commissioned piece at the Van Cliburn Competition, given its NY premiere here) came as an effective buffer between two Russian giants, particularly before Prokofiev’s Seventh Sonata, which concluded the program. Lifits lit into the Prokofiev with no holds barred and some stunningly powerful contrasts.

An encore of Chopin’s posthumous Nocturne in C-sharp minor (of debatable provenance) closed the evening, offering more of this pianist’s sensitive inflections. The magical close left one looking forward to much more.

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

Yoko Suzuki, piano

Yoko Suzuki, piano
Frank and Camille’s Piano Salon, New York, NY
November 20, 2009

Appearing 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.

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

Orlay Alonso, piano

Orlay Alonso, piano
The Church of the Heavenly Rest, New York, NY
November 8, 2009

In an exciting and varied program, Orlay Alonso captivated his audience with a solo recital that showed his communicative gifts, both in his personable style in addressing the audience and his projective performances. It was a joy to be in the audience.

Satie’s Sports et Divertissements (for Piano and Narrator) opened, with Mr. Alonso’s wife capably narrating. Satie’s twenty short movements suggest a delightfully random series of images and emotions, including mock solemnity, flirtation, confetti, a tennis match, water, hunting, tangos, golf, and more; the text-painting ranges from the obvious to the tenuous, but in Mr. Alonso’s projective, quasi- choreographic presentation, the listener’s imagination was always stimulated. Bravo!

On a more serious note Ravel’s Sonatine followed. Sensitively phrased, with some especially beautiful left hand voicing, the work showed the pianist to be capable of fine gradations and subtleties. Tonally the piece benefited from some of the space’s ample reverberation, though occasionally one wanted more of the sparkling top notes in the finale (and the piano sound did seem generally stronger in the bass).

With hardly a two-minute “intermission” Mr. Alonso returned to give Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 110 an excellent performance. He played with considerable intelligence and the intense feeling that the piece inspires (and requires!). One wished for drier acoustics for this work, but the pianist adapted; in only a few spots did one think that a bit less pedal might have helped.

Book I of Iberia by Albeniz brought the afternoon to a successful close. Clearly, this pianist has a strong feeling for these works, Evocacion, El Puerto, and El Corpus en Sevilla, and he shared it well.

Mr. Alonso announced at the recital that his new teacher was present, Juana Zayas; having had an already impressive array of teachers, from Lillian Kallir and Claude Frank to fellow Cuban-American Horacio Gutierrez, Mr. Alonso’s wealth of gifts seems destined simply to increase.

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

Aglaia Koras, piano

Aglaia Koras, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
November 5, 2009

Pianist Aglaia Koras suffered through a car accident on her way to her concert on November 5th, so it wouldn’t be fair to go into detail about technicality, memory or specifics of her program. It must be said, however, that her sold-out, full-house crowd was happy to hear her, and I felt that she gave some of the most thoughtful, touching playing of Beethoven and Chopin I have heard her play. She was the come-back kid, and she should be proud to have had the courage to put on a program that many others would have canceled.  

This is her fifth consecutive season sponsored by Mid-America Productions. On March 1st, 2010, Ms. Koras will perform an All-Chopin 200th Birthday Tribute recital at Weill Recital Hall.

Ms. Koras loves Chopin, and it shows; she received a top prize in the International Chopin Young Pianists Competition, and in recent seasons, she was invited to perform an All-Chopin recital in Mexico City.  

Ms. Koras has been a frequent performer at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, but she has also performed in a special program for the United States Ambassadors in Washington, DC; in recitals at the Kennedy Center; in programs in Spain, Greece, and Brazil; on the Smithsonian website; and in concerts sponsored by the Curtis Alumni and Leschetizky Associations.

As a prize-winner, she also won the International American Music Scholarship Association Piano Competition; the International Concert Artists Guild Competition’s “Fine Artistry and Musical Excellence Award”; and first prize at the National Young Musicians Foundation and Koszciusko Foundation Competitions, among others.

Resilience and courage were the words of the day, and her show-must-go-on-mentality was very much appreciated by all in attendance. Her tradition of Chopin also goes on at Weill Hall on March 1st, and I look forward to it.  

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by Anthony Aibel  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

La Follia Barocca

La Follia Barocca
St. Bartholomew’s Church, New York, NY
November 4, 2009

Without a doubt, La Follia Barocca is one of the finest Baroque ensembles to ever play in New York. Boundless energy, first-rate precision and an authentic sound are just some of the trademarks of this conductorless orchestra. The leader, Enrico Cassaza, plays with a virtuoso technique and was marvelous in Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in E Minor “Il Favorito”, playing all the difficult high notes with assured brilliance. The ensemble shows that it is capable of handling the treacherous virtuosity of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, for example, yet they are also clearly able to play with subtlety of vibrato, bow speed and dynamics. And they were always together.

The cello soloist, Marcello Scandelli, performed Fiorenza’s Cello Concerto in D Major with the kind of passion typical of the Romantic Era, plus a rich tone, big vibrato and heavy use of portamento. He also brought intensity to the dynamics. His playing of the cadenza even included more common modernistic touches such as over-the-bridge playing (sul ponticello), which produced a slightly rough sound. Geminiani’s Concerto Grosso No. 12 in D minor: Variations on La Follia was played with elegance and intensity. The ensemble playing was highly coordinated.  

The orchestra stood throughout the program, looking—as well as sounding—like soloists. The acoustics of St. Bartholomew’s Church are perfect for a group of strings: it can produce a full-bodied sound with warm resonance, yet clarity for harmony and rhythm. And with its look of European antiquity, the space has the perfect atmosphere for the Baroque.

La Follia Barocca was created by a group of talented musicians from Milan with extensive experience in the repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries. And the series Midtown Concerts is a community outreach program of ARTEK (The Art of The Early Keyboard, Inc.). Free concerts are given each Wednesday at 1:15 by professional early music ensembles and distinguished soloists. I very much hope La Follia Barocca returns to this series and to New York in general. This is the quintessential early-music orchestra: authenticity plus electricity.

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by Anthony Aibel  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Rira Lim, pianist

Rira Lim, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, New York
October 25, 2009

Born in South Korea, Rira Lim began playing the piano at age four, and at age 14 made her orchestral debut in her native Gwangju. After graduating from Yonsei University in Seoul, she continued her studies at the University of Texas, earning Master and Doctor degrees. She has performed in solo and chamber music in Asia and Europe, and won prizes in several international competitions.

For this recital. Ms. Lim chose an ambitious, unusual program. Even the apparently conventional opening selection was presented in an unfamiliar form: three Scarlatti Sonatas in a “transcription” for piano by Granados, with octaves, thirds, sixths, and “modern” harmonies added to make them more effective and appealing to pianists. More Granados than Scarlatti, they immediately heralded Ms. Lim’s virtuosity and wide dynamic range. Her tone was flawed only by some harshness at full volume, and a tendency to underplay her left hand; she seemed more comfortable with big chords than singing legato lines.

Barber called his Nocturne “Homage to John Fields,” but, as if reflected in a distorting mirror, its romanticism is obscured by atonal and chromatic dissonances. In Barber’s last piano piece, Ballade, written for the Van Cliburn Competition, Ms. Lim moved easily between the different moods, tempos and dynamics.

Malipiero’s four Preludi autumnali, written in 1914, are impressionistic pieces tinged with the somberness of the onset of war. The first two are all florid embellishment, the third is mournful, the fourth is sardonic and agitated. Ms. Lim brought out all these contrasting characteristics admirably.

The program’s piéce de resistance was Liszt’s Sonata, one of the repertoire’s most formidable works. In four continuous movements, it demands not only utmost virtuosity, but utmost physical and mental endurance. The slender young pianist negotiated its crashing chords, fortissimo double octave passages, cascading runs and arpeggios with untiring energy, and still had enough strength left to reward a standing ovation with a hefty encore by William Bolcom.

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by Edith Eisler  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Proteus Ensemble and Hai-Ting Chinn, mezzo-soprano

Proteus Ensemble and Hai-Ting Chinn, mezzo-soprano
Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY
October 25, 2009

This was my first visit to Le Poisson Rouge, a multimedia art cabaret which has become the hip and trendy place to hear classical music in New York. The audience sat at tables and could eat and drink before, during and after the performance. Fortunately one heard very little table noise, and the wait-staff was quite discrete. I might add that the mac and cheese was delicious.

Soon after the piped-in-classical-background-music stopped, the five members of the Proteus Ensemble entered and flutist Jennifer Grim played “Syrinx,” Debussy’s work for solo flute. This segued into a performance of pianist James Johnston’s fine arrangement of Debussy’s “Prélude à l’apres-midi d’un faune.” Both pieces were beautifully done, and while pride of place goes to the flutist in both of these works, I was very impressed by the perfect intonation and beautiful balance one heard in the octave doublings played by Ms. Grim, clarinetist Gilad Harel, violinist Yuko Naito, and cellist Alberto Parrini. But, as we were not given programs, no one in the audience was informed as to what was being played or by whom.

Next, appearing hip and trendy in high boots and a mini-dress, mezzo-soprano Hai-Ting Chinn performed Poulenc’s song cycle “La courte paille.” These seven songs, settings of nonsense verses for children, were initially written for the soprano Denise Duval to sing to her son. For me, a little French whimsy goes a long way. But the audience delighted in Ms. Chinn expertly poised performance, for which James Johnston provided the sensitive accompaniment. Computer keystrokes by Ms. Chinn activated text translations which were projected on a screen behind the players.

Alban Berg’s “Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano” followed. Here one experienced some of this evening most memorable playing. The almost inaudible pianissimo phrases spun out by Mr. Harel were ravishingly beautiful, perfectly shaped and controlled.

Then came the evening’s major work, Arnold Schoenberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire.” The Proteus Ensemble’s makeup exactly matches the instrumentation of this 1912 expressionistic work. They performed the complex score masterfully, playing with such ease and assurance that it belied the fact that this was atonal Schoenberg, not Mozart. The same could be said for Ms. Chinn’s performance of the Sprechstimme (speech-voice) narration. There are many ways to perform “Pierrot’s” Sprechstimme, some more sung, some more spoken. Ms. Chinn “more sung” rendition was quite convincing.

Immediately after the performers left the stage, the piped-in-classical-background-music began again.

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by Harry Saltzman  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Thomas Schultz, Piano

Thomas Schultz, piano
Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
October 23, 2009

The announcement of pianist Thomas Schultz’s October New York recital stirred high hopes, as his outstanding 2006 performance had this reviewer waxing rhapsodic. Those hopes were met in some regards, but less so in others.

The first surprise came in the programming itself. Known for his adventurous mix of old and new and a keen sense of musical chemistry between works, on this occasion Mr. Schultz presented only two works, both in the mainstream literature and neither lacking a distinguished performance history; Schubert’s Sonata in B-flat, D.960,
was the first half, and the Brahms Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Handel, Op. 24, was the second. While there is a fine line between a specialty and a pigeonhole, Mr. Schultz’s less well-known 20th century works had been a huge plus in the prior program; Brahms and Schubert, on the other hand, set the recital up for comparison with numerous of the world’s greatest performances, and, on this particular evening he did not fare as well as one had hoped.

In his favor, Mr. Schultz exhibited in the Schubert the same genuine feeling and penchant for subtle, soft playing that this listener admired several years ago; unfortunately, though, the balance between registers was not quite controlled, and the melody, even in the beginning, was overwhelmed by accompaniment (lovely though it was). What seemed a style of intimacy a few years ago here seemed more a lack of projection. What had impressed as a patient, long-breathed style seemed here to need more differentiation (e.g., the left hand G octaves that punctuate the last movement, which were almost lackluster).

The Brahms Op. 24 faced similar issues, with the additional technical challenges that sometimes seemed to slow things down. One especially missed the surges in the twenty-third variation, building to the climax in the twenty-fifth that unleashes the Fugue.

Through it all, there were great moments and many glimmers of insight, but to bring the music to the audience Mr. Schultz might need to step outside the tonal world he seems to have internalized so well and project more.

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

Spencer Myer, Piano

Spencer Myer, piano
Merkin Concert Hall, New York, NY
October 21, 2009

Spencer Myer’s biography lists numerous competitions and awards, but he may be bringing more credit to those competitions than they to him. He is a thoughtful, sincerely committed performer who goes beyond mere display, putting the music first. One is sad thinking that any artist has to endure the competitive circuit (or circus), but perhaps it has acted as a crucible for his gifts, for he is also exceptionally polished.

To open his recent recital (presented by Astral Artists), he offered a superb interpretation of Handel’s Suite No. 2 in F Major, treating the opening Adagio movement’s vocal lines with fluidity, sensitive shaping, and excellent balance. The work continued with marvelous transparency of texture, dynamic contrast without excess, and excellent control of the imitative voices in the sparkling final Allegro.

Quite a drastic change of time and mood was effected with Janacek’s Sonata 1. X. 1905, “From the Street.” It was impassioned and convincingly conceived, though some left hand accents were too fast and exaggerated for this listener. Suggesting the outcry of the work’s tragic origins, these articulations can sound hectic, rather than tormented; one cannot doubt, however, that Mr. Myer had his reasons, as the sense of intense feeling and communication was always present.

Schubert Four Impromptus, Op. 90, followed. On paper, this seemed like an unusual juxtaposition, but the solemn narrative quality of the Schubert’s opening was in keeping with the Janacek’s sorrowful “Death” movement, and each ensuing Impromptu was thoughtfully developed. One’s only reservation again was a penchant for highlighting inner lines and lower voices to an exaggerated degree.

Myer’s performance of Copland’s Piano Variations was one of the best in memory, with consummate clarity and projection of its inner workings. “El Amor y la muerte” and “Los requiebros” of Granados (from Goyescas) closed the recital with considerable color. A few slightly labored moments in the latter did little to dull one’s favorable overall impression that Spencer Myer is an artist to watch. A standing ovation led to encores of Debussy’s “Poissons d’or” and Earl Wild’s transcription of Gershwin’s “Embraceable You.”

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

Orrett Rhoden, Piano

Orrett Rhoden, piano
Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
October 15, 2009

Sometimes an encore can leave a more marked impression on an audience than the program itself, and such was the case with Jamaican pianist Orrett Rhoden’s transcription of the Bob Marley song, “One Love.” A reggae-meets-Liszt fusion of his homeland’s music with his own Romantic pianism, it exemplified Mr. Rhoden’s charismatic and communicative gifts. Indeed, these gifts were present throughout the recital, but there were some issues that detracted.

While some of the liberties Mr. Rhoden took may be chalked up to interpretive license, many of them were too much for this listener. Especially in the Sonata, Op. 53 of Beethoven (“Waldstein”) and Schumann’s Etudes Symphoniques, Op. 13, there were myriad grand ritardandi, puzzling tempo changes, dramatic bursts (where more measured dynamics were called for), and changed or added notes that did not enhance the score. While these “personal touches” may be preferable to having no reactions to the score whatsoever (an all too common occurrence), too many of them can distort the music. As just a few examples, in Schumann’s Etude II, grace notes were added in the wrong places and a gratuitous final C-sharp spoiled its character; moreover, the first and second endings of Variation XI had a different bass line than what is written (accentuated, to boot). One could be impressed at times that Mr. Rhoden simply follows his own drummer, as in Etude X, where his added left hand octaves hearkened back to some Romantic piano greats; unfortunately, though, some of these “liberties” must be considered errors, such as in the Finale where the last sixteenths of many measures were changed to eighths, completely changing the rhythmic energy.

The balance of the program included two Scarlatti Sonatas in A Major (L. 483 and 345),

Granados “Allegro de Concierto,” and Chopin’s Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor. While in the Granados, one missed the serene mastery of the recently departed Alicia de Larrocha, Rhoden’s characteristic freedom and cantabile phrasing brought some great moments to the Chopin. An encore, the Allemande from Bach’s French Suite in G Major, was followed by the Marley, which brought the house down.

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