Texas Tech University School of Music and Manhattan Concert Productions in Review

Texas Tech University School of Music and Manhattan Concert Productions
Present From Lubbock to Carnegie Hall
Featuring the winners
Elizabeth Hott, soprano, Meg Griffith, flute
Bill Waterman, tuba, Ji Yang, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
April 16, 2011

Meg Griffith

If these four young musicians, selected by audition from the 500 music majors of Texas Tech University, are representative of its graduate students, the University can be proud of its Music School and the talent it attracts. Each performer presented a group of contrasting works, and all were daring enough to begin with a dazzling bravura piece.  

Meg Griffith is an excellent flutist, winner of numerous honors and awards for her performances of Baroque and contemporary music, including first prize of the Chicago Flute Club National Chamber Competition and the Concerto Competition at Texas Tech. She is coordinator and assistant program chair of the National Flute Association’s 2011 Convention, and is currently a doctoral student as teaching assistant under Dr. Lisa Garner Santa at Texas Tech; her former teachers include Dr. Mary Karen Clardy, Prof. John Heiss, and Dr. Lee Lattimore. Partnered by pianist Lora Deahl (a faculty member), Ms. Griffith performed three works by composers from different countries and generations, all characteristic of their creators’ styles. The Scherzo for flute and piano by the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959) was fleet and brilliant; written mostly in Martinu’s favorite stratospheric register, it sparkled with sunlit cheer. Playing at breakneck speed, Ms. Griffith combined  easy facility with total control. Morceau de Concours by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) radiated calm serenity and impressionist colors, giving Ms. Griffith a fine opportunity to exhibit her    beautiful, singing tone. In the Sonata Op. 23 by Lowell Liebermann (b.1961), she captured and brought out the contrasts between the slow, flexible first and the fast, vigorous second movements.  

Elizabeth Hott, with pianist Regina Shea, displayed a powerful coloratura soprano and much charm in a brilliant aria from a Rossini opera, and the “Jewel Song” from Gounod’s “Faust.” They flanked “The Wind,” by Samuel Adler (b. 1928), and two mournful, lyrical Schumann songs on Goethe poems (better known in Schubert’s settings). Ms. Hott sang all these works in the original languages.   

Playing with a pure, mellow tone and astonishing agility, Bill Waterman made a strong case for the tuba as a solo instrument. In Encounters II for solo tuba by William Kraft (b. 1923), the tuba’s lowest and highest registers engaged in a spirited exchange. Pianist Susan Wass joined Mr. Waterman for the bleak, gloomy slow movement of the Tuba Concerto “War and the Rumors of War” by Barbara York (b. 1949), and Walter Hilgers’ arrangement of that popular violin showpiece, Monti’s Czardas.  Ill-suited to the tuba, it inevitably lacked the lightness of the original, despite Mr. Waterman’s virtuosity.  

 Pianist Ji Yang, a teaching assistant at the University, performed Lowell Liebermann’s Gargoyles Op. 29, and the Toccata Op. 155 by York Bowen (1884-1961). Played to the hilt for bravura and powerful sonorities, they made an enormously  effective ending.  

Today, it is quite customary to play from the score, especially in new music, but performers should be aware that, if they place their music stands directly in front of them, the audience cannot see them and some of their sound is cut off.  

The printed program gave no information about the accompanists, who were excellent and deserved more credit.

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

So-Ock Kim, Violinist in Review

So-Ock Kim, Violinist in Review
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
Presented by the Korea Music Foundaton
March 17, 2011

So-Ock-Kim

Any violinist who chooses a program of unaccompanied music for a New York debut must be not only a consummate player and musician, but also possess extraordinary courage and self-confidence. So-Ock Kim has all these qualities in abundance; this recital was one of the most remarkable in recent memory.

Born in Korea in 1982, Ms. Kim moved to London at the age of  three. She became the youngest Gold Medalist of the Shell/LSO Competition at 15, and at 19 was selected for the Young Artists Concert Trust. Her worldwide performances in recital, with major orchestras and at important festivals were often broadcast on radio and television. Keenly interested in contemporary music, Ms. Kim has presented and recorded several world premieres of new works.

Ms. Kim’s program featured some of the most difficult unaccompanied works in the literature: the Chaconne from Bach’s D minor Partita, Bartók’s formidable Sonata, and Nos. 2, 3 and 4 of Ysaÿe’s six sonatas Op. 27, written by the greatest virtuoso of his time and dedicated to his violinist friends. Ms. Kim, a slender, delicate-looking young woman, performed these powerful, dramatic works (all in minor keys) triumphantly and without a hint of fatigue. She even had enough stamina for a brilliant encore: Francisco Tarrega’s “Recuerdo de la Alhambra.”

In the Bartók, she not only handled the instrumental challenges – double stops, chords, jumps, harmonics – with ease and security; she gave each movement its own character and also brought out both the work’s baroque and folk elements with admirable feeling for the Hungarian idiom. The Ysaye Sonatas pay homage to their dedicatees by emulating their own styles: Jacques Thibaud in No.2, Fritz Kreisler in No.3, and Mathieu Crickboom in No 4. They exploit but also expand the technical and tonal resources of the violin, and demand the kind of virtuosity that combines reckless abandon with total control. Ms. Kim took all their hurdles in stride and displayed remarkable stylistic versatility.

No program of unaccompanied violin music would be complete without Bach, but Ms. Kim’s performance of the Chaconne seemed dutiful rather than spontaneous, indicating that the baroque is not her most natural habitat. She tried to recreate the style solely by playing without vibrato; she made little attempt to bring out the voice leading, either in the chords or the melodic lines; she tended to change tempo arbitrarily and overemphasized the phrasing. However, her technical playing was no less excellent than it was throughout the rest of the recital: in perfect command of fingers and bow, flawless in intonation, pure and beautiful in sound.

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

Karen Hakobyan, composer and pianist in Review

 Karen Hakobyan, composer and pianist in Review
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
March 1, 2011

Karen Hakobyan

 No one who was in attendance at the recent concert of works by Karen Hakobyan could possibly have felt shortchanged.  The Armenian composer and pianist, a musician of abundant gifts and bountiful ideas, structured an evening that was a survey of both his compositional development and his facility in writing for varied instrument groups.  Mr. Hakobyan’s precocious enthusiasm for making and writing music is infectious.  Indeed, it is a testament to him that all the musicians who performed his works, most of which were fiendishly difficult, seemed relaxed and fully engaged.  My major reservation with this program was with its length.  Simply put, there were just too many pieces to digest.  A little shaping and editing would have shown the composer’s strengths in a better light.

By his own description, Mr. Hakobyan’s earlier works dominated the first half of the program.  Although Elegie for Violin and Piano (1999) is a product of a fourteen year old’s imagination, it still provided some technical challenges for its players.  All the hallmarks of the composer’s voice were already in evidence in the Elegie – virtuosic passagework with fistfuls of notes, and the juxtaposition of different stylistic sensibilities (late Romantic, early to mid – Twentieth century.)  These, and a mania for fugues, were woven, in some form, into the next four works, a Prelude and Fugue for Piano, a stunning Toccata for Solo Flute, and two pieces for string quartet.  The string quartets, in particular, showed a more developed palette of dynamics and layering of voices.

The musical language that was introduced in bits in the beginning of the program was pervasive after the intermission. Of these later pieces, the strongest were the Suite for Solo Violin, the Trio for Flute, Clarinet and Piano, and the brilliant Piano Variations, op. 1.  As is often the case, Mr. Hakobyan’s assets are also his weaknesses. He is never at a loss for ideas, but those ideas would carry more weight if there were less of them.  Having said that, the sheer virtuosity of his more successful ventures was a delight to hear.  All of the performers were of a very high standard, but special kudos must go to the flutist Emi Ferguson and the violinist Guillaume Molko.

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by David La Marche  for New York Concert Review; New York, NY

Festival Chamber Music in Review

 Festival Chamber Music in Review
 Ayako Oshima, clarinet
David Jolley, horn
Yuri Funahashi, piano
Calvin Wiersma, violin
Theodore Arm, violin/viola
Ruth Sommers, cello/director
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
February 2, 2011

 Festival Chamber Music is a rotating group of enterprising top-notch New York musicians. They like to take time out from their busy lives as performers and teachers to present new and unfamiliar works in a variety of instrumental combinations, as well as staples of the standard repertoire. Founded in 1988 by its director, cellist Ruth Sommers, in Dobbs Ferry, the group moved in 1992 to New York City, where it performs an annual series of five concerts to sell-out audiences.

Its most recent program was of particular interest. It featured Beethoven’s popular Piano Quartet, Op. 16 in E-flat major in an excellent performance, and works by two virtually unknown Czech composers: the Quintet for piano, violin, cello , clarinet and horn, Op. 42 by Zdenek Fibich (1850-1900), written in 1893, and the String Trio by Gideon Klein (l9l9-l045), one of the so-called Holocaust composers, written in 1944. Fibich, though born in Prague, did not follow in the footsteps of his compatriots Smetana and Dvorak, the fathers of the Czech nationalist movement; rather, his music–though never openly derivative–is steeped in the Romantic German tradition. In the Quintet, Fibich’s compositional skill shows in his modulations (which use a lot of deceptive cadences), and in his ability to exploit and combine the instruments’ colors and timbres to best effect. The first and last of the Quintet’s four movements are in sonata form; the Scherzo, marked “with wild humor,” foreshadows Shostakovich in its acerbic sarcasm, but this is relieved by two cheerful Trios, a waltz and a polka. A solo piano passage leads back to the da capos. The Quintet’s centerpiece is the slow movement, a truly beautiful, long-breathing melody, stated first by the piano in solid and arpeggiated chords, then repeated with a florid violin obbligato. The work’s most pervasive characteristics are its democratic distribution of the solos, its unabashed romanticism, and its surging, soaring melodies; but the heart-on-sleeve quality of the music is so genuine that sentiment never lapses into sentimentality.

Gideon Klein already had several compositions to his credit when he was sent to Terezin in 1941. At 20, he must have been one of the youngest of the composers who perished in the Nazi death-camps, and, if this String Trio is any indication, also one of the most talented. A brilliant pianist, his ability to use the string instruments’ resources was remarkable. Though naturally still under the influence of contemporary stylistic trends, the Trio displays a personal voice and an astoundingly mature emotional range. Its three movements are all based on Moravian folksongs. The first and last are fast, skittish, jumpy, abrasive, and dissonant, often punctuated with Slavic and Hungarian off-beat rhythms; the last one ends in a Bartokian dance and a crash. The Trio’s core is the much longer, slow, middle movement: a set of variations of contrasting tempos, textures and characters that encompass defiance, grief and despair, leaving the listener shaken and heart-broken. Klein became one of Terezin’s heroes, organizing its musical and cultural activities. The Trio was written nine days before Klein’s deportation to Auschwitz; he died there a year later.

Heard at two rehearsals, the playing of this demanding program was excellent. Pianist Funahashi alternated imperceptibly between leading and supporting, always sensitive, never too loud; hornist Jolley and clarinetist Oshima were outstanding in their prominent roles. The Quintet had an almost orchestral sonority at times. The string players negotiated their often stratospheric parts with aplomb; cellist Sommers provided a firm foundation, violinist Wiersma was a strong leader in the Beethoven and Klein; Arm, doubling on violin and viola, had the courage to play the bigger instrument first, but kept his intonation intact – no mean feat.

These fine, adventuresome musicians deserve our admiration and gratitude for bringing these unjustly neglected works to our attention in such committed, persuasive performances.

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

Victoria Mushkatkol in Review

Victoria Mushkatkol, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
December 2, 2010
Presented by the Vladimir Nielsen Foundation.

Victoria Mushkaktol

Born and trained in Russia,  pianist Victoria Mushkatkol graduated with highest honors from St. Petersburg Conservatory, where she was a protégé of the eminent teacher Vladimir Nielsen; now living in New York, she honored him by founding a piano festival in his name at Sag Harbor in 2007. She is enjoying an international career as soloist, chamber musician and teacher, and is currently on the faculty of the Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division.

Victoria Mushkatkol is a splendid pianist. Her command of the keyboard is complete; her technique is so relaxed and effortless that it is a pleasure to watch her in action. Perhaps the most immediately striking aspect of her playing is her tone: rich, warm and singing, with a perfectly smooth legato, it has a large palette of colors and nuances and a wide range of dynamics. Indeed, it seemed amazing that a person of her delicate stature could produce such a powerful, sonorous sound. Her stage presence is natural and unaffected; she projects total concentration and emotional identification with the music.

In this season commemorating several composers’ anniversaries, she celebrated Chopin before intermission (returning to him for her encore), and Liszt afterwards. Her strong affinity for romantic music was immediately clear. Her Chopin was free and flexible, but the tempo changes were balanced, the transitions poised. The A-flat major Ballade Op. 47 was full of dreamy poetry and passionate ardor; the Barcarolle Op. 60 rocked and lilted. In the B minor Sonata Op. 58, she brought out the character of each movement, carefully building up the dynamic and dramatic climaxes.

The second half of the program began with Schubert’s B-flat major Impromptu, Op. 142, No. 3, a set of variations on the “Rosamunde” theme that he loved to recycle. It is a study in tonal, textural and expressive contrasts whose mood and character changes Ms. Mushkatkol captured very effectively; her rhythmic liberties, though, seemed to hark back to Chopin’s style.

Schubert’s practice of writing variations on his own songs may have inspired Liszt to use them as launching-pads for the brilliant paraphrases favored by the piano virtuosos of his day. Ms. Mushkatkol selected four of these: “Aufenthalt,” “Gretchen am Spinnrade,” “Du bist die Ruh’,” and “Erlköng.”  Based on some of Schubert’s most popular songs, they demonstrate Liszt’s skill in weaving the vocal line into the accompaniment. Naturally, this demands great technical and tonal control on the part of the pianist; for example, in “Gretchen am Spinnrade,” the sound of the spinning-wheel’s repetitious whirring must be maintained through all the verses; in “Erlkönig,” where even Schubert’s original piano part with its repeated octaves and chords is a test of endurance, Liszt created a tour-de-force that seems to require more than two hands and ten fingers.

Liszt’s “Rhapsodie Espagnole” with its brilliant writing and idiomatic Spanish rhythms made a rousing finish and elicited an ovation.

The audience included many children of various ages and nationalities, whose rapt attention marked them as budding pianists; from their floral tributes and warm hugs it was natural to surmise that they were paying homage to a beloved teacher.

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

Seunghee Lee in Review

Seunghee Lee, piano
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, N.Y.
December 1, 2010

Many pianists enjoy describing their programs and repertoires as “eclectic” lately, and, though the word is a bit overused, a recent recital program by pianist Seunghee Lee deserves that description. In a highly interesting mix of Heitor Villa-Lobos, Robert Muczynski, Francis Poulenc, Frédéric Chopin, Edvard Grieg, and Enrique Granados, Ms. Lee’s recital had something for almost everyone (though perhaps not for those hoping for a heaping helping of the “three B’s” – Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms). What I found particularly interesting was that this pianist seemed to have an equal affinity for each composer in this unusual assemblage. Ms. Lee, who has studied and performed widely and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Kentucky, has widely ranging interests and the ability to share them — a valuable combination.

Starting off with Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4 (“Preludio”) by Villa-Lobos, Ms. Lee established a thoughtful tone.  Though, as mentioned before, this recital offered none of the “three B’s,” the presence of the first “B” – Bach – was definitely felt here. Ms. Lee demonstrated beautiful tonal control from its rather stately opening. Occasionally high registers sounded a bit strident, perhaps from want of bass support via more pedal (as Ms. Lee was quite sparing in her use of pedal through much of the evening), but all in all it was a successful opening.

In a change of style, time, and continent, the program then moved to a work by U.S. composer Robert Muczynski (1929-2010) entitled “Desperate Measures” (Paganini Variations) Op. 48.  Based on the famous 24th Caprice of Paganini (the one which inspired Liszt, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and others), this roughly eight-minute set (written in 1995) shows at times a striking kinship with the Paganini Variations of Witold Lutoslawski (for two pianos, written in 1941), though Muczynski’s work breaks out in far more jazzy directions. Ms. Lee brought out its brilliance, rhythmic energy, and at times, lyricism, though emphasizing the acerbic dissonant qualities more than I’ve heard or would like.

Chopin’s Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47, followed with a refreshingly gentle opening, though it was overall the least successful work on the program. Little raggedy edges are conspicuous in such an unforgiving piece as this, and there were passages that seemed glossed over, where loud peaks were reached from thin beginnings with no tonal middle ground in between. Also, some inner voices that most Chopin fans know and love were boldly announced at their beginnings, but not followed through to their natural conclusions.

In Poulenc’s Trois Pièces, Ms. Lee seemed much more in her element, reveling in the dreamy, brooding Pastorale, the bold Hymne, and the light and precise Toccata. Her palette of colors was just right for these works. I couldn’t help thinking it would be interesting to hear her play Ravel’s Toccata (or perhaps Scarbo), and a number of works of Debussy.

Shifting after intermission to Grieg, Ms. Lee played the “Rotnams-Knut, Halling”  (No. 7 from Peasant Dances, Op. 72), the Scherzo-Impromptu No. 2 from Stimmungen, Op. 73, and the Ballade, Op. 24. These works enjoyed a loving advocacy in this pianist’s hands. The Ballade (despite accuracy issues towards the craggy end) had many fine moments, prospering by Ms. Lee’s patient lyricism through its doleful and funereal sections.

The Allegro de Concierto, Op. 46, by Granados ended the evening on a positive note, concluding what was a rewarding evening of music. An appreciative audience received an encore that sounded somewhat like a new age improvisation on a hymn, though (as sometimes happens) it was impossible to hear the announcement.

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

Amael Piano Trio, in Review

Amael Piano Trio, in Review
Tatjana Ognjanovic, piano
Volodja Balzalorsky, violin
 Damir Hamidullin, cello
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
November 13, 2010

Amael Trio

A top-notch ensemble, the Amael Piano Trio, was presented this weekend under the auspices of the Spectrum Chamber Music Society, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia. In a program of 20th-century Slovenian music (first half) and Beethoven’s Piano Trio in B-flat, Op. 97, the “Archduke” (second half), they brought unity and vigor to both old and new.

The Amael Trio, based in Ljubljana, states in its biography (in addition to mentioning traditional repertoire) that it is “dedicated to performing contemporary works, and to the promotion, internationally, of Slovenian composers of piano trio literature.” They did an excellent job of just that in their Saturday evening program, and though only the pianist and violinist are natives of Slovenia (the cellist hailing from Russia), they represented Slovenia with honor. They might add to their biography that they also promote some non-trio works, as there was a violin solo included on their program; considering that each of the three players is of such strong individual ability, they might want to incorporate some solos or duos by the pianist and cellist as well. It would be a welcome addition.

The concert opened in an intensely dark vein with “Maestoso Lugubre” by Lucijan Marija Skerjanc (1900-1973).  Composed in 1935, the work is actually the last movement of this composer’s Piano Trio, though Skerjanc himself suggested that it be performed as a single work. From the very first solo cello notes by Damir Hamidullin, a somber lyricism pervaded, deepened by each player’s entry. The synchronization was marvelous, particularly in the string doublings (which can so easily sound “off” but were never so). All three blended in a way that was rich and warm, but also translucent, like the sonic equivalent of amber. The pianist, Tatjana Ognjanovic, managed to be the perfect foundation and “glue” for the trio without any suggestion of dominance even with the Steinway lid up.

Violinist Volodja Balzalorsky came onstage next as soloist in “Something Wild” by Nenad First  (b. 1964).  Mr. First, though born in Zagreb, lives and works in Slovenia. “Something Wild” is pretty much what its title suggests, a rhapsodic, virtuoso violin showpiece with a rough, rustic streak (plenty of fifths) and dizzying speed (think Bartok meets Paganini). Seemingly fiendishly difficult in parts, it was the compulsory violin work in the 2005 International Johannes Brahms Competition. While I cannot profess to love the piece, it was an intriguing break from the trios and certainly an opportunity for Mr. Balzalorsky to shine.

The first half concluded with the trio performing “Five Short Pieces” by Milko Lazar (b. 1965). Dedicated to the trio in 2001, it is a work of great variety within concise, classically restrained movements, each contrasting with the last  (arranged as fast, slow, fast, slow, fast). The performance was one of extreme precision, and it would be hard to imagine it being played more convincingly than it was by this tightly knit ensemble.

Beethoven’s “Archduke” Trio, a masterpiece that is reason enough to go to any concert, was given a fine, mostly polished performance for the evening’s close. Performers are unfortunately subject to the accumulated preferences of a listener when performing such an established masterpiece, and I felt it was slightly unsettled in parts. Occasionally it was a matter of simply needing more agogic placement of downbeats (as in the first movement’s initial move to G major, where a more settled metric feeling can enhance ensuing rhythmic surprises), but other times (as in the magnificent third movement) it seemed that the pursuit of momentum was undermining the overarching grandeur of the work. All in all, though, it was a fulfilling musical evening, and this is a superb ensemble, which I hope to hear again.

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

Aglaia Koras, Pianist in Review

Aglaia Koras, Pianist in Review
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
October 25,2010
 
 

Aglaia Koras

During the 2009-2010 season, pianist Aglaia Koras continued her Beethoven and Chopin Plus Series at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall for the fifth consecutive season, sponsored by MidAmerica Productions. She performed her first all-Chopin 200th Birthday Tribute, also produced by MidAmerica Productions, in May 2010. And continuing her celebration of Chopin, she performed an All-Chopin program at Carnegie Hall on October 25, 2010. The program included the Nocturne in C-Sharp minor, Op. Posth.; the Mazurka in A minor , Op. 7, No. 2; the Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No.1; the Fantasy in F minor, Op. 49; the Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op. 60; the Nocturne in B-flat minor, Op. 9, No. 1; the Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20; the Etude in C minor (“Revolutionary”), Op.10, No.12; the Nocturne in D-flat major, Op. 27 No. 2; the Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53; the Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2; and the Sonata in B-flat minor, Op. 35 (“Marche Funebre”). Koras played considerably well throughout, but was at her best in the Nocturnes, Mazurka and slow movements, where her imagination, expansive expression and respect for tradition led the way. Pedaling was tasteful, and the phrasing was lovely. These moments were also filled with attractive dynamic contrasts and shading.

MidAmerica Productions was founded by Peter Tiboris in 1984. Now in its 27th season, MidAmerica is an independent producer of classical concerts, presenting soloists like Ms. Koras, choral concerts, and instrumental ensembles from around the world in New York’s Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, and at Lincoln Center. To date, MidAmerica Productions has produced more than 1050 concerts, including 320 in Weill Recital Hall. An interesting addition to Koras’ Weill recital program biography points out that Ms. Koras’ musical lineage can be traced to Chopin, as her teacher Horszowski’s mother (who taught Horszowski in his early years) studied with Mikuli, who was a student of Chopin. This all-Chopin program was a welcome survey of his works, a lovely addition to the year-long commemoration of Chopin’s birth. One can only hope that the people of Poland and France (where he is buried) are doing such prolonged, complete tributes.

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

American Fine Arts Festival and Pianist Victor Maslov in Review

American Fine Arts Festival and Pianist Victor Maslov in Review
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall; New York, NY
October 23, 2010

The American Fine Arts Festival is certainly an ambitious organization, embracing singers, string players, and pianists of a large age range (from six and up) in its various competitions, courses, and concerts, including their recent “Fall Gala Concert and Golden Voices of America,” to which New York Concert Review was invited. Directed to their website (www.afafestival.org), I was overwhelmed just trying to assimilate their long list of winners in multiple categories within each contest, but the concert program introduced still more players as guest soloists and ensembles, added to the twenty-four performing winners! There would not be room to detail the performances of each participant, and as one would expect, there were varying levels of development, but that point becomes moot, as we were asked to review primarily pianist Victor Maslov.

Victor Maslov (b. 1997) is a pianist of significant accomplishment for one his age, and he shows tremendous potential for a strong future in music. Tchaikovsky’s “Dumka” (Op. 59) was given a sensitive, if understated, performance. In the middle of an afternoon that stressed the dramatic, through costumes and projection of operatic characters, it was refreshing to hear this young player let the music speak for itself, with little physical motion or hyperbole. In a change of the printed program’s order, he followed with Schumann’s Abegg Variations, Op. 1. Here, haste seemed to cause some blurring, and one lost some of the work’s wonderful details, but it had excitement and held together nonetheless.

After intermission, Maslov played the Schumann-Liszt transcription, “Widmung” in a performance that showed a good balance between the pure vocal line and all the arpeggiation. For me it was again a bit fast, with some ensuing inaccuracies including some not firmly grasped rolled chords, but this happens even to the most experienced pianists.  Following it was Liszt’s Tarantella, which had some astonishingly brilliant parts. I have every confidence that, with patience, this young pianist will make his mark.

Speaking of patience, one wanted a bit more of that quality throughout the afternoon, both in the tempi chosen and in the choice of repertoire (perhaps an issue to take up with the teachers). A number of these young players played and sang works that take a lifetime to mature and to be polished, but I personally would prefer to hear a simple miniature performed with finesse rather than attempts to interpret works beyond a child’s present physical and emotional reach. Mr. Maslov was one who came close to all-around mastery of his repertoire.

Some highlights of other performers included a highly expressive rendition by Latvian singer Oksana Lepska (b. 1995), of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” and Madison McIntosh’s “Deh, Vieni, Non tardar” from “Le Nozze di Figaro” of Mozart. Also quite good were Prokoviev’s “Harp” Prelude, Op. 12, No. 7, played by Connie Jiang (b. 2000), and an enjoyable “Duetto Buffo di Due Gatti” (attributed to Rossini) sung by the “Lucky Ten” Girls Ensemble from Massachusetts.

Some spirited ensemble singing closed both halves, but the obvious humorous intent was somewhat thwarted by the audience’s lack of a printed translation from the Russian (or an explanation). The audience, presumably including many of the performers’ family members, appeared to enjoy it all the same.

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

“Crossing Waves”

“Crossing Waves”
Keziah Thomas, Harpist in Review
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
October 16, 2010

Keziah Thomas

English harpist Keziah Thomas, who divides her time between London and New York City, devised the project ‘Crossing Waves’ in order to use her transatlantic connections to promote the harp repertoire of British and American composers. She commissioned a new work by British composer Andy Scott especially for this project. Taking Thomas’ project title as the title for his commission, Scott’s “Crossing Waves” was given its world premiere at the Forge, London on September 26, 2010. The piece is inspired by the exploits of Roz Savage, who rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 2005. Savage was present at the concert and spoke a bit to the audience, which brought us additional insight. The music breaks down into three main sections: the first reflects the uneasiness of the journey’s beginning, the second section represents the serenity of the ocean waters mid-way, and the final section transmits the tremendous optimism and excitement regarding the outcome of the journey. Ms. Thomas’ journey in commissioning the work, as well as Mr. Scott’s experience writing this piece has had a most successful outcome as well, as “Crossing Waves” is a most stupendous work for solo harp. The work is very idiomatic for the instrument and constructed perfectly, and the innovation is remarkable—while at the same time, the melodic strands and rhythms are catchy and memorable.

Keziah Thomas’ journey to Carnegie Hall has also been successful. The idea of pairing British and American composers is a most natural one for her. Her program was well thought-out and varied; for example, her opening work—the Suite for Harp by Britten—was followed by the remarkably exotic “The Pearl Divers” by the American Douglas Gibson, who was born in 1976, the year of Britten’s death. Thomas played with a Kyoto-like delicacy in the latter work. Elie Siegmeister’s “American Harp” has a bit too much of Copland’s “El Salon Mexico” and the Bernstein influence to be called original, but it was nonetheless entertaining in the hands of Ms. Thomas. Thomas speaks most eloquently to the audience when introducing the works, and her other selections also brought joy to the audience, but the highlight of the evening was clearly Mr. Scott’s “Crossing Waves”, a totally original and engaging composition which should be performed on many future harp recitals—in this country and across the ocean.

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