Martino Tirimo's Recital: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

I had the fortune, once more, to listen to this great pianist, in a recital that he gave on Friday 11 May, in "Parnassos" Concert Hall, a lovely venue in the center of Athens. This time Tirimo chose to play an all-Tchaikovsky program. 

He began with "the Seasons" (op. 37a), one of the most interesting works that the Russian composer wrote for solo piano. It's a work I  particularly love (I am always very fond of music that evokes the change of seasons), for it reminds me of my childhood: it is then that one experiences more vividly the change of time, weather and season. This change is powerfully reflected in this series of 12 pieces (one for each month), through a great variety of styles, moods and colors. Just to give you an idea, here are the titles of every piece:

1. January: At the Fireside
2. February: Carnival
3. March: Song of the Lark
4. April: Snowdrop
5. May: Starlit Nights
6. June: Barcarolle
7. July: Song of the Reapers
8. August: Harvest 
9. September: The Hunt
10. October: Autumn Song
11. November: Troika 
12. December: Christmas 

Listen, for instance, to the Barcarolle (June) (probably the best-known of the set) [here with the unmistakable genius of Michail Pletniev]. 



 In a completely different atmosphere, September depicts a hunting scene (move to 5:15):








Tirimo's exploration of this musical kaleidoscope was masterful. Not only did he bring out the uniqueness of each of the 12 pieces; he managed to present a unified whole (as opposed to a fragmented perspective) - and this is nothing less than a achievement. 

After the interval, Tirimo played for us a song (op.40/2), a mazurka (40/4) and Dumka (op.59). I personally do not think there is much in these works, although the russian-ness of the Dumka does speak to my heart. 

On the contrary, Martino's final work (Nutcracker, Orchestral Suite op.71 - tr. by Michael Pletnev) is, really, Tchaikovsky at his very best. This is an impressive, very successful transcription made by a great pianist. Here, Martino brought out all the qualities of this music: the hidden melodic lines were clearly and subtly articulated; the dynamic "palette" was infinitely rich, and the technical bravura was exceptional! This final piece was a revelation, both regarding the genius of Tchaikovsky and the undisputed pianistic qualities of the performer. 
All in all, a musical feast for those lucky to be in Parnassos Concert Hall last Friday. 

Danae Kara Recital: Beethoven, our Contemporary

This was a couple of weeks ago, and I am really glad I managed to go. (It's not so easy any more!)  Danae Kara chose to play a Beethoven recital and this put me off when I first saw the programme: Beethoven (I am sorry to admit!) is a composer I find hard to come to terms with, in particular his late works.  But Danae made a fine selection of works, covering all the periods of his life: from his early years (Sonata in F minor), to his middle period ("Moonlight") and at the end his last sonata, a work that seems to already belong to the romantic era. 

If that had been the programme, I would have found it unbearably heavy (mainly due to my feelings for the composer!). But Danae cleverly inserted short and light works in between the sonatas: Bagatelles and Valses.  And she finished with the charming Rondo alla ingharese quasi un capriccio in G major, Op. 129, a work that is better known by the sub-title "Rage Over a Lost Penny" (from the German: Die Wut über den verlorenen Groschen).  (In fact this sub-title was invented by Anton Schindler, not by Beethoven.)

So, in the end, this was (if I may say so) a "non-lecture recital"!  I mean, there was an educational point to be made here (the recital, after all, took place in a school): a musical exploration of the music of the great German composer. For a pianist like myself, this programme is of enormous difficulty - I don't think I could ever face such a challenge! Beethoven, (personal feelings aside!) is a difficult composer... 

Kara's playing was, as usual, fluid and refined.  I admired her undiminished concentration, her effort to bring out all the details of this most demanding music.  I particularly warmed to her interpretation of the famous für Elise, which was, literally, as if I was hearing it for the first time! 

Looking forward to Danae's next recital!

Musical reminiscence

How does music reside in memory? In what specific form is a melody embedded in our brain? I always found these questions fascinating, but something I listened to today brought home these questions in more vivid terms:

When I was a child, there was a TV show on Greek television. I never really watched it, and I could not even remember what it was called. BUT, I did remember a theme played on the harpsichord at the end-credits. It's strange; this theme has ever since remained "intact" in my head, down to the smallest detail - in fact,  I could (still can) play it by ear on the piano. And today, some 20 years on, I bumped into it on the internet! And I listened to it again after such a long time of keeping it vividly in my memory for so many years. I really cannot grasp the mechanics of such a mysterious procedure. I can only say that music is a powerful thing, much more powerful than it may seem to be. For it affects in a decisive way not just our emotional world, but our whole being in ways that are really beyond comprehension. 

Just for the record, here is the theme...

 

Rachmaninov's Rach 3: Cadenza recording...

This is one of the most exciting things I've ever played! It's perhaps interesting to know that Rachmaninoff actually composed two cadenzas for the 1st movement and many pianists prefer the ossia version; yet I think that this one (the one here below) is more original and light and, most importantly, allows for a more convincing crescendo. Here is what Geoffrey Norris has to say on this (excerpt taken from his excellent book on Rachmaninoff):

"Rachmaninoff composed two versions of the first part of the cadenza. One is 59 bars long with an intricate passage work; the other has 75 bars, is chordal throughout and is considerably more taxing (...) The numbering of the pages in the manuscript indicates that the longer cadenza was the composer's first choice, but presumably the necessity to fit the concerto conveniently  on to 78 rpm records compelled him to choose the shorter one, or maybe Rachmaninoff simply felt that enough power had been generated elsewhere and that lightness provided an agreeable contrast.  Both versions achieve the same purpose in providing a suitable platform for displays  of virtuosity and in commenting adequately upon the motifs from the first subject". 

I am not convinced that the longer version was the composer's first choice but it's of no importance really. 

So, here is an excerpt from the [short] cadenza (I had to stop when the orchestra comes in, for obvious reasons!). 

Any comments are most welcome!

 

Stanford: Magnificat in G

I am not very familiar with Charles Stanford's music - though I should be since he taught for many years at the Royal College of Music (where I studied)... But I am very fond of this Magnificat in G. The beginning is so uplifting: the  calm, staccato arpeggios played by the organ, and the child's treble voice on top - the personification of purity and meekness-, all these speak directly to my heart. And the final chorale ("glory be to the Father...") is really majestic and magnificent! 
The best recording I have so far come across is the one here below, with King's College Choir, Cambridge: 

The case of Valentina Lisitsa

I don't think there is a single pianist with an internet access who does not know the Ukrainian pianist Valentina Lisitsa! The extraordinary thing about this girl is that she was made known not through winning prestigious competitions or through experienced agents but almost exclusively through youtube! It must be the only case of a truly "virtual" career! 

Of course, now she is playing everywhere (she has a recital in the Royal Albert Hall this coming June), although I don't think she has any plans to visit Greece! 

She is outrageously  talented, not doubt about that. It seems to me that she has to the fullest extent this very special Russian quality that only people from these countries (ex-Soviet Union) seem to possess: an incredible dynamism matched with a "masculine" (I cannot find a better word) musicality; Valentina's Rachmaninoff probably best summarises her musical qualities: listen, for instance, to this rendering of R's etude-tableau op. 39 no 6. 

I've played that piece myself many times, and I am well aware of its great difficulty. What strikes me in Valentina's recording is not so much her technical achievement (she plays it as fast as it can really get!) but the fact that she has a very clear idea of what she wants to do and why. As I read  in  a review for one of her concerts, "she uses her vistuosity to express, not to impress". 
Clarity of thought, intelligent decisions, daring interpretational choices - these are the perfect ingredients for a unique and masterful recording. 

Rachmaninoff Third Piano Concerto (part 1)

I have been practising Rach 3 for some time now... I am playing the piece on Feb the 20th, in a concert hall in Athens. Not with an orchestra (alas!) but with a second piano. It's actually a quite clever arrangement, I think: in the first part of the concert, I am playing the aforementioned work while in the second part, the pianist who accompanies me will play his piano concerto (Chopin 2) and I will be his "orchestra". We began rehearsals some months ago, and it seems to me that the "project" (quite unusual, by Greek standards at least!) is going fairly well.

I played Rach Three about 10 years ago (in Athens and in London), but things are not that easy any more, in terms of practising! (full time work, three children...). Anyhow, I am doing my best to play this wonderful concert as well as I can. 

It is, in my view, Rachmaninoff's best piano concerto, greater than the Second in terms of maturity and musicality. It is also technically the hardest. For me, the main challenge is to be able to play it through to the end without getting really exhausted. I still have about 15 days to go, so I am not that stressed yet!! 

There are so many things I 'd like to write about this concerto, so let's call this post "part 1", and I will continue...