Bach Archives - ROVING PIANIST

Prizewinning Pianist Jack Gao’s Concert of Contrasts

Wednesday, January 10th, 2024 by Ken Turner

Jack Gao playing on Sunday January 7th 2024

I was thrilled to see Jack Gao perform at a salon concert in New York on January 7th. The concert was a co-presentation by host Robin Shoemaker and the Center for Musical Excellence, Director Min Kwon.

Ms. Kwon enthused about how well Jack played at the 2023 Gina Bachauer Piano Competition at Juilliard, where he won First Prize. More recently, he placed first at the 2023 Naumburg International Piano Competition.

She also noted that Jack will make his Carnegie Debut on February 5th 2024.

J. S. Bach: French Suite No. 5 in G major

Jack’s opening Allemande was elegantly phrased and captivating. I also enjoyed the contrast-laden Loure, whose halting tempo was sustained by effortless ripples and spiralling vortices.

But by far my favorite part of the Suite was Jack’s sublimely spiritual Sarabande, which at times hinted at Bach’s Goldberg Aria.

Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90

I wasn’t sure what to make of this unusual sonata. The first movement was both pleasant and disturbing, light and dark, beautiful and dreadful. And yet there was always a sense that yin and yang would eventually resolve.

I liked how Mr. Gao evoked these contrasting moods. I liked when he unleashed Beethoven’s anguish and then let it fade. And I loved how he created those ethereal pianissimos. But I need to listen to this work again in order to grasp it better.

Liszt: Transcendental Étude No. 5, “Feux Follets”

After Beethoven’s relatively gloomy sonata, Liszt’s brash Etude allowed the pianist to have some much-needed fun. Jack’s delivery was a crowd-pleaser, entertaining and virtuosic.

Bartok: Piano Sonata

This Bartok was not an easy listen for me. While at times it was boisterously festive, at other times it felt like biting on eggshell in your omelet. This was no fault of the pianist, who played with power and conviction.

Min Kwon and Jack Gao play Brahms

Brahms: Hungarian Dances No. 1 and No. 4 for four hands

For the first Brahms dance, Jack played Secondo (left side), powering Brahms’ lush, romantic main theme. Ms. Kwon took Primo, sprinkling the room with upper register twinkles.

For the second dance, the pianists switched roles. I found myself laughing as Jack played mischievous seconds. It was a spirited, entertaining performance.

Gao, Lowenthal, Kwon

Surprises

Wrapping up the evening, Min Kwon introduced two distinguished members of the audience: pianist Ursula Oppens and pianist Jerome Lowenthal.

Mr Lowenthal joined Ms. Kwon and Mr. Gao to play Rachmaninoff’s Romance for 6 hands, a beautiful work that felt all the more special because it was being performed by pianists from 3 generations.

Unfortunately it also meant that this fascinating concert of contrasts was coming to a close.

Postscript

After the recital I spent a few minutes with Jack Gao. When I asked him how he felt about his Beethoven sonata, he lit up with enthusiasm and started explaining its construction. Jack is a versatile musician who clearly loves what he is doing, and his future looks bright.

Host Robin with Jack Gao and Min Kwon

Kissin Conquers Carnegie Hall May 2023

Thursday, May 4th, 2023 by Ken Turner Leave a Comment

Evgeny Kissin, Carnegie Hall, May 2023

I’ve always liked pianist Evgeny Kissin, but sometimes I feel ambivalent about his interpretations. See my reviews of his Carnegie Hall appearances in May 2018 and November 2015 for more on this.

But Kissin’s May 2nd, 2023 Carnegie Hall piano recital was a “must see” for Roving Pianist (RP), because of its program. Many others must have felt the same: Carnegie’s main auditorium was packed to the back of the balcony and there were also audience seated on stage.

Bach: Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903

I first heard Bach’s sublime Chromatic Fantasia at Lisa Yui‘s inspiring Juilliard evening class Keyboard Literature in Concert Baroque & Classical. I couldn’t wait to hear what Mr. Kissin would make of this delightful work.

Kissin was impeccably tailored and bowed long, with dignity befitting a great man. His Bach was also perfectly presented, punctuated by emphatic head-nodding and underpinned by intense concentration.

The fugue’s simple ascending theme transported us in a DNA-like three-dimensional musical helix, closing with a short cadence. My companion had one word for Kissin’s fugue: “perfect”.

Everyone wants a selfie with RP

Mozart: Sonata in D Major, K. 311

From the chirpy opening, through the generally lyrical slow movement and into the dancing close, Kissin’s Mozart was light and benign. Sandwiched between Bach and Chopin, it was in place chronologically. However, it felt out of place emotionally.

Chopin: Polonaise in F-sharp Minor, Op. 44

In contrast, Kissin’s F sharp minor Polonaise Op. 44 was dark and stunning. His two-handed keyboard runs were so fierce and flawless that they felt like an oceanic roar. It was a breathtaking display of Kissin at his most magnificent.

Rachmaninoff: Selected Piano Pieces

Rachmaninoff occupied the entire second half of the recital. The scheduled works included Lilacs, a couple of Preludes, and five Études-Tableaux from Opus 39. Kissin’s Études-Tableaux were satisfyingly Russian, played with appropriate force and angst. I would highlight two of them.

I love Étude-Tableau Op. 39 No. 2 in A Minor, but Kissin’s was missing something. Those pedal-like bass notes were just too pale. What was he thinking? Let us hear those low A’s, Evgeny! I have to stay with Denis Matsuev for this one.

Étude-Tableau Op. 39 No. 9 in D major was probably the best of the scheduled Rachmaninov. This driven work had it all, from cinematic sweeps, twinkling ascending thirds, dramatic modulations, cacophonous clatter and stomping boots! We wanted Russian pianism, we got it, we applauded deliriously.

Kissin announces an encore, Carnegie 2023

Rachmaninoff: Prelude in C-sharp Minor Op. 3 No. 2

For encores, Kissin went all-Rachmaninoff. We cheered him on in the afterglow of his Études-Tableaux. But in truth the first two encores were small cheese.

Not so the last encore! As Kissin played the opening chords of the emblematic Prelude Op. 3 No. 2 n C-sharp Minor, we drowned him in our delight and clapped like crazy folk. We cheered for 19-yr-old Sergei Rachmaninoff who wrote it. We cheered for Evgeny Kissin in his prime. And we cheered because we knew from this choice that it was the last thing Kissin would play that evening.

Everyone loves this Prelude, pretty much. Sometimes we turn our noses up at it because it is so popular, or so melodramatic, or whatever. But under Kissin’s hands on May 2nd, 2023, it was remarkable. Mr. Kissin restrained his closing pace to the edge, and it worked. It was the most satisfying performance of this work that I have ever heard.

I have no audio from this concert, but I did find Kissin playing this encore in a March 2023 video.

RP waiting for Kissin

Final Thoughts

Notwithstanding Rachmaninoff’s Opus 39 No. 2, Roving Pianist nominates Evgeny Kissin as World’s Greatest Living Pianist. His Bach was exquisite, his Chopin Polonaise a revelation, and his Rachmaninoff Op. 3 No. 2 was everything we wanted it to be.

Pianist Tiffany Poon in Rhode Island

Wednesday, April 24th, 2019 by Ken Turner Leave a Comment

Tiffany Poon at her Core Memory recital Rhode Island 2019

Tiffany Poon is one of the first classical pianists to vlog about her life as a pianist.

She is an engaging communicator and works hard to expand her following; see my article Pianist Tiffany Poon meets Fans in NYC.

The resulting fan engagement has accelerated Tiffany’s social media presence to critical mass, bringing her invitations to perform around the world. With almost 110k YouTube followers at the time of writing, Tiffany’s concerts have sold out in places as diverse as Singapore and Brazil.

Given her popularity, I was lucky to get a seat at Tiffany’s very first house concert on April 20th 2019, hosted by Craig Maynard’s Core Memory venture in Rhode Island. Although 180 miles from my home, this was nothing compared with the distance some people traveled for this concert.

OMG it’s Tiffany!

When Tiffany walked through the audience to the piano, everyone went a little crazy. She was exactly the same in person as in her vlogs, except that instead of her usual low-key attire, she wore a dazzling scarlet outfit and golden heels. I felt like we were watching the birth of a star.

Bach: French Suite No. 5, BWV 816

Tiffany Poon at Core Memory Rhode Island

Tiffany in action

Tiffany’s Bach was a sublime ice-breaker, sweetly colored by subtle, sometimes rapid pedal. Her voicing was fluid, using finely controlled dynamics to weave the left hand to the front and back of the sound stage. I’ve heard crisper baroque ornamentation, but I prefer Tiffany’s warmer, less clinical interpretation.

Haydn: Keyboard Sonata in E Flat Major, Hob. XVI:52

This work (Haydn’s last) is a kaleidoscope of contrasts which gave Tiffany lots to work with. She brought out the essence of this spirited, alternately grand and cheeky work, earning rousing applause from her audience.

Chopin: Barcarolle in F Sharp Major, Op 60

Tiffany played this work at the 2015 Chopin Competition in Warsaw. Her Rhode Island performance in 2019 was identical in pace, with a little more sparkle and less angst. Taking into account different venues, pianos, and recording equipment, these performances were comparable. Tiffany knows how she wants to play the Barcarolle and is remarkably consistent in her delivery.

Chopin: Nocturne in C minor Op. 48, No. 1

Few pianists are able to evoke the full darkness of the C minor Nocturne. In Rhode Island, Tiffany brought gloom to the forefront with her deep left hand in the opening. However some elongated phrasing as the work shifted from minor to major blunted the edge of this work. For me there was a bit too much piu lento, making for more sweetness than called for. But these are personal preferences and do not detract from Tiffany’s sumptuous performance. Hers was a nuanced interpretation, where raw grief is offset by (to coin a phrase) natural beauty.

Chopin: Nocturne in E minor Op. 72, No. 1

The E minor Nocturne is overshadowed by Chopin’s better-known works. But on this rainy Rhode Island evening, Tiffany Poon gave a stunning performance of this melancholy work that had those exquisite dissonances tugging at the soul. She was uncharacteristically restrained in her gestures, allowing the music to work on us without distraction from the performer. At the end her right arm crossed her left to play the final note, a period at the end of a very profound statement by this remarkable young pianist.

Chopin: Ballade No. 4 in F minor Op. 52

This beloved work was a good choice to close Tiffany’s concert. Not as dolorous as the preceding Nocturne, it is more challenging and complex. For Ms. Poon here was an opportunity to show once again the range of her talent. As we watched, the music seemed to take over the pianist, shaking head her like a rag doll. In slower segments her arms floated above the keyboard like those of a ballerina. This was a totally immersed performance by Tiffany that must have used every muscle in her body.

Encores: Liszt, Schumann

Tiffany played two encores. The first needs no introduction, she said (Liszt: Liebestraum no. 3). My neighbor tapped me on the shoulder to find out what it was. The second (Schumann: Träumerei) was by her favorite composer, she hinted. This reviewer recognized it instantly, but had to browse YouTube to find its name!

This is a common disconnect between artist and audience. There will always be someone who needs to be told. At a home concert we can ask, but at a major venue such as Carnegie some folk may leave not knowing what you played! Keep this in mind during your many future encores, Tiffany!

Tiffany Poon chatting with her audience

Closing Thoughts

This was Tiffany’s first house concert, and she was entertainingly and characteristically frank about not knowing protocols for taking bows and going offstage. After the performance, she sat at the piano and chatted with us for a lengthy period, taking questions and making no effort to bring things to a close.

This generosity of spirit will serve Tiffany well, although it may be harder to maintain once she is touring as a world class concert pianist. After this evening in Rhode Island, I have no doubt that she is capable of achieving this dream.

I was impressed by the Core Memory venue, an airy performance space with excellent lighting and good acoustics. Our host Craig Maynard did a great job setting this up. Events are open to the public but have limited seating, so sign up early!