Andras Schiff at the Chopin and His Europe Festival

The recital by the beloved Andras Schiff on Tuesday, August 25^th, in Warsaw’s Philharmonic Hall, provided a very interesting contrast from Eric Lu’s performance the evening prior. 

 

From a distinguished, hugely talented young artist at the outset of his artistic journey, to an artist that brings to each performance a lifetime of deep thinking and experience, each of the two artists have something unique and special to offer, and their performances underscore the beauty of great art, in how different artists could bring something unique and original to even the most familiar works of art.

 

Schiff sat down at the Steinway piano and tantalized the audience with the Aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and proceeded to perform Bach’s youthful Capriccio on the Departure of a Beloved Brother, BWV 992. Schiff did not try to make the music greater than what it is, but performed it with great charm and humour.

 

More Bach follows as Schiff continued with the French Suite No. 5 in G Major, BWV 816, a performance that underscores the artist’s refined culture and musicality. Without a pause, he launched into Mozart’s Eine kleine Gigue, K. 574, highlighting the forward-looking and pointillistic characteristic of this late (1780) work. For the entire first half, Schiff was effectively highlighting the influence of Bach on the composition of Mozart. 

 

The artist returned to Bach with a profound interpretation of a Recercar from Bach’s A Musical Offering, BWV 1079, and then Mozart’s Fantasy in C minor, K. 475, making the connection between the chromaticism of the Bach with that of the opening of the Mozart.

 

Schiff then played the first two movements of Mozart’s Sonata in F Major, K. 533, another work that demonstrated the composer’s debt to Bach. The more than generous first half concluded with a spirited performance of Bach’s Italian Concerto, BWV 971. I was especially taken with his interpretation of the third movement (Presto), where he did not fall into the “speed trap”, but highlighted the different voices of the ripieno and concertino, in a performance that was always musical and exciting.

 

In the second half, Schiff played on Chopin’s last Pleyel piano, restored by Paul McNulty, beginning with Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C Major, from Book 1 of the Well-Tempered Klavier. I was very happily surprised when he launched into a performance of Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Op. 28. It was an astounding performance, brimming with incredible lyricism and beauty.

 

Not surprisingly, his playing of the stormy Prelude in D minor that concluded the set resulted in a rousing – and well-deserved - ovation. This was then followed by an exceedingly generous five encores – Chopin’sMazurka in A minor, Op. 17, No. 4, Mozart’s Rondo in A minor, K. 511, Chopin’s Mazurka in C Major, Op. 24, No. 2 and Waltz in A minor, Op. 34, No. 2, and concluding the already very full evening with the Nocturne in F-sharp Major, Op. 15, No. 2. In the Mozart, Schiff kept the impetus as well as the almost dance-like feel of this music, which even more effectively highlighted its ambivalence of emotion. Each of the Chopin performance had something special to offer, and served as a reminder that a great artist such as Schiff would have insights into whatever he chooses to play.

 

I was filled with gratitude at the conclusion of these two incredible evenings, to have experienced the music-making of two such outstanding artists. We have the Chopin Institute to thank for inviting these distinguished artists and ensemble to grace the stage of Warsaw’s Philharmonic Hall.

Eric Lu - Return to Warsaw

How does someone living in Vancouver get to hear the Montreal Symphony Orchestra? By traveling to Warsaw, of course!

The Montreal Symphony Orchestra was appearing in the prestigious Chopin and His Europe Festival this year. I missed Sunday night’s performance, but hearing this great Canadian orchestra on Monday (August 24th) left an indelible impression on me.

The concert opened with a transcription of Debussy’s L’isle joyeuse. The orchestration is an effective one, a showcase for the strengths of the ensemble. Music director Rafael Payare drew out beautiful colours from the solo players of the orchestra and marvellously highlighted the splashes of colours in the score. 

For me, there are two composers whose piano works are almost impossible to transcribe, because they are composed so specifically for the instrument – Chopin and Debussy. While I could hear the colourful orchestration of L’isle joyeuse, I would still far prefer the original piano version, which is a stunning piece of writing for the instrument, and is, ironically, more effective than an orchestral arrangement.

There are probably many who still think of Eric Lu as the brilliant young man who stole the hearts of many at the 2015 International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, where he received the award for 4th place. To be sure, the overwhelming talent is still evident, but is now tempered by age, experience, and maturity. Lu’s performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor last evening should have left no doubt in anyone’s mind that a true artist and musician took home the gold medal in the 2025 competition. 

It was an emotional experience for me to sit in Warsaw’s Philharmonic Hall, where so many great performances of this very work took place here over the years. Eric Lu’s performance last night towered over even his own astounding performance of the Concerto in F minor in the finals last year. During the 30-plus minutes of the performance, we witnessed a great artist at work. The poetry and lyricism were still evident, but there was so much more. It was playing that struck the perfect balance between thoughtfulness and spontaneity, between ardent emotion and restraint, and between youthful spirit and deep musical maturity. In many of the passagework in the outer movements, Lu’s virtuosity gave any 16-year-old “genius” more than a run for their money. But it was the beauty of his sound, the depth of his feeling, and the perfect way he shaped each phrase, all without sacrificing the overall architecture of the work, that made the performance so special. 

For me, it was one of the most moving performances of this concerto I have heard in recent memory, far, far beyond any of the outstanding performances in the competition last year.

Eric Lu’s music making is interesting. When he plays, it is as if one is eavesdropping on someone playing for himself. At the same time, with the beauty and luminosity of his playing, one cannot help but be drawn into his private sound world. I am convinced that Lu is one of today’s finest young artists.

Payare and the orchestra were, for the most part, sympathetic partners in Lu’s enterprise. This is a challenging concerto for both orchestra and conductor, and it really takes a conductor sensitive to the soloist’s musical train of thought to bring off a successful performance. Between soloist, conductor and orchestra, the performers brought off the concerto very successfully. I was only wondering about how Payare phrased the playing of the opening tutti, which somehow made the phrases sound a bit clipped and disjointed. Perhaps he was trying to create contrast here with the long legato lines of the piano solo?

After a well-deserved standing ovation, Lu sat down and played Chopin’s Prelude in D-flat Major, Op. 28, No. 15, with the same depth of sound and feeling he instilled into the concerto.

In the second half, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Rafael Payare showcased Richard Strauss’ epic tone poem, Ein Heldenleben. A few years ago, I heard this same work under the baton of one of the orchestra’s former music director, Zubin Mehta, and I was still carrying the sound of that performance in my head as I eagerly awaited last night’s performance. 

From the first notes, Payare injected an incredible energy into the music, energy that he and the orchestra kept until the end. It was a performance of great brilliance, ensemble accuracy, colour and excitement. To be sure, it was a performance of great sonic splendor. In time, perhaps Payare would take a step back and give the many introspective moments (yes, there are those) greater depth of feeling. I must commend concertmaster Andrew Wan for the incredible flair he brought to his very demanding solo part.

I am grateful for the opportunity to experience this great performance by one of Canada’s most distinguished orchestras, and in one of Europe’s greatest musical festivals - yes, my Canadian heart was swelling with pride. From the introspection and beauty of Eric Lu’s playing to the ultra-extroverted – in the best sense of the word – performance of the Strauss, it was truly a feast for the ears.

A Memorable Debut

Pianist Vincent Ong made his Vancouver and Canadian debut this past Sunday with a recital that left no doubt that this is a major talent in the making.

 

Vincent’s recital began, a little bit unusually, with the entire set of Chopin’s Preludes, Op. 28, a work that typically ends a recital. The young artist sat down at the piano bench and plunged right into the tricky first piece in C Major. From beginning to end, I have the impression that his art has deepened in the months since his performances in Warsaw last October. From first note to last, Ong has an uncanny way of drawing the listeners into his sound world, of inviting, rather than demanding, us to share in his musical discovery. 

 

Unlike so many young pianists who set out to impress, or to wow us with their superior virtuosity or musical profundity. That said, let’s make it clear that the virtuosity, the fireworks are there, in spades, when the music calls for them. One could immediately think of the preludes in F-sharp minor (No. 8), in G-sharp minor, (No. 12), in B-flat minor (No. 16), and the one in D minor (No. 24). The more lyrical ones, for instance, in F-sharp Major (No. 13), were brimming with lyricism, with the chords in the right hand floating above the flowing left-hand accompaniment. Still others, like the Prelude in G Major (No. 3), the charming Prelude in A Major (No. 7), and the Prelude in C-sharp minor (No. 10), were filled with flights of fantasy. 

 

The works of Felix Mendelssohn do not show up in recital programmes very often today. The many beautifulLieder ohne Worte, much maligned by countless piano students, certainly deserve to be heard in concert halls. We have Vincent to thank for programming the lesser-known Op. 102 set. Ong does not make these lovely miniatures more than what they set out to be, but presented them with utmost naturalness, directness and musicality. The one in C Major (No. 3) was played with the most incredible lightness and agility, a reminder of the wondrous Scherzo from the composer’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the final piece, also in C Major (No 6), was filled with a pensiveness, stillness, and a feeling of repose. 

 

In Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 8 in B-flat Major, Op. 84, we witnessed the same beautiful qualities that defined the entire recital. Right from the outset of the first movement, Ong drew us into the labyrinth of sound of the wide-ranging first theme. In the slow movement, he played the minuet with a sense of stillness, but without sacrificing the forward motion of the music. And in the blistering final movement, filled with contrasting moods, from the cheerful to the diabolical, Vincent Ong was in complete command of every element the music calls for. 

 

The single encore Vincent Ong granted to his cheering audience – Robert Schumann’s Arabeske, Op. 18 – was given a performance that reminded me of Horowitz – the flowing legato, the directness of the emotional impact, and an awestruck innocence, made the experience an extremely moving one. What a beautiful way this w  as to end this highly successful debut.

 

How wonderful and impressive it is to discover this young artist who already displays such maturity and understanding of the wide range of music he played. Even during the Chopin Competition last October, there were countless pianists who played note-perfectly, but only a handful who really moved us with their music making. I can safely say that Vincent Ong belongs at the top of that very small latter group, artists for whom the keys of the piano were not an end, but merely the means of expressing their art. 

 

We eagerly await the forthcoming chapters in this young artist’s musical journey.

 

 

2026 - Auspicious Beginnings

A Recital by Eric Lu, February 16^th

 

It has taken me many weeks to formulate my thoughts after Eric Lu’s recital at the Orpheum, part of his winner’s tour since receiving the gold medal at the 19^th International Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

 

In addition to his interpretation of the music of Chopin that has been universally acknowledged, Lu has also established himself as a very fine exponent of the music of Schubert. Hearing his playing of the first two Impromptus from Op. 142, I would say that he is already a very special Schubert interpreter, and belongs to the pantheon of names such as Brendel, Lupu, Kempff, and Schnabel (to name just a few.)

 

Some have said that Schubert composed like a sleepwalker. If that is the case, what beautiful dreams he must have had! In Lu’s playing of the Impromptu in F minor, Op. 142, No. 1, he perfectly captured the sprawling soundscape laid down by the composer, but did not fall into the trap of making it a meaningless meandering of successive musical ideas, instead, infusing the music with a sense of cohesion and unity. There were wonderful shifts in the sound colours, especially at the many major-minor shifts that is a hallmark of Schubert’s music. 

 

In the Impromptu in A-flat Major, Op. 142, No. 2, the chords in the opening and closing sections float beautifully; the music never became static. Lu moved the music along in a wonderful pace, and the transition into the flowing middle section was beautifully accomplished.

 

No doubt, many people in the audience came to hear Lu’s Chopin, and the young artist did not disappoint. Eric Lu boldly began this segment of his recital with the Polonaise in F-sharp minor, Op. 44, probably the one with the largest canvas as well as the most technically challenging. Lu gave a sweeping account of this great work, capturing perfectly the defiance and sadness inherent in the music. In the lyrical, mazurka-like, middle section, Lu revealed to us the inner beauty behind the notes. 

 

During the competition and at the recital, Lu gave arguably one of the finest interpretations of the Ballade in F minor, Op. 52. From the tentative, bell-like sound of the opening, to the fiercely dramatic, cataclysmic ending, he was in complete command of every aspect of the score, and highlighted the other-worldly beauty that is so inherent in this masterwork.

 

In the youthful Polonaise in B-flat Major, Op. 71, No. 2, Lu amply demonstrated that he could be as brilliant and virtuosic as the young firebreathers of the keyboard today. The performance underscores all the brilliance and glitter of this 1828 composition. In the (for me) death-haunted Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 1, Lu gave the feeling that the opening theme was floating on air, giving the music a crystalline sound, and captured the tension of the gradual metamorphosis into the highly dramatic middle section, before returning to the faux calmness of the opening theme.

 

In the third round of the Chopin Competition last October, I thought that Lu’s performance of the Sonata in B minor, Op. 58 alone, should have won him the gold medal. Many of the artists in the competition delivered technically perfect, even brilliant, renditions of this music, but only a few, if even that, so totally understood and captured every aspect of this late Chopin opus. 

 

There was organic unity in Lu’s interpretation of the sonata, not only in the large soundscape of the first movement, but throughout the work. In the first movement, the themes seamlessly fused one into another, rather than – as we so often hear – a mere succession of beautiful melodies. Lu’s performance of the scherzo movement was breathtaking. Indeed, I found myself holding my breath as he performed the music with an incredible agility and lightness, not to mention scintillating. And the tricky transition into the slow movement was impeccably achieved. In the largo movement, Lu brought out the inner glow and beauty of this gorgeous movement. In the final movement, Lu played the music with an almost reckless abandon, with nary a thought for the technical hurdles inherent in every page of the score. It was truly one of the great interpretations I have heard. 

 

Eric Lu’s single encore – no doubt the audience would have happily hear many more – was the Aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, performed for the capacity audience in the Orpheum like a hymn of gratitude and a benediction. It was the perfect ending to a beautiful afternoon.

 

There was and is no doubt in my mind that Eric Lu is a worthy recipient of the gold medal. Even with the incredibly high level of piano playing at the competition, he stood out with his artistry and the maturity of his performances. This recital in Vancouver – not surprisingly - more than confirmed my view.

 

 

 

Jun Märkl with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, March 6^th

 

It is always a treat to see Maestro Jun Märkl to Vancouver. Last evening, he led the orchestra in a diverse and varied programme of music by Takemitsu, Prokofiev and Brahms.

 

In Takemitsu’s Ceremonial – An Autumn Ode, with Naomi Sato playing the Shō, an ancient Japanese instrument, the soloist began and ended the work with extended solos, drawing the very attentive audience in to atmosphere and other-worldly sounds laid down by the composer. Märkl painted a beautiful soundscape that provided a perfect foil to the sounds of the soloist. 

 

Stefan Jackiw gave a technically assured and musically impeccable performance of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63. In the concerto, it was Märkl’s role as a collaborator that caught my ear. Not only did he “accompany” the soloist impeccably, but he brought out the brilliant orchestration and colours that were such a hallmark of Prokofiev’s music. In the surprisingly Spanish-sounding third movement – it must have been those castanets – he perfectly captured the satirical nature of the music.

 

I have heard this orchestra in many performances of Brahms Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, but last night’s performance would remain in my mind for a long time. 

 

In the opening of the 1^st movement, Märkl and the orchestra, especially the strings, gave the music a sense of weight and substance in the sound, but at the same time capturing the composer’s marking of un poco sostenuto, and bringing out the colours of the woodwinds above the music. The conductor masterfully maneuvered the transition into the Allegro, which was played with a palpable sense of urgency. 

 

In the Andante sostenuto movement, I have rarely heard the oboe solo played with such deep feeling and tenderness. Märkl so beautifully maintained the flow of the music that it led naturally to the entry of the violin solo (letter E), gorgeously played by concertmaster Nicholas Wright. I also very much like the conductor’s pacing in the Un poco Allegretto a grazioso movement, as well as the transition into the B Major section at letter D. Throughout the movement, there were some impeccably beautiful playing by and interplay between the woodwinds. 

 

The beginning of the final movement began with a real sense of a tension-filled quietness, especially in the lower strings at the outset as well as in the pizzicato passage at m. 16. The pacing was so impeccable that the entry of the French horn solo at letter B really had a sense of occasion and, to me, a palpable sense of the sun breaking through the dark clouds. The build-up of tension was such that the entry of the famous theme (Allegro non troppo, ma con brio) at m. 61 almost came as a relief. Kudos to the orchestra for its wonderful and exciting playing throughout, but especially in the exciting final pages of the movement. 

 

This was a truly memorable performance of this very familiar work. Throughout the beautiful performance, Märkl seemed to be reminding us that even though the music was steeped in 19^th century romanticism, the roots of this score remains firmly in the 18^th. 

 

I was very happy to read that Maestro Märkl will be returning in the coming season, this time to conduct Stravinsky’s Petrushka. No doubt he will again bring many new insights and reveal to us the colours and tragic of this great score.

 

Welcome back to Vancouver, Jun Märkl!

A Weekend of Mozart

Friday, November 28^th

 

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra invited some distinguished guests to for its concert this past Friday evening, and the results were outstanding.

 

The dynamic young conductor Joshua Weilerstein led the orchestra in the opening work, Adgilis Deda: Hymn for Orchestra by Samy Moussa. According to the composer, this was a piece inspired by a two-month stay in the Caucasus Mountain in Georgia. The brief orchestral work is a lyrical sonic tapestry that slowly unfolds over time. Quite often, the music felt like a film score – this is by no means a derogatory statement, but it merely describes the highly descriptive, evocative nature of the writing. Under this talented young guest conductor, the orchestra infused this work with great beauty of sound and depth of feeling. 

 

Pianist Zlata Chochieva is no stranger to Vancouver denizens, having already appeared in recital twice under the auspices of The Vancouver Chopin Society. For her debut with the orchestra, she performed Mozart’s Concerto in D minor, K. 466, a beautiful collaboration between pianist and orchestra. Chochieva brought out all the sturm und drang the work demands, but balanced it always with great beauty she drew from the instrument. Hers was and is not a prim and proper, Dresden China Mozart, but an interpretation that was filled with flesh and blood, with breathing room, and with flexibility of phrasing. There was also an element of freedom in her playing, as if she was not “performing”, but re-creating Mozart. In Busoni’s highly original cadenzas, effectively fusing different thematic elements from the movements, Chochieva let loose her considerable pianistic abilities and brought the drama of the music to an even more intense level. 

 

The soloist played but also interacted well with members of the orchestra, making it almost like a chamber music-like collaboration. And conductor Weilerstein listened well to his soloist, drawing lovely playing from the orchestra, especially in the writings for woodwinds that play such an important role in this concerto. 

 

Although entitled The Year 1905, presumably chronicling an important chapter of the Russian Revolution, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11 could just as well be heard as an impressive piece of orchestral writing, one that contains great emotional and dramatic weight. 

 

Weilerstein obviously felt strongly about this work, and drew truly impressive playing from every department in the orchestra, and every member of the orchestra truly rose to the challenges Shostakovich laid down in this work. From the bleak, wintry landscape evoked in the opening, to the searing anger of the second movement, and from the mournful third movement to the triumphant final movement, the young conductor paced the symphony effectively, and made the performance a truly captivating musical experience for the entire audience, who gave the orchestra the greatest gift it can give, complete silence and rapt attention. 

 

Kudos to the orchestra, the talented soloist and conductor for giving Vancouver audience this uplifting musical experience. 

 

 

Saturday, November 29^th

 

After the wonderful Mozart-Shostakovich performance last night, the only way to make the weekend better was to have more Mozart!

 

UBC Opera, under the leadership and guidance of Nancy Hermiston, is really rivalling many professional opera companies in the quality of its production and, in some cases, the excellence of its voices.

 

And so it was last night with the company’s presentation of Die Zauberflöte. They were fortunate to have had the services of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, conducted by its music director, Jacques Lacombe. As usual, Nancy Hermiston directed a production that is in turn moving and truly humorous, and absolutely faithful to the composer’s intent – no Eurotrash here. Even in the “challenge” and very dry acoustics of the Old Auditorium, the music came through. The sets, with, I am certain, limited technology available to them in the aged hall, were beautiful and effective. 

 

Tenor Hexiang Wang stood out last night with the beauty of his voice as well as his stage presence. In the incredibly beautiful Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön, I felt that he could have taken much more time with his delivery, and held back at certain spots. To my ears, the performance sounded slightly rushed. Naturally, these are things that will come with experience, and experience is what Nancy Hermiston is giving these young singers.

 

Sarah Richardson sang Pamina with a very beautiful, round tone and always a beautiful sound. I did feel that sometimes she “hits” a note slightly too hard, especially when she reached for the higher notes. 

 

Neil Hong had great stage presence and really brought the role of Papageno to life. Papageno really has all the best “tunes” in the opera, and Hong sang them with relish and a palpable sense of joy. 

 

Jiru Wu played the part of Sarastro with great dignity and gravitas. I did feel that his young voice did not yet have the resonance and projection needed for his arias. This was most apparent in the supremely challenging In diesen heil’gen Hallen, when his voice sounded thin, and did not match the persona he was portraying. I imagine this would have been a most difficult role to cast among the young singers.

Olivia Howe was most impressive as the Queen of the Night. She sang her two great arias with great confidence and assurance, and commanded considerable stage presence, remarkable for such a young artist.

 

Even the other, less prominent part, were sung with great excellence. The three ladies, as well as the three spirits (normally sung by boy sopranos, but was performed with female voices in this production) were beautifully sung, individually as well as in terms of ensemble. Kaitlyn Tse, even with her brief appearance, played the role of Papagena to a hilt, and brought much laughter from the audience. She has come a long way since I heard her last year as soloist in a Mozart Mass, both in terms of her vocal quality and projection. 

 

Even though this was, supposedly, a “student” production, it has nothing to apologize for, and Hermiston and her ensemble should feel very proud of themselves for so successfully mounting this incredible stage work. 

 

On a personal note, within minutes of the overture, I had tears in my eyes, moved by the sheer genius of Mozart and the incredible beauty of the music. In my mind, these young artists were successful in elevating our lives and making our sometimes-confusing world a slightly better place, even if it were only for a few hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Worthy Winner

It seems that the dust is finally starting to settle after the announcement of the results of the 19^th International Chopin Competition. Being in the audience for many of the sessions of the competition has always been a great musical experience. That said, observing the competition and its aftermath has reminded me of the frailties of human nature, as well as the reality of the music “business” – oh, what a hated word to use in association with music!

 

First of all, I would say right now that I am overjoyed that Eric Lu received the gold medal. 

 

I arrived in Warsaw before Stage 3 of the competition, and so I heard Lu’s recital, which was ravishing from beginning to end. From the gently swaying waves of the Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60, to the epic proportions of the Sonata in B minor, Op. 58, Lu played not as one who is trying to impress, but like a true artist, looking deep inside the music to reveal all its beauty and emotions. In the Sonata in B minor, the transition from one section to another, and from one movement to the next, was so perfectly gauged under Lu’s hands.

 

In the past, there have been Chopin Competition winners who have been incredible technicians, or colourful showmen, but Eric Lu is not one of them – this is not to say that he does not possess a stupendous technique, which he does – he does not set out to wow the audience (or the jurors) with the brilliance of his great technique, but invites us to journey with him into the core of the music and reveals to us its beauty.

 

That said, when the music requires brilliance or showmanship, as in his performance of the Polonaise in B-flat Major, Op. 71, No. 2, Lu was and can be as impressive as any 16-year-old whippersnapper. 

 

And Eric Lu is now the second person to win the gold medal of the Chopin Competition playing the composers Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21, the first, coincidentally being Lu’s teacher Dang Thai Son. Lu’s performance of the concerto, both during the final round as well as at the winners’ concert, was beauty personified, from beginning to end. 

 

One highlight for me was the encore he performed at the end of the winners’ concert, a heartbreaking, achingly beautiful performance of the Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2. Lu’s playing of this masterwork of Chopin has been haunting my memory since then. 

 

What shocked and saddened me has been the cruel and malicious remarks “music lovers” have been writing on the internet. Perhaps the complete anonymity afforded by social media seemed to have remove any consideration of remaining within the bounds of good taste, charity, decency or just simple courtesy. 

 

Any pianist who qualifies for this prestigious competition is already a highly accomplished musician that is worthy of hearing. Needless to say, we all have artists whose interpretations we prefer over another. What is sorely lacking on social media sites is respect for the artist as human beings with feelings. I cannot help but be reminded of Glenn Gould’s scathing statement of the “gladiatorial aspect” of the concert hell. If we like someone, we cheer him or her on, and if we don’t, we express our disapproval just as vehemently. Listening to a musical performance, at least on line, has certainly become a blood sport, certainly in this latest edition of the Chopin Competition.

 

Eric Lu is well deserving of the gold medal of this edition of the Chopin Competition. He will never be a musician who would create funny videos on the internet, or create social media content to increase his or her profile. What he will offer us, time and again, are performances that touches the soul and move our hearts. 

 

Let us please all allow Eric to be the musician and artist he deserves to be.

 

 

 

 

 

A Very Welcomed Return

What a stupendous performance it was!

 

Pianist Sorita Kyohei made a welcomed return to Vancouver, and played to a capacity audience at the Vancouver Playhouse this past Sunday.

 

The concert began on an intimate note, with Es ist ein ros’entsprugen, one of Brahms’ 11 Chorale Preludes, Op. 122, No. 8. The work is in the same sound world as all those wonderful piano pieces, from Op. 116 to 119 that Brahms wrote at the end of his life. With the first notes, Sorita drew us into this innigkeit sound world that is so evocative of the late Brahms idiom, giving the music its own truly beautiful “fifty shades of grey”.

 

From the very private sound world of late Brahms, Sorita then presented us with the composer’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5, the last and arguably most popular of his monumental three sonatas. The artist identified completely with every aspect of Brahms’ enormous canvas, giving us playing of a truly grand scale, with a big, rich sound, and capturing the sweep and drama of this incredible work. 

 

In the second movement, inspired by the passionate lines of Otto Inkermann, or Sternau’s poem, Sorita’s playing brought out all the expressive beauties of the main theme, and he endowed the poco più lento (m. 37) section of the movement with special warmth and depth. The third movement, with his sweeping gestures and passionate outbursts, almost foreshadows the two Op. 79 Rhapsodies that would come from the composer’s pen later, was also perfectly captured by the pianist yesterday. Sorita’s pacing of the relatively brief fourth movement, indeed making the music here a perfect intermezzo between the two outer movements. He was in complete command of every musical as well as the inconsiderable technical demands of the final movement, with playing that captured our attention until the triumphant final chords, leaving the audience exhilarated but the piano limp, with much work for the piano technician to do during intermission. 

 

In September, Charles Richard-Hamelin gave a very fine performance of Chopin’s Four Scherzi. The truly incredible thing about great music is that another performer can come along and give us an entirely different and fresh interpretation of the exact same notes on the page, charging the music with new meaning. And that was exactly what transpired with Sorita’s performance. In his performance of these four towering scherzi, there was, from beginning to end, a sense of fantasy, of spontaneity, and a feeling that he was almost recreating the music in front of us, rather than merely presenting a performance he had prepared.

In the Scherzo in B minor, Op. 20, Sorita highlighted what Horowitz referred to as the demonic and angelic elements of the work. The outer sections were as dark, angry and brooding as the music demands, and in the middle section, the artist lavished upon the music all the tenderness and innocence of Lulajże, Jezuniu, or Sleep, Little Jesus, the Polish Christmas carol from which the melody was taken.

 

Under Sorita’s hands, I was reminded of how bold and original the oft-played Scherzo in B-flat minor, Op. 31 sounded. The beautiful melody, marked con anima, that first appeared in m. 65, was indeed filled with spirit. The more subdued A Major section was charged with meaning, and the many pregnant pauses filled with tension. The pacing throughout this work was impeccable. 

 

The pianist’s performance of the Scherzo in C-sharp minor, Op. 39, beautifully contrasted the light and darkness inherent throughout the music. I have rarely heard the cascading downward flutter of notes that appear so often sound so glittering and light, almost like a sprinkling of fresh powder snow. Sorita’s performance of the fiery coda took my breath away. 

 

Of the four scherzi, the Scherzo in E Major, Op. 54, is probably the only one that could aptly be thought of as a scherzo. Sorita’s performance of this, arguably the most technically and musically demanding, as well as the largest in scale, of the four, with nary a thought for its many hurdles. It was a towering performance that took the audience through the rapidly and frequently changing moods of the music. 

 

The cheering audience brought Sorita back to the stage for two encores. I was tremendously moved by his performance of Chopin’s Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op. 53, for the absolute “Polishness” of his playing. It was truly a performance that highlights not for its virtuosity, but one that truly embodies the heroism and pride of the Polish spirit. For his second encore, he gave a meltingly beautiful performance of Schumann-Liszt’s Widmung, the composer’s great love song for Clara. It was a performance filled with tenderness, passionate and ardour, a performance that touches the deepest recesses of the heart.

 

It has been two years since Sorita performed in Vancouver, and it was obviously that his art has deepened and matured. We must continue to keep our eyes and (especially) ears on this, probably one of today’s most original young musicians, an artist that truly has a unique voice of his own that needs to be heard by many.