Muzyka21 No 12 (53) – December 2004
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Pianists conquer Warsaw!
With the forthcoming Chopin Competition still several months away, we were given a two-day taster of the contest at the Second Piano Festival, organized by the Ludwig van Beethoven Association, and held in Warsaw 13-14 November 2004. I can wholeheartedly say that this was a genuine feast of piano music and a great showcase for young artists, both from Poland and abroad.
The festival was attended by six soloists and the Paratore Brothers piano duo. What was most interesting was that each artist expressed a different personality and had a different level. The artists were for the most part just starting their performing careers, but each could boast first prizes from leading international piano competitions. Two figures stood out from the rest – Mihaela Ursuelasa from Romania and Martin Helmchen from Germany.
Ursuelasa is well known to Polish audiences. She made her mark at the 14th Chopin Competition in 2000, when the audience literally went crazy for her. Four years on, we heard her play again at the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall. Her performance confirmed beyond all doubt that she is a great and professional pianist, all the more so because she chose a Schumann-based repertoire – his Davidsbündlertänze Op. 6, Clara Schumann’s Soirées musicales Op. 6, and 3 Intermezzi Op. 117 and 7 Fantasias Op. 116 by Brahms. The choice was no accident as the artist thinks very highly of the German composer’s oeuvre. What appealed to me was that the concert did not display virtuosity or showiness. It is exceptionally difficult to give an interesting recital of works that fall within one area. Each piece had a meaning and a character of its own, was separate but part of a cycle. The whole programme was very well thought out and logical. Ursuleasa delighted the audience with her beautiful sound, wonderfully developed melody, a fine cantilena, panache, and beautiful piani. The performance was a rainbow of colours and tones, which kept the audience captivated. The Romanian pianist again showed herself to be a highly sensitive artist who is full of character, one who has a feel for music and knows how to express it. I was particularly delighted with her encore, Chopin’s Nocturne C sharp minor Op. posth. It was a real gem. I have never heard it performed with more emotion.
Ursuleasa’s performance was equalled by that of Martin Helmchen, a laureate of the prestigious Clara Haskil Competition in Switzerland, 2001. His programme was much more varied, with three Organ Chorals by Bach/Reger, Janácek’s Sonata 1 X 1905 “From the Street”, an excerpt from Messiaen’s Vingt regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus and Schubert’s Sonata in C minor D 958. At first, I thought him a shy pianist who approached the audience with great reserve, but appearances proved deceptive. His Messiaen, though played from sheet music, bowled over the audience. Personally, I was enraptured by the Czech composer’s piece – the Sonata E flat minor made a strong impression on me. This composition is exceptionally emotional. Helmchen has conveyed the drama of the whole work to perfection, its two movements entitled “Presentiment” and “Death”. At the end of the piece, the entire audience momentarily froze in silence and reflection. The effect was staggering. Bach’s chorals were equally beautiful and balanced, with clear polyphony. This young artist, at only 22 years of age, showed the audience at the Royal Castle the whole range of his abilities and I am certain a great future is ahead of him.
French pianist Victor Emanuel von Monteton left a good, though not overwhelming, impression. I can certainly say that I have never seen an artist bow with such grace and charm. His concert was an example of solid, well planned and developed pianism. Scarlatti’s two Sonatas (C major and E major) sounded splendid and the music was pure, clear, and augmented by romantic accents in phrasing. Some of the real strengths of this pianist are sensationally well-developed sound plans, a good sense of timing and excellent pedal work, the effects of which always are always brought out by the acoustics of the Grand Hall of the Royal Castle. He displayed this particularly well in Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Rachmaninov’s Preludes didn’t bring me to my knees – they were slightly too heavy and clumsy – and neither did the Sonata in A minor, which simply began to bore at one point. Nevertheless, my impression of the concert was extremely favourable, and I think I will remember those bows for a long time.
Unfortunately, the Polish pianists did not acquit themselves very well against such competitors. Marlena Maciejkowicz has lived abroad since her childhood and was never educated in Poland. It is a pity that this young artist focused on ornamentation rather than solidity and sensitivity, which was to the detriment of both herself and Prokofiev’s Sonata in A major Op. 82 No. 6 as well as Debussy’s Images. Rafał Blechacz – a student of Prof. Katarzyna Popowa-Zyroń at the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz – gave a lengthy recital, which included Chopin, Liszt, Debussy and Szymanowski. However, he was far from reaching the standard of the other performers in terms of professionalism and maturity. Some wrong notes and misplay crept into Ballade A flat major. Nocturne E flat major was bland and unimaginative, and Debussy’s Estampes were far from vivid and ethereal. I liked Szymanowski’s Variations in B flat minor Op. 3 the most. This piece is seldom performed, which is a pity since it has much charm. Blechacz’s performance was imaginative, coherent and concrete. The artist is preparing for the forthcoming Chopin Competition, so still has some time. I believe that he will make best use of it and learn how to cope with stage fright, probably the reason for his mediocre performance.
Nervousness was also the weak point of Cristina Marton, a protégée of Martha Argerich and a laureate of her competition. While her Haydn’s Sonata in E minor was exceptionally clear, logical and emotional, Schumann’s Kreisleriana Op. 16, 4 Impromptus Op. 90 and Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz were glaringly bland and boring. Of course, each piece had its beautiful moments, but why were they so few? I am sure Marton is a fine pianist, and I hope she will come back here to prove her ability to the Polish audience. For the moment, I remain unconvinced.
Finally, I would like to mention an exceptional concert. It was exceptional because the audience consisted mostly of children of a range of ages. The Paratore Brothers and the sensational narrator Krzysztof Kolberger performed a transcription of Sergey Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale for children, Peter and the Wolf Op. 67. How wonderful to see children react so emotionally to music in the age of computer games and rather less challenging entertainment! Dancing, hand waving and the playing of “air instruments” were inevitable. It is regrettable that we lose this kind of spontaneity when we grow older. The excellent Paratore Brothers duo played Milhaud’s Scaramouche Op. 165b, Brahms’ Hungarian Dances and Lutosławski’s Variations on the Theme of Paganini with great verve. This concert was great fun for me, and for an hour or so the Philharmonic Hall resounded with the laughter of children and the enthusiasm and joy that music can bring.
The festival lasted only two days, but these were so full of impressions and showcased so many fascinating personalities and, most importantly, displayed such a great variety of music, that the organizers deserve great applause. This test for young artists bore witness to the current stage of their artistic careers. Not everyone was able to take advantage of the opportunity, but fortunately youth can be forgiven a lot…
Magdalena Todynek
