Pianist Sara Buechner Triumphs
by
Lyn Bronson
Maestro John Larry Granger and Pianist Sara Buechner
The Santa Cruz Symphony gave us a great concert last night
at Civic Auditorium as pianist Sara Buechner turned out to be a crowd pleaser in
the Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto. She also proved that she can perform a
work as well known as this warhorse and still bring to it a fresh new vitality.
Not only were all the big themes magnificently projected in
all their glory, but all the familiar passages were tremendously effective as
Buechner navigated her way through this concerto’s many difficulties with a
commanding virtuosity. Along the way there were some interesting surprises.
After the central climax of the first movement, the
Maestoso, Alla Marcia, with
Buechner’s massive chords accompanying the full orchestra playing the first
theme, the piano’s next passage with the orchestra tacit is normally played
softly. Buechner continued the fortissimo mood and gradually created a long
diminuendo. It was a startling effect, but also a very logical and convincing
one. After the great horn solo, the
first movement gradually wound down to the coda, in which Buechner whipped up a
storm of whirling notes and chords, which were richly textured and eminently
satisfying.
The Adagio sostenuto
slow movement was a gem, as the piano shared the lovely melodies with strings,
clarinet and flute. The great moment in this movement was the cadenza, which
most pianists can hardly wait to tear into. Buechner observed the long and grand
fermata-indicated pause before beginning the cadenza quietly instead of forte,
which served to draw our attention to the dramatic moment about to begin.
She inserted another dramatic pause in the cadenza right after the
fortissimo double note trill in the extreme treble. This pause is indicated in
the orchestra, but not in the piano score.
Once again Buechner made us wait before beginning the lovely series of
arpeggiated chords gradually leading us to the orchestra’s return with the first
theme. This was truly a magical moment!
The final movement, with its great passionate melodies that
are long and continuous, was a triumph from beginning to end. This is the kind
of concerto for which the modern Steinway concert grand was created. Although
the Symphony’s new piano sounded lovely in its tenor and lower treble, its high
treble does not yet have a powerful voice that can cut through heavy orchestral
texture, so the piano tended to get covered up at climatic moments. The piano’s
unisons were also noticeably out of tune by the end of the concert, but this is
perhaps understandable since the piano is only about a year old, and its strings
are still stretching. In any case, Buechner handled this piano like the real pro
she is, and made us fall in love with this great concerto all over again.
She had one more surprise up her sleeve, for after the
tumultuous applause, she played an encore for us. It was a Handel Aria arranged
for solo piano by her former teacher, Polish pianist Mieczyslav Munz. This was a
quiet soulful performance that was reverent to its original source, yet also
romantic and glorious sounding on the piano. This was another magic moment.
Opening the concert maestro John Larry Granger led the
orchestra through Dansa Brasileira,
by a composer probably none of us had previously ever heard of. It was a
charming pastiche of Brazilian themes that was over before it had hardly begun.
It was, however, the end of the concert containing after
intermission the Brahms Symphony No. 2 that continued the mood of the first half
and sent us home happy campers. This was Brahms in all his autumnal glory, a
work so smooth that there is not one dotted rhythm anywhere, but is so lush and
full of beauty that it never fails to make a powerful effect. Maestro Granger
did this work proud, and at its end he asked the many orchestra soloists and
sections to rise and take a well deserved bow.
Leaving Civic Auditorium after the concert, you could hear
the happy buzz from members of the audience.
This is the way it should be after a concert.
