Steinway Society Young Artists Shine!
by
David Beech
[David
Beech, an amateur clarinetist, pianist and clavichordist, and a
music lover of broad experience and taste, is a frequent contributor as
a guest reviewer in this column.]
The 2008 Young Artists Concert of the Steinway Society of the Bay Area
was yet another stellar event in this series of annual concerts, which never
fail to astonish with the musicianship as well as the dexterity of the seasoned
young performers (all of them this year also A students in school). Taking place
on Sunday evening, March 16, at Le Petit Trianon, San Jose, before a large and
appreciative audience, this year’s program was notable for its variety
(including a cellist and violinist as well as six pianists), and for the
youthfulness of the artists (five of them being between the ages of 9 and 12,
and the oldest perhaps 20).
The first two works on the program were rarities, both sets of variations
that exploited florid display, and both uncharacteristic of their composers,
although for different reasons – Chopin’s “Variations on a German National Air”
because it takes a German theme and is largely in common time, and Schumann’s “Abegg”
Variations because the piece is his Opus 1.
Alex Chien, neat and assured,
played the Chopin with clean rhythm and nice rubato and tone. It was
fascinating to watch his small hands immaculately dispatching the dazzling
passagework, and he captured the lilt well in the mazurka variation. All of this
was associated with strong musical instincts and a keen ear.
In the Schumann, based on a waltz theme beginning A, B flat, E, G, G,
Laney Huang likewise reveled in
flawless display, often with great rapidity, but always even and nicely shaded.
Notable in different variations were her precisely synchronized hands when
jumping around playing similar figurations, an elegant left-hand melody with
hands crossed, a brilliant right-hand passage over bouncing left-hand
accompaniment, and perfectly even trills.
Next we heard some mature and satisfying Bach playing from
Hilda Huang. Offering three
movements from one of the master’s most austere works, “The Art of Fugue,” she
struck a fine balance between structure and expressiveness. The momentum was
maintained throughout, without neglecting to point the fugal and canonic
entries, and shape the decorative phrases and counter-melodies. The tone of the
modern piano was used appropriately too, warm but still classically clean. After
the opening Contrapunctus 1, stating the theme and its impressive development,
reinforced by a gradual crescendo, we were treated to Contrapunctus 9
with its running eighths in cut time, and the Canon in Hypodiapason with its
quick triplets, exhibiting some especially fluent left-hand playing.
Now it was the turn of the string players, who more than justified their
inclusion with exceptional virtuosity and powers of communication with the
audience – watch out, Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Bell!
Travis Chen, the cellist,
delivered Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance with all the fire and projection needed, and
a fine sinewy tone. Dotted rhythms were given extra drama, and the slow
interlude was luscious, with sonorous pizzicato. Next we heard a delightful
performance of the Finale from Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata Op.40, one of the
composer’s happiest inspirations. This takes the form of a spirited set of
variations on a theme that sounds like a Russian folk dance gone astray, with
the cello dashing around at high speed and joining in the witty by-play. Chen
brought this off splendidly, and mention should also be made of the excellent
contribution of Russian-born pianist
Dmitry Cogan in both of these pieces, not least in the incandescent piano
variation of the Shostakovich.
Mindy Chen then took the
stage to perform two works for unaccompanied violin. The first of these, simply
entitled “Watching White Wheat – Welsh Folksong arr. by Pwyll ap Sion”, turned
out to be the biggest surprise of the evening, consisting of the innocent theme
played with double-stopping, followed by four virtuoso variations and a short
coda. A little research has revealed the explanation – this is a work newly
commissioned as one of the set pieces for the junior section of the Yehudi
Menuhin International Violin Competition to be held in Cardiff next month. (http://www.menuhincompetition.org/EVENTS-2008.html
) In fact, anyone who was as impressed as I was by the work and Chen’s
performance of it need only follow the link
http://www.thestrad.com/nStory.asp?id=959 to find the composer’s comments on
the work and its interpretation, together with a link to a free download of the
sheet music. The variations were all emotionally charged, while calling for
techniques such as rapid arpeggios crossing strings, pizzicato on
one string while playing arco on another, double tremolos, double
pizzicato runs, and harmonics. All of these were played marvelously by
Chen with the golden tone she produces from her 320-year old violin. If she has
entered the Menuhin competition, let us hope she brings home first prize to the
Bay Area. With equal excellence, she also gave us an old favorite, Wieniawski’s
Etude-Caprice Op.18 No.4 (originally written for violin duet), its radiant
up-tempo triplets leading to a delicate pizzicato ending.
The pianists then stormed back to complete the program – indeed,
Jordan Ferrer rather overplayed the
louder parts of Liszt’s Tarantelle, but otherwise displayed stunning
technique, and much feeling for the poetry of Liszt’s idiom in the quieter
passages. There was a beautiful soft melody over even softer accompaniment, and
an ability to convey a quietly heroic mood. The section with rapid repeated
notes was exquisitely handled, and the lovely ripples acted as a segue to
the Ravel to come. A fine accelerando to the finish line closed a
commanding performance of a fiendishly difficult work.
As a complete contrast, Emeline
Oliphant brought the softest of touches to Ravel’s Jeux d’Eau, with
just the right balance
between the ceaseless murmurings of the water and
the melodic fragments emerging with more clarity from them. The occasional
more brilliant dramatic moments shone out, and
then we returned to the subtleties of light and shade, suppleness, iridescence.
This was atmospheric playing of a high order.
For the grand finale, Angela
Hwang gave an impassioned performance of Book I of Brahms’ magnificent
Paganini Variations, with a fullness of tone reminiscent of the style of Claudio
Arrau. The technical challenges had been thoroughly mastered, and there were
many felicities along the way, such as the pretty trills and delicate filigree
in variation 4, the crystalline innocence of variation 11, and the octave
glissandi of variation 13. There were places, particularly in variation 7,
where the playing had become too loud, but Hwang called on all her reserves of
stamina in the extended final variation to bring this great work to a triumphant
conclusion.
As always, all the young artists returned to the stage to take their
final bow together, and receive a standing ovation from a moved and approving
audience, who owe a debt not only to the performers, but to all who organized
the event and to the parents and teachers who made this thrilling evening
possible.
