Nikolai Demidenko
by
David Beech
“Extreme Demidenko” might have
been the billing for the concert presented by the Steinway Society of the Bay
Area on Sunday evening, April 29, 2007 at Le Petit Trianon, San Jose. The
Russian-born, London-domiciled pianist easily exceeded the previously endured
extreme decibel levels experienced at this intimate venue, while interspersing
some serenely soft playing between the many thunderous climaxes. He demonstrated
that he is phenomenally gifted in both technique and musicianship, despite the
exaggerated approach to dynamics and drama in his chosen program.
The conflict between the very loud
and very soft playing was illustrated clearly in the performance of Bach’s
Italian Concerto, where the outer movements were loud (and fast), and the slow
movement was a beautifully sustained quiet melody over the gentle left-hand
pulse, which had started out almost with Glenn Gould staccato mannerisms, but
quickly settled into its supporting role. It was difficult to believe that Bach,
reputed to have played the delicate clavichord at home, would have enjoyed the
heavy playing of the quicker movements.
Before the pure Bach work, we heard Liszt’s transcription of one of Bach’s organ
works, so that it was reasonable to make allowance for the piano being used to
evoke the grandeur of the organ, together with a dash of Lisztian flamboyance.
Even so, in the Fantasy and Fugue in G minor, the Fantasy suffered tonally in
the loud passages, and in the Fugue more attention was given to relentless
rhythmic drive and the top line, rather than to clarity of all the fugal
entries.
It was in Liszt’s Variations on Bach’s “Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen” that
Demidenko came into his own as an interpreter, managing the wide range of
emotions and the large-scale structure of the work most convincingly, with ample
virtuosity where called for. There were many felicities in the quiet playing,
such as a change of coloration during a trill, and the central recitative duet
with the two hands alternating was movingly done. During even the most
tumultuous variations, it was notable that Demidenko retained his classic arched
hand position, with great economy of movement. If only he would limit himself to
fff rather than ffffff ! The piano tuner appeared during the
intermission, not, it seemed, to adjust many notes, so much as to sympathize
with the instrument.
Schumann’s rarely heard Sonata No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 11, was a
praiseworthy piece of programming, and Demidenko’s performance was impressively
clear in form and execution, if over-dramatized. Other virtues emerged in his
idiomatic rubato for Schumann’s more wayward moments, and the warmth he
gave to the second subject in the opening movement. The short slow movement
meandered expressively, and the scherzo was lively, with a delicious quiet
response to the recitative in the intermezzo section. After some excessive
violence, tempered by luscious interludes, the finale arrived at a fine climax,
greeted with a standing ovation.
Perhaps the most satisfying music of the evening came in the three encores,
which were all Scarlatti sonatas, played with consummate skill and taste.
Scarlatti’s trademark repeated notes, rapid scales and arpeggios, wide leaps and
flowing melodies were all in evidence, deployed with the composer’s endlessly
inventive delight.
[David Beech, a serious clarinetist, a significant amateur pianist, and a
music lover of uncommon taste and refinement, is a frequent contributor as a
guest reviewer in this column.]
