Live concert review: Kunz, Wu and Dvorak too
by Mike Winter
At the Cliburn, it’s possible to hear two pianists perform the same work, on the same piano, within hours of each other because programs are chosen long before pianists’ performance order is.
This happened Thursday night with near-back-to-back performances of the Dvorak piano quintet, and two more contrasting versions are hard to imagine. The performances produced equally contrasting reactions. Kunz, the Russian man, is clearly the extrovert–dominant, even quirky. Wu, the Chinese girl, is the introvert: submissive, goes with the flow.
To be honest, I much preferred Kunz’s performance, but several people, including three pianists (two of whom have performed the Dvorak), were unanimously in favor of the Wu approach. The pianists made strong cases, noticing irregularities from Kunz that a performer’s perspective affords. But being way more of a listener than a player, I tend to favor the idiosyncratic. (I am not alone; many people liked Horowitz). I will try very hard to follow a performer’s interpretations, up to a point, of course; sometimes it’s just too far out. This happened with Michail Lifits–I had to bail in his last movement of the Schumann Fantasie. But as mentioned in his review, some over-doing is preferable to doing little or nothing with the music. In Kunz’s case, we had a big piano sound–he was clearly an equal voice with the quartet–offering a dramatic, concerto-like approach, bringing out a counter-melody or two along the way. Wu’s sound on the other hand was recessed for the most part, but stepping more into the light when the music called for it. But the group weaved pure magic in the work’s focal point, at least in this performance, a slow movement whose length and intensity were equal to the other three combined. Judging from the audience reaction, I think Wu is the favored of the two.
May 30th, 2009 at 3:41 am
A very interesting contrasting view you present of Kunz and Wu in the Dvorak Mike. From the rehearsal video I saw your contrast of Kunz as the extrovert-dominant and Wu the introvert-submissive makes a bit of sense. But ironically in the performance itself, the two came across to me exactly the opposite. Though as I earlier reflected Wu WAS wonderfully attentive to and when appropriate gave preference to the leading of the quartet, it was she who came across to me as the far more outgoing, fully engaged extrovert. And her body language and actual playing seemed far more extrovert and fully involved in the music than Kunz who actually seemed a bit the introvert in too much of the collaboration with the quartet.
I found that several of the comments posted at the same time I posted on Wu’s performance or during the Kunz performance noted things such as Kunz seeming to be more the accompanist, or he was more tentative, seemed uninvolved, casual, withdrawn, lacked communication, too stuck in reading the score, not enough dynamic range or expression, etc…! Admittedly there were a few who preferred Kunz to counter the general sentiment in favor of Wu being the better, more energized performer and collaborator. I respect the different semantics each of us may invest in words like extrovert & introvert, but for me a performer who is themselves energized and causing the entire ensemble to be and play energized, they in fact are the extrovert. And the one who caused the performance to close down or who got too internalized in their own part, they are in fact the introvert. Maybe I’m stretching these definitions beyond their place. And I do have to admit in certain specific phrases Wu could have been more assertive and Kunz was moreso. But in the overall effect Wu had an outgoing confidence in what she was doing, and Kunz much less so imo. Clearly she knew the score better.
May I possibly suggest to any who found Kunz more the soloist like in a concerto, that another reason might be that again, the quartet seemed not nearly as engaged and energized into the performance for him as they were for Wu. I guess I’m just asking- didn’t they seem to play OUT more and respond more to Wu. Maybe its just me, but all along Kunz has seemed more the introvert, even in his interviews and body language while Wu seemed just the opposite in her’s.
May 30th, 2009 at 4:42 am
First, I agree with Dave that Wu is extroverted in her approach. As for Kunz, I watched his reherasal with the Takacs and it became obvious to me that the issue is not whether he is introverter or extroverted or … however-one-can describe his approach. Kunz either does not hear or does not know how to listen or both - there was a real problem during rehearsal. There were many times when it was obvious that he did was not aware he was not in sync with the group. The Takacs members were nicely dimploatic, of course. I was fearful that the ensemble might collampse during actual performance. Fortunately for Kunz it did not, most likely because the Takacs “took over” without overtly doing so — these professionals can do so — they had to.
May 30th, 2009 at 5:54 am
As a listener, which is all that I am, I agree with Mike. I do not fully understand what is required of the relationship between the quartet and the pianist; under these circumstances equality is not an option, the quartet have played together for many years, but this is a piano competition and I would have imagined that the quartet could be tolerant of the different pianists given the circumstances. It must be very difficult to be the fifth player in an otherwise established group with so little rehearsal time. It seemed to me that we should be able to hear the pianists interpretation of the piece and that the more experienced quartet should enable that to come through. I do not offer a musician’s perspective but I find Kunz has a sound and a poetry which is irresistible to me.
May 30th, 2009 at 6:52 am
yes, I agreed it was apparent that Kunz was not as familiar with the score as Wu. There were many places he could have let go the notes with confidence and paid more attention to the dialogues between the strings, but I also agreed with Dave, that, with due all respect, the quartet had a complete different energy level in two performances, began with the unbelievable off-start in the cello.
I don’t know if it’s only me; I also had problems with their intonation half-way through the music, almost like a 3/4 lower than the piano or closer. However; I wonder why Cliburn couldn’t engage more quartets in this round. To me it’s almost inhumane to ask older musicians to rehearse day-and-night and perform twice the same repertoire in one evening, not to mention these are kids in their 20’s with abundant energy…well maybe not after preliminary but still…I feel for the quartet.
As for being together; we are not listening to a military marching band, I don’t know why that would be the priority here. I know it’s quite exciting to watch a live performance and impossible to be attracted to the body language of the performer, but music is to LISTEN not to watch, at least for me. Please listen one more time without staring at the screen; I thought Kunz’ performance created more sparks in the music in spite all the “ornaments”. Especially the climax in the first movement. Listen and compare with Wu’s, you will see what I meant.
It’s a team work, all 5 count, even if you are a world-class pianist, you need complete collaboration from the String players. In this performance, regrettably I didn’t find the same concentration from other players as in Wu’s.
May 30th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I especially like the flowers given to Di Wu by someone in the audience. The other girls didn’t get any flowers. Even Yeol Eum Son in that smoking hot dress didn’t get any flowers after a ravishing Spanish Rhapsody in the 1st round. There must be something about Di Wu.
May 31st, 2009 at 5:32 am
Concerning the issue of having only one quartet do ALL the work in a piano competition like this:
I can understand reasons like consistency and fairness to all competitors being put forth as well as other considerations. But I think loveformusic makes a good point that I’d like to see the Cliburn seriously address. These are older musicians not in their 20s who are being asked to day after day do all the rehearsals and play the all same quintets repeatedly. Kudos to the Takacs, and they ARE a fantastic quartet. But at times their playing HAS been uneven over the course of the competition, and who can blame them? And I don’t think it can just only be attributed to how much each pianist did or did not inspire or engerize them or work with them. It would be nice if the quartet could be fully fresh as much as possible for each and every contestant.
I think the Cliburn should seriously consider having TWO quartets of possibly equal renown and/or ability for all future competitions. What do the rest of you think?