Choices: Thoughts on Repertoire?
When do a recitalist’s choices hold your attention … or not? Not just choices in pieces, but of course, choices in approach?
How about a distraction before the finals begin. Take a peek at this live concert played by a 19-year-old Dimitris Sgouros, in Munich in 1988. Here’s the high-def video:
http://www.classicaltv.com/video/cat-214/dmitris-sgouros-piano-recital
(Or if that doesn’t work, see the first piece here: http://www.sgourosmp3.com/).
The first grabber is Busoni’s charming op.33a concert waltz. Then Balakirev’s Islamey, the Chopin b minor sonata. Oh, and stick around for Scriabin (op2#1), the ridiculous Strauss-Schulz-Evler, the Rachmaninoff D major prelude … Remember Sgouros? He first made a splash playing the Rachmaninoff third concerto with Rostropovich conducting (was a last-minute substitution for Gary Graffman?). He was 12 at the time. Rostropovich generally described him as a gift from God. See what you think of the playing.
One of our loyal mafia (kcostell in Atlanta) tabulated ALL of the repertoire in this year’s competition. Here’s the “popularity” tab:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=rykWNcM1MTp-tD3USP156SA&gid=2
Liszt lived by the motto “Tradition is laziness.” Given this spreadsheet, he might be spinning in his grave like a lathe. I guess it’s inevitable that Liszt’s sonata (7x), and Spanish Rhapsody (4x) are high on the list of this year’s virility tests. Do you like Gaspard? Hope so: you’ll hear it three times in the finals. As far as I can see, not one person is playing one of their own pieces, or arrangements, or improvisations. I’ve got to believe daring to do so would have some impact, versus, say, yet another Haydn sonata… Liszt first coined the term “recital” in 1840 in London. In Berlin in 1841, over ten weeks, he played 21 concerts including 80 pieces (50 from memory — playing from memory was a new thing back then: see Alan Walker’s book for lots more color). And god knows he improvised, and was constantly trotting out nutty new experiments of his own. A Liszt recital may have been many things, but it was never boring. Anyone have any ideas for getting out of the somewhat stale rut the piano recital has fallen into?
Concerto-wise, we’re going to hear:
- two Chopin #1; one #2
- two Rachmaninoff #2 ; one #3
- two Prokofiev #2; one #3
plus the Mozart d minor and a couple of Beethoven’s (#2 & #4).
Man, do I love piano concertos. My favorite invention of the 19th century — the modern symphony orchestra — meets the pianist in a gorgeous conversation.
I’m curious to know what you all think of the choices the finalists have made. Anyone…?
— Mike Hawley
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Actually Mike, after hearing some of things I did with Conlon, I’m thinking it may actually be a tie…no? But I must say Di Wu captured my heart… I am 24 just like her and graduated from Juilliard but never really met… wished I would have. What a total sweetheart.. Di Wu is my #1. Vacatello and Evgeni for 2nd. Nobu for 3rd , then Zhang and Son. My opinion…. But then again its the Cliburn…
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Mike,
I agree that repertoire choices have become stale and hackneyed. But in fairness to the contestants, daring and unusual programs have not always met with juries’ approval. Frederic Chiu is an example. Also, concerto-wise, the Cliburn only allows them to choose from the standard list, I believe. Outside of the competition arena, however, I do think there is a good effort by many of the younger generation of pianists to branch out.
BTW, I had Sgouros’ LP of his Rach 3rd when I was a child, and I still to this day think it’s one of the best out there.
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Dmitri Sgouros didn’t amount to anything, and didn’t fulfill the incredible promise he showed as a prodigy. Yes, incredible technique he certainly has, but it ends there. Almost always, it’s just very fast and loud playing, without much artistry in it, with nothing to say. You can’t build a significant career playing that way(there are some contestants like him in this competition). Rostropovich made an error in his premature pronouncement of his talents.
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:12 pm
questions have been asked about personal archiving material June 1 and 2. It is very easy on a BiG Mac.
running on a good broadband. Look closely at your firefox {no} and safari (yes) choices to save as
You are looking for
web archives.
Quick audio notes,
I like WireTap studio.
archiving rehursals
it is very easy
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Actually Mike, after hearing some of things I did with Conlon, I’m thinking it may actually be a tie…no? But I must say Di Wu captured my heart… I am 24 just like her and graduated from Juilliard but never really met… wished I would have. What a total sweetheart.. Di Wu is my #1. Vacatello and Evgeni for 2nd. Nobu for 3rd , then Zhang and Son. My opinion…. But then again its the Cliburn…
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I’m with you Mike on how great the concerto is … one of the best musical inventions.
Despite Brian making an error in his premature declamation of Sgouros’ talents, some of Dmitri’s performances are the most exciting, passionate and driving interpretations to date. We can argue all we like about prodigy burnout, stress, etc. .. but his talent is enormous!! Instead of jealously cutting him down for playing faster than most of us dare (or should dare, in my case) can’t we just appreciate the gift he has?? Isn’t there enough room in music for all interpretations??
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:13 pm
About the piano concertos - when they announced Chopin I was surprised, mostly because I usually dismiss it as having a less ‘involved’ orchestra since the piano usually is in the spotlight (or from what I remember).
Though the way people are talking about it so much - I’m rather looking forward to hearing it with a fresh pair of ears, hopefully the performers will bring something extra to the table when playing Chopin.
Also - anyone take advantage of listening to the FWSO rehearsals? I haven’t even had a single moment to tune in, how’s it been going?
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Uh… @Brian — a bit harsh. Sgouros is an awfully enigmatic case.
Maybe better to say “hasn’t YET fulfilled the incredible promise.” I find his musicality original and intriguing — not just loud and fast. He’s articulate and well-spoken. And, unlike many others, he hasn’t pushed himself onto the circuit, or through the conservatory/competition route.
I’m not sure I’d feel he was any less significant than, say, Michelangeli. He lives and plays mostly around Greece. At the 1990 “Sgouros Festival” in Singapore, he played 12 piano concertos in 12 days.
Certainly an odd case, though. But my point was that, as 19-year-olds go, his concert programming was daring, and full of interesting approaches. As in the Busoni waltz.
See:
12-year old Sgouros playing Chopin e minor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByNU_VWLut0
17-year old, playing, odd patchwork of interviews:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKBIf_5Kj5o
(Had memorized 45 concertos by that age. Interested ).
A mazurka:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShpYaLiLfQw
Harmonies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akCeXOW1F40
Lots of very curious video clips of him have surfaced on Youtube, obviously.
Cheers,
Mike
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:18 pm
PS, @nate — Room enough indeed. I think one of the most remarkable things about music is how, every so often, a live musical experience leaves a permanent, vivid memory. Maybe it was that Horowitz recital. Or the time you were lucky to sing in a performance of the Chichester psalms. etc.
Mike
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Stale it may be, but I’d have to say that this year is an improvement over 2001, when there were, what, four Rach 3s? I was hearing it in my dreams for a while after that. Literally.
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:47 pm
So concerti non-withstanding, I am stuck on the fact that Son will be performing Beethoven’s op. 111 for her final recital. I listen to this sonata regularly via Richter (his late performances). It sums up life, death, joy, the birth of my kids and the afterlife, all at once to me.. I think it is monumental and very very few pianists can pull it off with enough gravitas and depth without weighing it down. Is this an unusually daring program item for Son, or for the pros who kindly share their views here, am I making too much out of it ?? DO people win competitions with this sonata or does it backfire??
Eager to hear your answers.
I will admit that after watching her rehearsal with Conlon, during which she did not utter any words other than “Yes, aha”, my skepticism grew louder. Perhaps as many pointed out already, these voyeuristic peeks through the backstage keyhole are detrimental to the performer after all..
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:01 pm
And there we have the eternal question: “DO people win competitions with this sonata?” In the final analysis, the whole competition scene is a complex scenario of “second guessing.” I am so grateful to be too old for any of the age limits (and celebrated when I got there, although I was fortunate to have a number of successes). It’s incredibly liberating to play what I wish, BUT there will always be certain considerations that we ignore at our peril. To be honest, I’ve been able to slip quite a few truly contemporary works into my programs PROVIDED I balance them with enough Chopin, Rachmaninoff, et. al. More later…
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Great question Mike concerning ideas for getting out of the stale rut piano recitals have fallen into. I recall one pianist I went to hear played a full & varied program of traditional classical repetoire and then came out and performed an on the spot improvised pc using several of his own compositional ideas merged or woven into the themes and melodies from a great many of the works he had just played.
As we know that many fine pianists are actually quite proficient in compostition, and fine composers also fine pianists I would like to see more of those pianists who wouldn’t mind including a discreet mix of their own completely original compositions from time to time. Many of us are aware of several musicians who can keep up a performing repetoire but also find time to produce some admirable compostitions. It would be nice to see more of those type of musicians in the piano recital venue feel free to mix it up a little.
Also, what about some part of the recital left open for requests? In my music history studies I find this was far more practiced and accepted than it is in many recital venues today. Speaking of an extraordinary feat to confound the audience by giving them a catagory and then offering to play for them on the spot any pc requested from that catagory-
My all time favorite request feat is of 10 yo Camile Saint-Saens performing the Mozart PC [K450], works by Bach, Hummel, Handel and Kalkbrenner and then offering the audience a performance of any one of the Beethoven 32 sonatas by memory. For those of us pianists out there- imagine being able to put that request feat out there before your audience. And at 10! Just mindblowing.
One other way, when possible, that I’d like the traditional piano recital livened up is to surprise the audience by bringing another instrumentalist on the stage with you at some point in the recital unexpectedly.
And there are many other ideas I suppose, but I will stop now.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:28 pm
@Anne - My feeling, and also my experience, says it backfires only if you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. If op. 111 is “your” piece, meaning you know what you want to say with it and are able to communicate that, then go for it. If for any other reason, don’t. I would say that applies to any piece in the repertoire. Look - for most pianists, the Schubert B-flat sonata would be suicide, but it worked for Bozhanov, because he knew what to say with it. If you ask me, that sonata is what set him apart from the rest.
As for our being able to “observe” the rehearsals, I feel it’s a rare privilege for us, but if I, as one of those finalists, were one iota too aware of those cameras, I wouldn’t be able to be myself at all. I am certainly not the only person (or professional performer) that hates the presence of any kind of recording equipment in what ought to be more of a private time of “working out”, so I’d say yes, detrimental to the performer. I think their interests are more important than ours in this situation. I am so glad that there were no cameras, no Internet, no nothing during my competition years except an occasional reporter. But the world is different now, and maybe the younger generations have learned to deal with it. I think these 6, or actually all 29, are simply terrific.
@Brian - I heard Sgouros too when he was around 13; unreal talent, but as I’m sure you know, precociousness does not always have the sequel we are programmed to expect. Even back then, while amazed (and feeling very inadequate myself at that moment) that he was capable of mentally assimiliating the Rachmaninoff 3rd at that age, I remember asking myself “and what happens after this? what is he going to do when he’s 25 or 30?” Back then I recall his sound having had an insufficient center (probably age-appropriate) and I felt Rostropovich, himself so genuinely phenomenal, was way off the mark raving over him to that extent so early. Because there is not necessarily a followup. Life intervenes. Stuff, including burnout, happens. Perfectly normal after being exhibited like a circus act when you’re 13, and having to live with the consequences. And maybe - and I hope this is the case with Sguoros - a mature musician and a mature man emerges. In its own good time. So saying “he didn’t amount to anything” is really out of line, I’m sorry. If doing whatever he’s doing now, whether in Greece or anywhere else, is fine with him, it ought to be fine with the rest of us. That amounts to plenty in my book.
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:30 pm
@James: lol
June 2nd, 2009 at 5:51 pm
My two cents as far as finalists concerto repertoire goes… (and I completely agree with the comment about piano concertos - I can’t get enough of them - have you heard the Vaughan Williams?, the Corigliano? The Paderewski? Bartok 3?, Barber?
The Prok 2 is more cerebral and obviously not as big a crowd pleaser as the Prok 3 - but when played well either would stand up to some of the more “traditional warhorses” (Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Rach 2, Brahms 2).
Both Chopin concertos are gorgeous but obviously not meant to be played as a bombastic show of force.
The Rach 3 is indeed a monster, but when played well (see Olga Kern’s final Cliburn concerto performance) can transport an audience and ensure a finalists spot in the top 1-3 position.
The Rach 2 (my personal favourite) is a sure fire hit as long as the pianist doesn’t turn it into a melodramatic “lost love” ode to tragedy. But when played with passion, restraint, and sincerity (listen to Rachmaninov himself play it) it can also allow the audience (and the jury) to fall in love with the performer (as one jury member put it).
But as I said before, I love all concertos!
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Personally, I think of repertoire the way I think of meals. Steaks are fine, but who wants to eat three at once? That’s what tends to amaze me about some of the contestants: they program nothing but blockbusters. It’s always a relief when I see a major work surrounded by others of differing styles and lesser scope, and personally as a juror I have an easier time focusing on a multiplicity of styles in reaonable doses. The other point that needs to be made is that I don’t believe it is so much the standard repertoire that is a problem, but the overuse of HACKNEYED works from it. Just as some examples: Beethoven, Op. 2, No. 2 or Op. 10, No. 3 instead of yet another “Pathetique;” Liszt Tarantella instead of Mephisto Waltz No. 1; Brahms Scherzo in E-flat minor Op. 4 instead of Chopin Scherzo in B-flat minor. The list can go on, but I believe it’s obvious that the riches of the piano’s great era haven’t been exhausted.
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Does anyone else feel that Yeol-Eum Son should get the award for best page flipping?
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:19 pm
I am really enjoying reading everyone’s thoughts on here, and I’m especially interested in what it is about concerti that obviously makes them so attractive to my colleagues. I can count on very few fingers the concerto performances I’ve done that were really satisfying. The works were wonderful, of course: and no, they weren’t all staples. In fact they have ranged from the sublime Mozart C minorand Beethoven “Emperor” to the Dohnanyi “Nursery Rhyme” Variations, et. al. The one thing they all had in common was that they amounted more or less to a train of camels (as in “a camel is a horse that a committee created”). Maybe if all had been with virtuoso orchestras it would have felt different, but I grew very tired of worrying about other people’s mistakes; I have PLENTY to concern myself with in terms of my own! Perhaps the appeal to many–and I do respect both performers and listeners–is their sheer numbers. After all, ours can be a very solitary pursuit. At any rate, after performing with a wide variety of people since the age of 9 I have become more and more devoted to my DOGS!
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Repertoire choice is very important, for so many reasons.
To pick a piece because it
-shows off one’s strengths
-one likes it
-one actually has an affinity for it (not necessarily correlated with the first two)
-is a challenge and will help develop one’s weaknesses
-to engage the listener
-for marketing reasons
I used to think that it didn’t matter at competitions, that one could “be oneself”, play what one wants, and quality will shine through and be identified no matter what. However, let’s face it. In a field of so many extraordinary pianists, smart programming is a must to “sell” a recital program. Not to be crass, but it is about advertising. Note how many musicians themselves (Jade, bloggers, critics, audience) have commented on gowns, beauty, appearance, collars… Like one’s coiffure, repertoire programming itself is another aspect of the presentation.
The trend seems to be towards the unusual, for better or worse. Times have changed, and people are perhaps tired of the old and looking for new things. However, a lot of it also has to do with marketing. We’ve all heard: do we need another recording of a Beethoven sonata when there are so many master interpretations that remain unsurpassed? So, musicians start playing and recording contemporary, or the more obscure repertoire to make their mark, and their agents have a novelty to promote.
I get students who ask why they need to study Beethoven and Bach when they’ll never play it as well as say Schnabel and Gould, and when it doesn’t sell. They want to take the short cut and just learn repertoire that they intend to “specialize” in. Why spend so much extra time building a good quality table when you can buy disposable ones?
I personally love a lot of the more unusual, obscure music, and respect a lot of our contemporary composers’ work, but quality-wise, do they really compare to the time-tried masterpieces? It is very satisfying to play and to listen to engaging pieces like commissioned pieces, the salon-type pieces like Moszkowski and Strauss-Schulz-Evler, or bravura ending pieces like the Bowen and Kernis we heard, but does they have, or should I say, do they require the depth and scope, and musical nuance that something like a Mozart adagio needs? I’m not putting this repertoire down as it requires skills of a different sort, but given equal technical facility, a lesser musician can hide behind pieces of this nature and still sound very musical. They must be a way they can coexist and be recognized accordingly.
The next philosophical question I pose is this:
We complain about classical music losing its audience e.t.c. and do everything we can to attract and engage audiences, from informal concerts, lecture-recitals, programming, the use of multi-media…..
I am all for this. One needs to keep up with the times, but are we, by catering to the market, helping to make the problem worse? While interesting, do people really need to watch dancers or a film projector when they are listening to music? Do they need to be entertained further by conversation during a recital? Is the music itself not enough? Can they not concentrate long enough to be still for a little more than an hour?
Will this issue be intensified 10 years from now if “tradition” is not respected and we continue to entertain audiences, giving them “shows”, but the essence and simplicity of the music (which says nothing but yet everything) is somewhat lost.
Thoughts, anyone?
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Re: Sgorous, I don’t think my comment was harsh. In my comment, I acknowledged his incredible promise and technique. It’s the passing of time and the response of the classical music world that have judged Sgorous, not me. At his age, has Sgouros attained what Kissin, also a prodigy and younger than him, has attained? Do we find him playing at the major performing centers around the world, like the major artists of today? Does he get regularly engaged by major orchestras and by well-known conductors? Is he regularly engaged in various festivals all over the world? Does he have recording contracts with major recording labels? Do we find a sizable number of commercial recordings of him available in music stores or at Amazon? The answer to all of these is no, and that’s a fact. For a pianist of his incredible promise, he has not attained what he should have attained, the ‘gift of God’ that Rostropovich alluded to. He has gotten older, but his gifts, as fascinating as they are, have not kept up with his age. One thing I know is this: one cant’ stop the world from hailing a great talent. Further, one can’t stop a great talent from being known. In the case of Sgouros, yes, he has marvelous talent, but his too facile a talent does not have enough deep artistry in it for the world to take notice and remember.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:34 pm
@Teach88: A resounding “Bravo” to you for a wonderfully cogent and well-organized look at the current concert/competition situation. Your students are indeed fortunate! And I agree wholeheartedly: basically there seems to be a “dumbing down” of almost everything now, and that hardly seems to be a path to devloping an awareness and appreciation of the arts. I think another huge problem with young people is that everything now happens so FAST! But at least one thing does not: It takes about as long to learn a Beethoven sonata now as it did when Beethoven wrote it, with relatively minor variants for diverse learning rates. But what else that we do takes as long as it did in Beethoven’s, or Debussy’s or even Copland’s era? Many people can hardly spell without a “spell checker,” let alone write a cohesive paragraph. One hardly dares to suggest the need for contemplation, introspection and the focused repetition of serious practice. I have refused a number of prospective students because when they showed me their schedules there was not even a HALF HOUR during the day not already scheduled! You can imagine how diligent their preparation would have been!
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Brian said: One thing I know is this: one cant’ stop the world from hailing a great talent. Further, one can’t stop a great talent from being known.
Oh yeah?? explain Paris Hilton then!
@ Mike’s concern about the decline of modern recitals:
We credit Liszt with the creation of this mainstay of modern pianism, but present-day recitals are far removed from the presentations that Liszt, Chopin and other greats gave their public. Alan Walker writes that usually Liszt conversed with members of the audience before, during and after … there were meals and booze (hurray!). In general, a congenial and relaxed, even informal, atmosphere in which to create music.
Today, one rarely has the opportunity to meet, much less converse and get to know the performer. In addition, the piano is on raised dais, darkened auditorium, expectant hush, reverence expected … only serious worshippers of music need approach the holy altar. Being married to an unbeliever, I understand now how intimidating it is for those even marginally interested in music to attend a recital. What is the number one question neophytes to classical music ask?? :: what if I clap at the wrong time?? ::
What an absurd question … Have classical music audiences truly become so exclusive that a novice listener fears being stoned by an incensed crowd of critics and music lovers because he dare exclaim his newfound delight between arbitrary movements of music? Have we completely lost our enthusiasm for the very thing for which we fight?
I say: the excessive formality of today’s presentation of music is death. These questions of interpretation that we argue endlessly are not questions of right or wrong, but simply matters of taste, convention and personal opinion. Scripture says, “Pride goeth before a crash.” Let not the arrogance of certainty pollute the individual expression of heart and mind. More importantly, let us keep our conceit of primacy from causing the stagnation and devaluation of the very precious thing for which each of us cares so deeply: the creation of coherent sound.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:50 pm
That there were more Haydn Hob. XVI:48s than XVI:52s is pretty extraordinary to me.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Probably a minority opinion from me. But I feel like classical is a niche market, and we don’t need to fear that. It’s an era of micro demographics where we are marketed to based on miniscule demographic criteria. Classical music is FAR from the only cultural form experiencing this. Rather than fearing this we need to embrace it. Keeping an open mind towards possible connections to the quality aspects of contemporary culture (rare but they exist) is a good start. And of course, it goes without saying that there is an explosion
of classical in Asian countries. More people are interested in classical music than ever; they just might not be the “traditional” audience, nor might they live in the usual places or have the usual ecpectations. We’re not in a golden age but there are a lot of positives to the situation.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Interesting comments by all. Regarding the “formality” of presenting classical music, I’m wondering if house concerts are becoming as popular in classical music as they are in other styles-jazz, folk, etc. House concerts are wonderful to be up close and intimate with the artist. I did attend one where Andre Watts performed. As a professional jazz pianist I have played many myself. Thoughts anyone?
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:16 pm
I would like to see more classical artists have decent websites with concert dates posted. I find that compared to other styles of music classical musicians have a lot of catching up to do in this area.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:47 pm
I dont write much around on these blogs or the website, but I’d just like to say a thank you to the Cliburn foundation for posting the videos of the rehearsals with the quartet and with conlon, they are amazing. Apart from the performance webcasts, there’s not much more that a music lover could ask for. These rehearsals are great. Thank you.
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:10 am
As an example, I put Rachmaninoff 1st sonata on the Cliburn rep, I put Shostakovich last prelude and fugue, I put Medtner op.20, Debussy’s Antique Epigraphs, I put Franck-Bauer Prelude, Fugue and Variation…I am all for playing something that has been played rarely…Its fun!!!
If it was up to me, I would put Karamanov 3rd piano concerto for the final….
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:57 am
@Teach88 - BRAVO!! So very well said! And so true, all of it!
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:41 am
@Brian - Sorry, I still feel your argument doesn’t hold water. “Promise” is not a guarantee, and it is so dangerous to equate promise with expectations. Furthermore, these markers of success - major orchestras, festivals, major-label recordings, etc.etc. are more often proof positive of savvy marketing and current public taste than of deep artistry (witness Lang Lang, for the most obvious example). Kissin is an exception, but somehow I always felt that Kissin was able to develop at his own pace, fast enough as that was, and Sgouros was trotted out too early. To presume what he “should” have attained on the basis of early talent is a rather subjective value judgment, isn’t it?
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:47 am
Yes, Mike!
The concerto has always come last in the competition and often the program hits us with a too familiar thud. By then one could reasonably expect something more artistically daring, rarely heard. Bartok, Shostakovich, maybe even Mosolov and Schoenberg should be up for consideration. And there are so many others. What would happen if a future competition asked for concerto selections not heard during the preceeding five competitions (20 years)?
Instead, the concerto pot-boilers (fabulous pieces to be sure) arrive to top things off yet again. Didn’t we hear the Rach 3 some eight times in 2001 — it was when each concerto had to be played twice by each competitor?
In the preliminaries the pianists have already had the opportunity to stake out “standard,” safe, familiar repertoire, and some competitors pursue this approach excessively from the gitgo. Only occasionally we are treated to a piece by Carter or some other peripheral but excellent composer. There’s a long, neglected list here, and it can’t be satisfied just by commissioned pieces for the competition. While this effort isn’t totally lacking, it is woefully underserved.
In the 2009 competition I wonder why a competitor, invitied back, would repeat ANY well-played piece from their last performance at the 2005 Cliburn. This obviously applies to Beus. Indirectly it also applies to Myer’s program which offered the same Debussy & Rach which he played two years ago at the 2007 Kapell. The jurors couldn’t have been unaware, and probably wondered how (or whether) each competitor’s repertoire had been progressing during the intervening two or four years. I liked both these pianists, but quickly got a queasy feeling that they had undermined themselves with their programming.
I’ve heard all of the competitors on site since 1993, and at one more competition in 1973.
Every pianist is exceedingly talented, especially since the screening auditions began a decade or so ago. I think all of them can play whatever they want technically well. But sometimes the vagaries of programming choice take a front seat.
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:55 am
To nate: It’s okay that you don’t agree with me regarding Sgouros. It’s not my opinion that matters here - it’s the classical music world’s and its response to his talent. Time often is the arbiter on who’s truly gifted, as the world catches up with that talent - in the many years since Sgouros was discovered, the reaction of the world has not been commensurate with the perceived level of talent that he has showed. It’s not uncommon for people familiar with Sgouros to say, ‘where is he now?’, ‘what happened to him?’ I was pointing out the obvious.
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:06 am
To Maestra M: I agree with you that promise is not a guarantee, and that`s exactly what I was pointing out - Sgouros’ incredible promise as a prodigy did not materialize into a first-rate artist. A first-rate technician, he certainly is, but an artist? That’s what we are debating here. As for public taste, Sgouros has been known as a pianist for almost three decades, and public taste for classical pianists has not really changed much since. What counts is true artistry, and true artistry shines through, even in the face of commercial packaging or non-packaging of artists, including the passage of time. The world recognizes a true artist, even if that happens later in the life of the artist. With Sgouros, that hasn’t happened. I have yet to see him fulfill the subjective, ‘gift of God’ comment from Rostropovich.
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:37 am
@Brian - You’re absolutely right about all this. But actually, even being able to play the Rachmaninoff 3rd at 13 doesn’t PROMISE anything beyond the fact. WE, the listeners, made the leap of faith regarding “promise”. And maybe the “perceived” level of talent was wrong, and what an unfair burden on Mr. Sgouros that is, or was. If he’s smart, he’s listening to himself and not the perceptions of others. What’s next, a kid who can play La Campanella perfectly when he’s 4? Great, but what does that promise other than that he can jump through hoops? We are so quick to assume that if A, then B. It doesn’t work that way. There are so many intangibles involved in the development of true artistry, and because I don’t know Sgouros personally, I have no right to speculate on what his own intangibles might be. And just because Rostropovich said he was a “gift of God” it doesn’t mean fulfill, or else. “Gift of God” is simply another perception, when all’s said and done. I hear what you’re saying, but I can’t ignore the implications, either.
June 3rd, 2009 at 8:09 am
To Michael about Sgouros:
There is a world of difference between Michelangeli and Sgouros. Without belaboring the point, I will be shocked if people agree with your comparison.
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:17 am
@ the Concerto fans:
I dunno if you’ve heard this concerto by Lowell Liebermann, living American composer, but the first time I heard it I literally jumped up and down in my seat! Hope you enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZEfuIL2XTA&feature=PlayList&p=DC89C857C6DA6259&index=0&playnext=1
And it’s played by none other than Vassilis Varvaresos, 1st round competitor … I was so looking forward to his Islamey based on this concerto.
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:46 am
For those of us discussing Sgouros: there’s an excellent relevant article - however in German - the link is http://www.johannes-klier.de/Publikationen/Fachartikel/FA_1/hauptteil_fa_1.html It’s psychoanalytical, but it does explain a lot and bears out what both Brian and I have been saying in different ways. I did check out the video mentioned above, and do agree with Brian that the road to true artistry is a long one from this vantage point, not to mention any comparisons with Michelangeli. That “Islamey” is about as much “Oriental Fantasy” as high tea with Aunt Edna. Somebody give him a few ouzos, please! Who knows, he may yet sort it out and surprise us all. I certainly hope so!
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:47 am
@Concerto Fans: yes the Liebermann is a really good piece.
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Has anyone ever heard the Tanayev Piano Quintet? That would be a great chamber piece for a competition, though it is long. I tried to get some of the Curtis students to play it (I volunteer there), and the pianists all love it, but they couldn’t get a string quartet interested. To me, it is Brahms with a Russian accent.
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I wanted to take a couple of minutes to talk about repertoire.
So I believe there should be branching out on the commonplace composers ( Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff) and inclusion of some more unknown.
For instance I was happy about the Moment Musicaix (sp?) of Rachmaninoff that so many picked this year, it was not the typical etude or preludes of him. There are similar pieces like that by other composers. Where are the Chopin Scherzi or Ballades? Where are the Brahms Op119? I think the Beethoven Op. 90 in e minor is a gem of a sonata, the first movement is so hard also it would be a great competition piece.
ONE HUGH COMPLAINT….lol…Where is the Lowell Liebermann? This guy is a genius and if your looking for contemporary, accessible, competition level difficulty of music this is the guy to go to. The gargoyles ending a recital would be far more exciting than another Spanish Rhapsody or Petrouchska.
The nocturnes are so beautiful….Also have you guys heard the concerti? The Liebermann Second holds its own against any of the Prokofiev or Rachmaninoff. I have played most of it…It is crazy difficult. Why could we not open the concerti repertoire up a little bit more?
A couple of other piece suggestions.
Desperate Measures by muczynski, the North American Ballades of Rzweski, and if someone wanted to really play a showstopper the People United Will Never be defeated for a final recital would be amazing.
These are great works that should be being played.
I can’t for the life of me figure out why there is not more creativity in the programming.
I am trying to go to medical school but plan on entering the Amateur Competition when I am old enough..12 YEARS! But you can guarantee that there will be tons of these composers on my program.
What do you all think?
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Ok, so this is slightly off-topic, but, I have seen the short documentary that they play on the webcast that features each of the winners from all of the previous Cliburn Competition about 15 times now.
My question is this- What is Viardo playing in the documentary? It sounds extremely familiar, but i can’t figure out what it is….. Can someone help me out?
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Repertoire is just a different problem. When I saw Sgouros playing Rach 3 at such a young age, I was shocked. I could have killed his piano teacher. A few years ago I was teaching a young and very talented ten year old. The Mother showed up for a lesson and asked for me to teach the boy Chopin Four Ballades. I refused! Hands too small and emotional background not developed for the trip, etc… Avoiding a difficult situation I sent the boy to another teacher. He lasted a few years jumping from teacher to teacher–who accepted the Mother’s repertoire. He finally quit playing! What a wasterd talent!
As a teacher it is OUR JOB to choose repertoire that is age and physique appropriate and yes, something that will propel the student to the future using the ingredients we developed in the past. Competitions as a way of life have pushed teachers into selecting compositions that are way too difficult for the students and they do not develop musically as they should having to leap over technical fences.
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:19 pm
On June 1 at 2pm, there was a “Non-advancing competitors perform their remaining repertoire.”
Does anyone know if this was recorded and if Vondracek played? Is it possible to see it somewhere, like youtube?
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Just now watching Bozharov rehearsing the Chopin w Conlon and the orchestra. Wonderful. I’ve unfortunately I’ve had to miss the other rehearsals. Now I can see what everyone has been raving about. Insightful.
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:41 pm
@piano teacher
same experience with certain parents needing to pick repertoire and teacher shopping around in connection with.
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Could someone please put up a thread for orchestral rehearsals? Thanks!
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
@ Piano Teacher:
Your comments on this blog and been very interesting to me and indicates that you must have some considerable experience at teaching piano. Therefore, I’d like to ask you a question. How old is too old to take piano lessons?
Let me qualify my question by adding some info. I took lessons starting as a junior in high school for two years then quit to go to college. After my first year of college, I dropped out for a year (due to unclear goals) and got a job. I started taking lessons again from a wonderful teacher who had studied with Edwin Hughes (who was a student of Leschetizky). I took two lessons a week and practiced 4-5 hours a day, besides working. I learned much from her. A lot has happened in between, but now that I’m retired, I’ve been entertaining the thought of taking lessons again, if I can find a teacher that would be willing to work with me. Thanks for any input to this question you may have.
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Andrys: Done.
June 3rd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
@Forrest: I believe Viardo played C minor Etude-Tableaux by Rachmaninoff.
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:12 pm
To Roger,
I was teaching so left the computer for a while. I would say it depends on your expectations. If you want to ENJOY the art then it is never too late. If you want to go out there and play concerts, it would be a different story. There are coordination problems, the body after 18 years of age is not as nimble as a young student. There is also the problem on how an adult learn versus how a child learns. I teach children because it is more physical than brain oriented. The attack on the note, the sound, it is all physical whether the muscles or the hearing. When you become an adult you THINK everything even your physical motions so it is totally different. So tell me what you hope to accomplish and I would be glad to help you further. It is never too late to enjoy the wonders of music. Your hopes on what to do with it may change the whole perspective. Best wishes. I hope you love the piano as much as I do
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:41 pm
@Brian:
Yo, Dude! I really only mentioned Sgouros in *passing* —
– partly as a distraction from the ranting about whether or not Conlon is too imposing with the finalists (I don’t feel he is, and since he’s so well seasoned in the concerto biz, it’s valuable for him to point out different approaches for the young pianists here);
– partly to think about trajectories taken by youthful musical talents (thought it might be interesting to contemplate 19-year-old Sgouros vis-a-vis Haochen, or Joyce Yang, or Nobu Tsujii); and
– partly because his programming — choice of pieces, churning through so much unusual rep, and interpretation — strikes me as enigmatic, as does his career so far.
I mean, kicking off a program with the Busoni waltz, then the Islamey, then the Chopin sonata, then the Schulz-Evler… that’s four oddly disjoint things you’d never hear in a row. Playing the Shostakovich concerto for trumpet, piano & orch, or the “other” Tchaikovsky, etc, are others.
Anyway, my questions were actually not about Sgouros, but rather, about our finalists and their tastes in programming.
However: since you enjoy banging on about whether or not Sgouros is “a true artist” (whatever that means!), whether or not he has “fulfilled” the promise of his prodigious youth, whether or not the “world has recognized” him, whether or not he compares to Michelangeli …
Well, OK. Look:
Michelangeli canceled more concerts than he played, and covered a pretty sparse repertoire. Gould played all kinds of nutty stuff, in nutty ways, but pretty much only for recordings — hated audiences — and became a recluse. Horowitz went through decade-long periods of “down time” and might have vanished into an asylum forever had he not (a) married Toscanini’s daughter (b) made New York City home (c) been friends with Rachmaninoff and (d) been scooped up by Sol Hurok and Peter Gelb who majestically revived his public career (at about the time Peter began running Sony Classics). Earl Wild has played more concerts than the Energizer Bunny but never felt compelled to win competitions or cultivate a celebrity veneer. Everyone who heard Art Tatum was bowled over, and an anonymous white concert pianist is said to have remarked “It’s a lucky thing he’s black, otherwise we’d all be out of a job” — a sad reflection of those times and part of the reason he wasn’t recognized by “the world” at large in his lifetime. Oscar Levant was a chain-smoking, bipolar genius who became more famous for quick-witted cracks on TV game shows than for his wonderful pianism. Victor Borge (also a marvelous pianist) had a healthier comedic career all over the 88’s. Some reputations (like Tatum’s) really only grew after death as recordings amplified their “legend” or legacy — Lipatti, Kapell, Godowsky, Siloti, etc. Wasn’t it odd how so much of Lipatti’s glow was radiated because of a Chopin e minor concerto recording that, it turns out, wasn’t played by him? Or what about Erwin Nyiregyhazi, who disappeared for, oh, fifty years (and 10 wives), and then suddenly resurfaced in an L.A. slum to release one or two bizarre albums of Liszt. When Dohnanyi (who had been a teacher of Nyiregyhazi) moved to the US, he chose a quiet teaching career, in Florida, and continued composing. As did Egon Petri. And Horszowski. Other big Russian talents, like Feinberg, and Sofronitsky (who married Scriabin’s daughter and was the mentor to Gilels and Richter), didn’t travel much outside of Russia. For that matter, Liberace didn’t get out of Vegas much. Plenty of pianists these days ply their trade heavily through recordings — Carlo Grante, Konstantin Scherbakov and Marc-André Hamelin all come to mind, as they’ve all made quite a dent in the Godowsky oeuvre. Pianists like Marc-André and Stephen Hough enjoy making and performing their own arrangements and compositions, which is so much more the exception than the rule these days (Earl Wild being another wonderful exception). Ian Hobson is a big university man, and a big family man, at Champaign-Urbana, where he is able to play and conduct and enjoy a rich pedagogical life. How one cultivates a career — much as how one programs concerts, or interprets pieces, or picks a suit to wear — is a matter of occupational choice as much as circumstance, talent, industriousness or taste.
Point is, it’s a wonderfully varied world of musicians. They have good days. They have bad days. And good years and bad years. Careers have long-lived arcs — or meteoric ones; some are flamboyant, others are modest. Some work hard, others seemingly coast along. But it’s a big world, an immense repertoire, and all of them add creatively to it. Not sure it’s necessary or useful to whip out the “true artist” ruler, or seismograph of worldwide acclaim, but hey, knock yourself out.
Given the marvelous variety that is possible, and the fact that the Cliburn offers such wonderfully liberal approaches to programming, I do find it striking that contestants are generally fairly moderate in their choices — and that so many of them gravitate to the same pieces! I mean, if you turned up and found out that five other people were playing Gaspard, wouldn’t you switch and play a blockbuster like the Dutilleux? Six others are grinding through Liszt’s sonata? How about playing his arrangement of Beethoven’s Pastorale, or some Wagner maybe adding some of your own terrific enhancements to the transcription?
Now. Concerning Sgouros, he speaks six languages; has a passion for math; has played with Bernstein, Karajan, Mazur, Mackerras, Svetlanov, etc, and for royal families, Olympiads, and for festivals established in his honor. He had performed roughly four dozen concerti before he hit 30, which is astounding. It’s striking that when he was 19 or so he played 12 concerti in 12 concerts in 12 days. From all accounts, he still has one of the most phenomenal musical memories of all time. Maybe he doesn’t meet your criteria for “true artistry.” Maybe he has a more omnivorous approach than Michelangeli. Maybe he doesn’t have a Facebook page or a million Twitter followers like Ashton Kutcher. Possibly he prefers live concert experiences and smaller audiences (as Celibadache did), rather than airbrushing studio albums to be hawked by Sony on Amazon or iTunes. Perhaps he actually prefers to play mostly near where he lives (Athens, Cyprus, Turkey, etc), and not in your ‘hood; maybe he doesn’t like traveling (who does?), maybe he’d prefer to have his Mom manage his concerts than have his career pimped through the auspices of a big London or New York agency. I don’t really know. But I do know that he turned up in Beijing when I was there for the Olympics last summer, and played the Rachmaninoff 3rd. It was a little like that time I ran into Bobby Fischer in Belgrade…
Cheers!
- MH
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:02 pm
What I found interesting is that there are certain bits of modern repertoire that are in some sense starting to become “standards”, at least in competitions. 3 different people programmed Takemitsu’s 1st Raintree sketch this year, and Corigliano’s Etude Fantasy was programmed 4 times in 2005! The 1st Vine sonata is also turning into a comparative mainstay at the Cliburn.
In terms of playing their own pieces: as far as I can recall nobody did that this year of in 2005, but in 2001 Xiaohan Wang performed his own compositions in the preliminary round, and I believe Chiu performed his own arrangement of the Lt. Kije suite in 1993.
June 5th, 2009 at 12:22 am
There’s plenty of good material here. I just wanted to add that while I like the concerto choices here, I would really like to see Rachmaninov 4th on the program and why now something even rarer, like Anton Rubinstein’s 4th (which was quite a popular concerto in its day and for a long time afterwards). Even Saint-Saën 5th would be great to hear on the Cliburn stage.
As Mr. Hawley states, many of the competitors “gravitate to the same pieces!” I am so glad that Di Wu played the two Medtner pieces (truly a great piano composer) and splendidly. The only other competitor to have programmed any Medtner was Stephen Beus, which he’d have played had he reached the finals. In future, I’d like to see that someone will be playing Alkan, more Godowsky and how about a Hummel sonata instead of the very common Beethovens?