When the Wonderful is Routine
By Mike Winter
After as many concerts as we’ve heard in 17 days (well, just 16 as of Sat, June 6), one must guard against a certain audio numbness in which everyone begins to sound the same. Perhaps it was the great Mexican dinner we enjoyed before last night’s program, but I settled into a state of zoned contentment that made it difficult to get very engaged with Evgeni Bolzhanov’s Finals recital or with Mariangela Vocatello’s Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto with the Fort Worth Symphony and James Conlon. In his prior performances he dazzled me with his libertine flair at the keyboard, the twisting and tossing of bouquets of sound into the air. But somehow the excesses in Schumann’s Davidsbundler Dance last night were more intrusive than entertaining. And the Gounoud-Liszt was flashy and fun, but I couldn’t help thinking of the performace by Di Wu, in which all the notes were both played and controlled. Blame it on the tacos–I have probably changed more than Bolzhanov.
Yeol Eum Son’s performance of the Chopin second piano concerto snapped me back to attention. This was a wonderfully shaped performance, executed with grace and style and romantic warmth.
Common knowledge in the press room is that Mariangela Vacatello has been suffering from an illness. I can say she has looked a bit pale and very serious during her solo recital and in the Beethoven Fourth Concerto. Nonethless everything was played to perfection, even if lacking some spontaneity. She is obviously a very strong person to perform so well in this situation while not feeling good.
June 6th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
@Mike — You make a great point that it’s hard to keep your ears sharp at this point. We’re all worn though. I share your sentiments about B.’s Liszt. There are virtues to having all the notes there.
I also heard a beautiful Chopin concerto from Son, shaped without excess and a wonderful third movement.
Vacatello sick? Sure couldn’t hear that.
June 6th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Ms Vacatello ill? Yet just below this thread is a photo of her after the performance with a smile and what looks like a Cosmo on the restaurant table in front of her……
But seriously, illness during a competition must be far worse than the same for a regular recital. You can’t really cancel even if you think you might be short-changing you audience; you can’t even really do an announcement.
Can’t recall whom it was I saw years ago who, before starting his Chopin, told us that his stops for his water bottle were not because he was a lush, but because he was recovering from a heavy cold, and would have coughing fits if he didn’t keep his throat moist..
AGB
June 6th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I’ve reviewed Bozhanov’s recitals a number of times now to see if I’ve been missing something, but it has only confirmed and deepened my first impressions. I have said elsewhere that “speed” is Bozhanov’s worst enemy, precisely because, as you point out Mike, he cannot control it. This has shown up in many of his performances that were otherwise excellent (cf Schubert B flat, 4th mvnt). The way he ran away with the Chopin E minor is a prime example. It is not necessarily that he chooses the wrong tempo (though he has on a number of occasions) but that he fails to keep it under control while making the Grand Gesture. For all of his talent and charisma, this is a serious flaw at the moment. Unfortunately, he gets away with it on the popular front (and maybe with the judges?) because he generates excitement in the audience. One suspects that he would be much more effective if he would just slow down on occasion. In the hands of an experienced musician, “slowing down” does not mean sacrificing any tension or excitement . Many times the opposite is true. Nevertheless, I wish him luck. The Rach 2nd should be just his cup of tea if he will pay attention to Conlon.