Haochen Zhang plays Beethoven, Chopin and Stravinsky
Did I see Louise Canafax in the audience? Hmmm….
Here comes the second performance of the Beethoven Op.110 today. A comparison will inevitable.
Zhang has quickly proven himself to be in total control of the music. The lines are in the right place, and subtle breaths are just right. Take, for example, the infamous E-flat 7 to G minor transition. It was as if the colour of the sky changed. Just perfect. His sound is assertive without being bothersome or obnoxious. He has an excellent command of this piano, a Cliburn New York Steinway, my personal second favourite of the three.
In this Sonata, there are a couple of things that matter a great deal to me. One is the aforementioned transition from the E-flat 7 chord to G minor. Another is the treatment of the fugue, and the inversion thereafter. Zhang executes both with comfort, yielding to the writing of Beethoven to unfold the story, rather than embellishing it unnecessarily, driving attention away from the exquisite architecture within. I think we have someone who will go very far.
The Chopin Polainse-Fantasie also in A-flat major, is being unfolded the same: with much love, care, and drama. No, the drama comes not from the speed or virtuosity: it will come later in Petrouchka, but from subtle colours, exquisite voice. My heart cannot help but to follow his glorious sense of rhythm, and it cannot help but melt. The music is that alive. Here is someone with a great sense of communication without having to resort to shouting.
I mean, truly, if you have something very important to say to someone who is very important, how would you be talking? Certainly, shouting isn’t terribly effective as it easily tires the ears, and subtle nuances would be lost. The art of communication as a pianist is no different from a stage actor or other forms of communicative art. We are witnessing a great, natural master.
Ok, now, here we go from sublime to ridiculous.
Oh, boy… He launched into the nasty score of Pétrouchka with such firm control with so much musicality. Far too often, this piece is played like a ballet accompaniment (which it is) without much music. Here, an extraordinary story is unfolding. Even though he omitted some notes (very common) in the left hand in the leapy jumpy part in the left hand near the end of Danse Russe, the neurotic, haunting, and sinister story in Chez Pétrouchka is exactly that: neurotic, haunting and sinister, just as it should be. This is categorically one of the most musical rendition of Chez Pétrouchka I’ve ever heard.
Zhang’s excellent technical proficiency allows him to play Danse Russe properly as well. Here, the gravity is the proper earth’s gravity at approximately 9.8ms^-2. In too many performances (I had not yet had a chance to hear the other Pétrouchka from yesterday) it’s as if the dancers are on the moon. All the dances are at exactly the right tempo. His voicing is clear. There is a part where the right hand plays an accompaniment with first and fifth fingers, while the middle fingers play the melody. Here, Zhang delineates them very clearly, and every note is falling in the right places. Magnificent.
Ok, here comes the big finish… Will he launch the neurotic Pétrouchka laughter? AND HE DOES!!!!
Well, that’s it folks for the Memorial Day in the US.
Ken Iisaka
May 25th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
I’m having the strangest feeling about Zhang Haochen’s Beethoven. On one level, I am finding his overall performance perfect.
On a complete different level, I’m finding it a bit too perfect. Every single crescendo, every single ritardando is being executed with pinpoint accuracy; it’s as if he’s trying to manufacture emotion via algorithmic efficiency. You know what they say about politicians: “If you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made.”
Anybody else feel this way, or am I out in left field?
May 25th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Erm… no, it’s not, and I didn’t feel this way about any of the other umpteen competitors from Asia who have already gone.
For the record, I happen to be Asian myself.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Nail on the head - it lacks “real” involvement and appears to be quite calculated - but there again, he is 19… What bothers me the most is the phrasing - the individual lines keep running into one another (sometimes because of too much pedal, other times for lack of shaping). With all this control, though, I would wager the Stravinsky will be very good…
May 25th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
i just feel that no matter how beautiful his playing is (and it has been thus far), I’m unaffected by it.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
His Chopin missed something for me too and may have been too mechanically perfect in some parts. Perhaps, given time he may yet get it.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Back to Rule #1: it’s the sound that matters. Age, hair style, posture, … who cares? Those can affect our perception of a performance. E.g., what can a 19-year-old know about the emotional depths of this piece? Etc., etc. Well, the history of music is filled with amazing kids.
In the meantime… is this the same piano that Mariangela Vacatello played last night? The Stravinsky sounds different.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Maybe not quite “feminine”, but maybe “pretty”. It was lovely in the darker moments but the overall style stayed monochrome without the contrasts needed in that piece. Come to think of it, some parts of the Stravinsky are sounding a bit like Chopin as well…
May 25th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Over here, only hearing the broadcast, not watching the video…
May 25th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Regarding Frank’s comment — I, who happen to be Asian, feel the exact same way as everyone else here: totally uninspired. He is a very promising student at best with a long way to go, who will probably play the pants of off Petroushka as he’s probably been practicing it 10 hours a day since he was 12.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Am loving the Stravinsky and its already my choice as what is coming off best for Zhan, though sections of the Chopin were lovely. I keep thinking- when in the hands of those fully capable of pulling it off the Stravinsky really is a wonderful competition choice.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
> With all this control, though, I would wager the Stravinsky will be very good…
Heh, spot on.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Even the Stravinsky lacks substance here. The pounding percussion was missing from his performance.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Actually, I find the Stravinsky a bit too “nice” so far (and maybe a bit too slow in places) - but it is a fairly good performance.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
For presenting a complete program that was engaging and played with complete confidence, command and musical intelligence throughout I fully agree- Lam stole the show for the evening’s performances.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
His last name is Zhang, not Zhan.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
This is the VOLUME I thought that was missing in Vacatello’s Stravinsky. Clarity and expansion of the sound/sonority, the festive spirit, chords of full sound. Although it’s a tiny bit too fast for my taste. Impressive for a 19-year-old. Loving it.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
This young man’s account of the Beethoven sonata is completely vertical with little sense of the “other worldly” nature of fugue section and following. Beethoven seemed to be especially proud of his contrapuntal abilities and notions of harmonies. This sonata is symphonic and deeply introspective. All of those elements were missing.
His Chopin was exciting and I think it will get better over the years.
The Stravinsky, that he’s finishing right now, is brilliant! Lots of fireworks and exquisite control — full sound (on the verge of banging). There is a lot of youthful exuberance in his playing that draws me in, but there is little refinement.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
> Although it’s a tiny bit too fast for my taste.
You say “tomayto”, I say “tomaato”…
May 25th, 2009 at 9:36 pm
maybe a few wrong notes will make it just perfect!
May 25th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Some parts of the Stravinsky could use a bit more bite, but I’m mostly satisfied with the energy level there.
I can’t say I like him a whole lot, but I think he’ll make the semis - by tomorrow evening I don’t anticipate I’ll have found twelve competitors I can truthfully say I consider “better” than him.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Wow, harsh criticisms here. And they’re all about interpretation.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
> maybe a few wrong notes will make it just perfect!
ROFL! Yep, there were very few of those… A feat onto itself.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Very young, very dedicated, a bit robotic which could improve with age.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
As he got into the Beethoven I thought, “Well, he’s got everything perfectly in place,” then lost interest. I caught up on my email while half-listening to the Beethoven and Chopin. Stravinsky lends itself better to his style, if there is even a style there, but I’ll be disappointed if this sort of pixel-perfect playing gets rewarded. I have no idea who this guy is; he hasn’t revealed anything about himself during 50 minutes.
Maybe it’s the online medium; maybe I’m tired. But for me it was Andrea Lam’s night.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Haven’t heard Kobayashi personally, although have heard of her. Let’s not forget, though, that there have been a countless number of extraordinary pre-pubescent musicians out there who showed incredibly musicality early on - only to appear to lose it later when life “chimed in”…
May 25th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Okay - I think I definitely preferred Mariangela’s Stravinsky - this was quick and a bit insane almost…
May 25th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I agree that Andrea Lam took the night, but this pianist should definitely make the semifinals as well. That Stravinsky was one of the most evocative I’ve ever heard.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Good grief, Shirley, you’ve said the same thing about five times already…
Anyway, I only say that I think he’ll make the semis not because I found anything inspiring in his performance, but because of the “twelve better” rule: I don’t expect I’ll find twelve people at this competition better than he. We may disagree.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Unfortunately, the Beethoven might be his “Achilles Heel” on this performance. I doubt if the Stravinsky can make up for that.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
I thought that his Beethoven was beautifully introspective, focused, and sensitive.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
could the after-performance interviews be any worse?
May 25th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
I don’t agree with all the negativity, here. I thought his entire program was thoughtful and extremely musical.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Hmm.. If Kobayashi is still around 13, my comment still stands - although of course I would not hope that the same thing happens to her!! Some people like Sarah, Josh Bell, Kissin, etc… *have* gone on to major careers and become great musicians. I was referring to the countless ones who didn’t. There are some people who still find Kissin’s Chopin concerti at age 12 to be the most musical recording of his…
May 25th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
A: I would agree with you, for portions of it (especially it’s opening). I also found parts to be superficial and rushed (the 2nd movement) or just pedestrian (the fugue).
May 25th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Wow. Some of you are way harsh. I think it would be unfair if he didn’t make the semis. His program was very ambitious. The Beethoven, quite understandably, was not profound. But neither was Rashkovsiy’s. But I thought both his Chopin and Petrouchka were excellent.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
I’m with Ken here. Flawless playing, uncommon restraint, perfect clarity throughout. If I were a composer (which I’m not), I would breathe a sigh of relief if I knew Haochen were playing a work of mine, with his attention to detail and realization of what is on the page. Perhaps the Chopin was less demonstrative than it sometimes might be, but he obeys all those “p” and “pp” marks littered throughout…and it is a fantasie, not just a march. And the Stravinsky was stunning. I wonder what Stravinsky would think about the issue of fidelity & control vs passion and eruption. For me, he strikes a balance similar to the winner of 4 years ago…
May 25th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
A, that is a good point. It was beautifully introspective, focused, and sensitive. Except it was mostly that - all the time, and in the same way - without the wide array of emotion and subtle colors that late Beethoven has in abundance.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Shirley, I will definitely give Kobayashi a listen. However, my point was more directed towards our performer tonight. Maybe he is going through a “phase” in his development where control becomes stronger than emotion. I certainly went through a phase like that, right about the age he is right now.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
The real problem with prodigality is that it recedes with age. Kobayashi’s recordings from age 5 are amazing. The ones from age 14, less so. When she’s 18 it will be difficult to stand out. Is she a Hoffman? Who knows. I wish her a happy life with some balance, that’s the main thing.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Im not sure if everyone heard the same performance I just did, but the one I heard was absolutely stunning in every sense. From a sheer physical perspective, there aren’t many people in the world who can do what he can at the keyboard. Combine that with his obvious sincerity, inate musicality, and perfect sense of timing, and you have a young man destined for a huge career.
Mark my words, if he continues to play at that level, or even on the merits of this performance alone, he will be in the finals, and personally I think he will win. If he places second or third because of his age (like Joyce did in 2005) then that and that alone will be the reason. Perhaps I am in a minority, and maybe my ears have deceived me, but I will be very curious to see if anyone else, including the jury, shares my opinion. In any case I certainly hope that he doesn’t read this unfairly harsh criticism being leveled against him and get despondant. This was a truly extraordinary performance and something he should feel deeply proud of. Bravo.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
>The real problem with prodigality is that it recedes with age.
Well, yes, precisely - but not always. Lots of musicians out there who were musical young and remained so. Much harder to do so today.
May 25th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Zhang playing a selection of Chopin Etudes. He was 11 in the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Nr_yuneFQ
May 25th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
I’m going to listen to Haochen again tomorrow morning. This much controversy begs a second hearing. I found the Beethoven so uninvolving that I perhaps didn’t give the rest proper attention.
May 25th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Ezuber,
No question he is an incredible talent. However, I have have heard many better performances of all three of those pieces at the Cliburn competition previously. We are not trying to be unfair - but certainly, in my case, I am comparing the performances I have heard in the last 10 Cliburn competitions and the ones I hear frequently by other performers. I disagree with you in that I have heard many performances that physically were on this level or above, without the careful nature that he displayed today. Which goes to show that - in this business - even the professionals *do* often disagree.
Is he good enough for the semis? All things considered, probably. He could also have “restrained” himself musically because of nerves, or any other reason. None of us are “on” every time we play - but in a competition, we have to judge by what we hear at that one performance. It is the nature of the beast.
May 25th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Haochen Zhang is another all-around pianist. He doesn’t seem to have any limitations, technically or musically, therefore he is in some way similar to Mariangela Vacatello and Andrea Lam.
However well-played his Chopin Polonaise-Fantaisie was, overall I felt it was a little glib, a little too “professional” for Chopin, especially near the end. I heard better performances of this very piece at the Chopin Concours in Warsaw Poland back in 2005.
Personally, I am not sure I would advance him into the semifinals because he is so young, and there are several older people here who are just as accomplished. But I still like this guy. He will go far in 4 years.
May 25th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
I think that what is being labeled with the derogatory “control” stamp is a certain youthfulness, roughness-around-the-musical-edges, of Mr. Zhan’s playing. I found it remarkable that in this high-stress situation, he neither over-emoted to an unnatural degree (a common syndrome in a competitor who is jumping out of one’s skin to prove him/herself), nor shut down the emotions in favor of hitting the correct notes. Basically, he “put it down” in the best way possible, with command of color, technique, and emotional control of the best kind.
May 25th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Dear Shirley,
You may not like Zhang, but don’t you realize that Zhang is in the Cliburn for a reason??? I wishes the best of the world for Kobayashi, but can’t you have anything nice to say here about a young man??? I’m not a musician, but your words are way too harsh!
May 25th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Hmm…
Shirley, you don’t really *know* if Zhang ever played like Kobayashi for sure, do you?? Aren’t you judging Zhang by one performance, whereas you have known Kobayashi for a long time? Which reminds me - the first time I heard Gilels live - it was awful… (which Zhang certainly wasn’t). The next time, it was Heaven…
May 25th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
A,
Maybe you thought there were some “roughness”. I didn’t.
And that is part of what is so wonderful about this business - I am not “right” and neither is anyone else necessarily. What for you was just the right amount of emotional restraint was too much control for some others, like myself.
And neither of us is *wrong*!!
May 25th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
If we have to concentrate on youngest prodigies right now, I like Amy but I prefer George Li who is just an incredibly musical pianist. At 11 and now at 13. They’re both on their way.
But we’re here to talk about the competition pianists and not to fight over who is better than whom outside this hall and not so much to insist that others watch this or that young pianist on youtube or else not make a comment about how something heard here is the most interesting they’ve experienced so far.
If this is not too shocking, I found Zhang’s Beethoven and Chopin almost perfunctory readings, as if an extraordinarily talented sight reader was playing them for the second time, with more attention to harmonic changes and line to come later.
But his Stravinsky, which was almost romantic in feel in a few spots and full of detail I don’t usually appreciate and not the mainly-percussive reading I usually hear, had many moments that riveted me, for different reasons than the usual.
He’s no slouch when it comes to the rapidfire loud chord-cluster work either. Plenty of dynamism there, which again amazed me in spots. I think this music comes naturally to him while he has ‘learned’ the others because it’s part of the tradition.
I see others appreciated the Beethoven and Chopin more than I ,so he may make it to the next round, though I’d love to see less straight rendering of the notes in the classics.
May 25th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
surely you are living in a fantasy world where aimi kobayashi is competing in the van cliburn.
May 26th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Just the fact that Zhang’s performance aroused so many pros and cons in these comments, it certainly proves that this young man left an indelible impression in listeners’ minds with his playing. Zhang is a real find in this competition because he has his own style which reflects his own stamp not only as a pianist but also a musician.
May 31st, 2009 at 10:25 am
Everyone here is out of their minds. This young man is one of the most accomplished pianists of any age that I have ever heard. There is nothing showy about his playing, just pure music making. He can play any style with ease and make it sound incredibly musical and poetic, even the most technically demanding piece, like Petrouchka. He is clearly deeply involved in the music and for me is incredibly touching and moving. I bet his critics wish they could play even quarter as good as he does.