NOBUYUKI TSUJII
LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL
EuroArts DVD 2059088 /
*****
The
young Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, blind from birth, was already a
celebrity in Japan before he shared First Prize at the 2009
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. After that, he became a universal
icon. This video recording of his Carnegie Hall début on 10
November 2011
showed that his victory was no fluke, a genuine and prodigious talent totally
beyond doubt. He learnt his music by ear, with each work painstakingly pieced
together with the help of teachers and an instinctual grasp of diverse musical
idioms. There is no performance in his recital that does not sound convincing.
One
suspends belief on witnessing the opening piece, Improvisation & Fugue by the American John Musto, specially
commissioned for the competition. His mastery of its seemingly atonal themes
and jazzy riffs is a feat that demands repeated viewing. The Beethoven Tempest Sonata (Op.31 No.2) that follows
possesses the requisite drama and fire, while he tosses off the technicalities
of Liszt’s Un Sospiro and Rigoletto Paraphrase with the greatest
of ease. That his view of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition is more characterised and trenchant than many sighted
pianists is also significant. There are three encores which reveal a more
mellow and sentimental side to his artistry. If this DVD does not inspire you
or warm your heart, nothing will.
GERSHWIN / SAINT-SAENS /
RAVEL
BENJAMIN GROSVENOR,
Piano
Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic / James Judd
Decca 478 352 7 / *****
The
2012 Gramophone Award-winning young British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor’s début
concerto recording confirms the plaudits he has been receiving of late. This is
a collection of easy-on-the-ear piano concertos that demands elegance, finesse
and intelligence to pull off, not just a surfeit of bravura. Saint-Saëns’s Second Piano Concerto was once described
as a journey “from Bach to Offenbach
That
leaves Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue,
in its original 1924 version for jazz band, which he owns with a swing and
swagger than would make jazzmen jealous. As a gratifying touch, he offers solo
encores after each concerto. The choices of Godowsky’s transcription of
Saint-Saens’s The Swan, Ravel’s
minute-long Prelude (crafted as a
conservatory sight-reading piece) and Percy Grainger’s take on Gershwin’s Love Walked In have an exquisite touch
and reflect his catholic tastes. Grosvenor’s next album, whatever it may be,
will be keenly awaited.
BOOK IT:
BENJAMIN GROSVENOR Piano Recital
@ 20th Singapore
School of the Arts / 8 pm
Tickets available at SISTIC (Selling out fast)
2 comments:
without giving allowances to the fact that he is blind, there is almost nothing credible about tsujii's musicality. i'll give him the credit for the distance he has gone, and all the effort which has gone into learning all the repertoire, but thats all he will get, and all he deserves.
I did a blind test on two supposed tsujii fans. What i did was to play them CDs of tsujii's interpretations along with other interpretations, and not telling them which was which, and asking them to rate each CD. needless to say, they themselves were very shocked when they rated tsujii's CD's very poorly after i revealed each recording to them after that.
Maybe you should try it too. You'll be surprised at the results. Don't let somebody's disability blind your good judgement.
The great music critic, Bryce Morrison, who you undoubtly know, once gave a poor review of Yefim Bronfman's recordings of Rachmaninoff's Concertos, while praising Joyce Hatto's imitations of the exact same recording. I'm not sure if you know about this, but a quick google will find you the article where someone pointed this out.
I hope you don't fall into that trap.
Dr Chang Tou Liang:
From California, I am a big fan of Nobuyuki Tsujii.
I found your blog a while back and was impressed with your enthusiasm for piano music. So, with Nobu's debut recital in Singapore drawing close, I gave a visit, and was rewarded with your post of the review in the Strait Times of his Carnegie Hall debut DVD.
What kind (and deserving) words they are for Nobu! And I am so happy that the recital has been sold out. I look forward to hearing more about it!
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