CD Reviews (The Straits Times, September 2014)

A BEETHOVEN ODYSSEY Volumes 1&2

JAMES BRAWN, Piano

MSR Classics 1465 & 1466 / ****1/2

Any complete survey of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas would rightly be described as an odyssey. This was a compositional journey of some 30 years, beginning with Bonn’s angst-ridden smasher of keyboards of the early 1790s and culminating in the 1820s stone-deaf sage of Vienna with his timeless, visionary musings. British pianist James Brawn’s first two discs includes two early sonatas and the popular ones bestowed with nicknames. Listen first to Volume 2 which opens with the Pathetique (Op.13) and Moonlight Sonatas (Op.27 No.2). The titles were given by publishers to enhance sales but reflect Beethoven’s expressive abilities, from pathos to dreaminess and outright tempestuousness. Between these and the passionate Waldstein Sonata (Op.53) are the two “easy” sonatas of Op.49, which fall comfortably within children’s hands.

Volume 1 contains the two sonatas in the moody key of F minor. Op.2 No.1 was Beethoven’s first published sonata, dedicated to Haydn but already showing signs of surpassing the old master’s gifts. Op.57 is none other than the Appassionata Sonata, epitome of Beethoven’s stormy Middle Period. s Beethoven'han the Appassionata Sonata, thester'1 was Beethoven'stein Sonata (Op.53)nist Both sonatas sandwich the congenial Sonata in C major (Op.2 No.3), one of his sunnier and more humorous creations. These are very satisfying performances with brain and brawn, bringing to mind many qualities of the great Beethoven interpreters: Kempff, Arrau and Brendel. Further instalments in this cycle are keenly awaited.

These CDs may be purchased online from: www.msrcd.com

MEDTNER/RACHMANINOV/PROKOFIEV

SOFYA GULYAK, Piano

Champs Hill 064 / ****1/2

In 2009, the Tartarstan-born pianist Sofya Gulyak made history when she became the first woman to win 1^st Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition. Unsurprisingly, her calling card début disc is a programme of 20^th century Russian piano works which play to her strengths. She is an uncompromisingly direct pianist with a burly physical stature that can more than withstand the repertoire’s heavyweight blockbusters. This is most evident in Prokofiev’s Sixth Sonata where the force of a juggernaut, seemingly unlimited endurance and sense of irony are a premium. 

Equally daunting is Nikolai Medtner’s single-movement Sonata Tragica which is as dense and compact as it is lyrical, a showcase of Slavic brooding and sublimation. A different light is shed on Medtner’s lesser-known Skazki (Folk Tales) Op.26, four short and varied miniatures that reveal a plethora of colours. This sense of fantasy is consummated in Rachmaninov’s Corelli Variations, where her formidable technique is every match for the work’s kaleidoscope of nuances. This is a very well-conceived recital, expertly delivered, one that demands serious attention.

THE JOY OF CHOPIN and SCHUMANN Review

THE JOY OF CHOPIN & SCHUMANN
Sofya Gulyak & Jinsang Lee, Piano
University Cultural Centre
Sunday (24 October 2010)

An edited version of this review was published in The Straits Times on 26 October 2010)

This bicentenary celebration of piano music by Frederic Chopin and Robert Schumann, both composers born in the year 1810, turned out to be a three-hour long marathon. In the company of two of the planet’s brightest young piano talents, hours passed like minutes.

The Russian Sofya Gulyak was the first woman to win top prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2009. She proved her mettle in Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto in F minor (Op.21) and Schumann’s Carnaval (Op.9). The former was accompanied in the chamber transcription by Uruguayan composer Carlos Levin, played by a string quintet formed by the National University of Singapore’s Centre for the Arts.

The quintet’s balance of experience and youth proved a mixed blessing, and the amplification of strings was not necessarily to their advantage. Ensemble was often ragged, staying in tune was a struggle and the first violin’s intonation often straying excruciatingly off pitch. It was Gulyak’s indomitable personality and musicality that held the work together, her sense of drive and cantabile admirable, aided by faultless fingerwork.

Left on her own in the Schumann, the composer’s dual personalities of Florestan and Eusebius were given full rein, exulting in passionate outbursts and gentle pleadings. The lead up to the final march and closing climax was thrilling edge-of-the-seat stuff, with all caution thrown to the winds.

The Korean Jinsang Lee, winner of the 2008 Hong Kong International Piano Competition, brilliantly combined the visceral with the cerebral. Instead of launching into Schumann’s Fantasie in C major (Op.17), he warmed up with Beethoven’s song cycle An Die Ferne Geliebte (To The Distant Beloved) in Liszt’s transcription. There was good reason to this impromptu inclusion, as the final Beethoven melody was quoted in the Schumann, its déjà vu appearance lent a moment of magical nostalgia.

The balance of the work was no less fine, with fearsome octave leaps at the end of the second movement overcome with stunning aplomb, and the finale’s rapturous musings and valedictory big tune finding a sympathetic conclusion.

Closing the memorable evening was Chopin’s First Piano Concerto in E minor (Op.11). The quintet acquitted itself far better in this outing, leading to a more cohesive and satisfying performance all round. Lee’s understated virtuosity was matched by his lyrical facilities, and it may be said that the fragile genius of Chopin and Schumann were more than well served.

The Joy of Chopin & Schumann was part of the NUS Centre for the Arts' ExxonMobil Campus Concert series, and proudly supported by The Chopin Society of Hong Kong.

THE JOY OF MUSIC FESTIVAL: SOFYA GULYAK and The London Chamber Orchestra Quintet / Review

THE JOY OF MUSIC FESTIVAL

SOFYA GULYAK with the

London Chamber Orchestra Quintet

City Hall Concert Hall, Hong Kong

Tuesday (12 October 2010)

Frederic Chopin has been much maligned on the strengths (or rather weaknesses) of the orchestrations in his piano concertos. The truth is this: he was first and foremost a pianist, and all his music highlighted the brilliance of his playing. No orchestra was to get in his way (à la Brahms) in his piano concertos. These were never meant to be an equal partnership in the first place, which is why chamber versions of his piano concertos sound, if anything, can sound superior to the orchestral versions we are familiar with.

The Joy of Music Festival 2010 unveiled the World Premieres of both Chopin concertos in chamber transcriptions for string quintet by Uruguayan composer Carlos Levin (left). At once, one is struck by the how symphonic five string players can sound in the opening tutti of the Second Piano Concerto in F minor (Op. 21), performed this evening. In fact they yield nothing to the original version, setting the mood and tone for Russian pianist Sofya Gulyak’s entry.

Gulyak is not a tall woman, but she is compactly built, with a slow centre of gravity. She has both power and precision in her playing, which belies a silken touch when called upon. Her Chopin sounds totally natural and unforced, shaping her cantabile lines beautifully, yet with muscle and sinew to the fortissimo passages. Her use of rubato was also tastefully applied, bringing nuance and character to the music. The nocturne-like slow movement was particularly beautiful, with the hushed strings providing very discreet support yet heightening the tension as the music gradually reached a passionate climax. The Rondo finale was delightful, with Gulyak’s clean fingerwork spot on throughout. Even if the viola solo does not quite replicate the French horn, Joel Hunter’s obvious zest in delivering it made up for that. A very satisfying and enjoyable performance all round.

The second half was all Gulyak’s in Schumann’s solo piano music. The choice of works also highlighted his wonderful variety of styles. The Abegg Variations (Op.1), his first published work, can sound unbelievably fussy, but Gulyak’s pristine handling of the filigreed passages over a gentle waltz rhythm was close to perfection. She also kept the 13 movements of Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood) simple and childlike, but not without sacrificing an element of virtuosity. The familiar Träumerei was a little slow for my liking, but not to the point of protractedness.

Caution was cast into the wind for Carnaval (Op.9), and here Gulyak took all sorts of risks, surging and straining at the reins whenever possible. Every short movement was given a character of its own, yet she brought the sum of the parts seamlessly. There were a few wrong notes here and there, but that was a small price to pay for her dedication to realising Schumann’s Florestan (passionate and impetuous) and Eusebius (reflective and retiring). The final march was built on a full head of steam, bringing the work to a triumphant close.

Her two encores were also varied, first Rachmaninov’s popular Prélude in C sharp minor (Op.3 No.2), played as a Russian would with great gusto, and that lovely Marcello-Bach slow movement from the Oboe Concerto. It was perfectly clear why she won the Leeds in 2009 – Gulyak is a little bit special.

Some Words with SOFYA GULYAK, 1st Prizewinner of the 2009 Leeds International Piano Competition

Some Words with SOFYA GULYAK,

1st Prizewinner of the 2009 Leeds International Piano Competition

At 30, Russian pianist Sofya Gulyak is done with piano competitions. Her first competition was at the age of ten in her home city of Kazan, Tartarstan, some 800 kilometres east of Moscow. “I won the first prize,” she smiled and added, “but there were many competitions which I did not win.” At her last estimate, the soft-spoken, almost reticent brunette participated in nearly 50 competitions, local and international. There were top prizes in USA, Finland, South Korea, Italy, San Marino, and then in 2009, at the “ripe old age” of 29, she netted the biggest one of all – First Prize in the Leeds International Piano Competition.

In doing so, she made history by becoming the first woman pianist to win that prestigious competition since its inception in 1962, whose roll of winners included Radu Lupu, Murray Perahia, Dmitri Alexeev and Artur Pizarro. When asked about that distinction, she coyly said, “I never thought about that, as it has nothing to do with music. I was very prepared, played the pieces which I was most familiar with – nothing new or unusual – and did my best.”

In the international circuit of piano competitions, as in sports, invariably the same names crop up, with rumours aplenty as to who would win, or which judge’s student might get an unfair advantage in an industry not known for its impartiality. “I was irritated by these things, but I was pleased that the public liked me. They were even pianists who did not make it to the finals but stayed back to support me. I was touched by their sincerity,” she added. For the record, she performed Brahms’ First Piano Concerto with the Halle Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder.

Gulyak is in a way unusual that she did not pass through the big Russians musical centres of Moscow or Saint Petersburg during her studies. “I had a wonderful teacher in Elfiya Burnasheva and did not need to look elsewhere. There are many great teachers in the provincial cities of Russia whom nobody had ever hears of,” she remarked. Moving to the West, she has also studied in Paris, London and Imola, Italy. These days, she divides her time between London, Bologna and Kazan. “I love Russia, and I always want to go back home!”

Her present Asian tour is organised by The Chopin Society of Hong Kong, playing concerts in Hong Kong, Manila, Mumbai, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. In Singapore, she will perform Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto, in a chamber transcription by Uruguayan composer Carlos Levin, and Schumann’s Carnaval on 24 October at the University Cultural Centre. Tickets to the 6.30 pm concert are free of charge.

What does Chopin’s music mean to her? “It’s like asking what does music or life mean to me. I have begun playing more Chopin. His music is so special, so necessary.” The first Chopin pieces she learnt as a young student were a Nocturne and the “Black Key Étude”. However it does not mean she will play everything Chopin has written. “My teacher said it took her 40 years to learn the four Ballades, so I have lots of time left!”

When asked whose music moved her more, Chopin or his close contemporary Schumann, her reply was, “It’s not for me to judge. Schumann’s Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood) is a new piece for me, but as I play it more, the more I understand and enjoy it. It’s become such a masterpiece for me. Music is a very personal thing, and that will change with time.”

HISTORY IS MADE at the Leeds International Piano Competition 2009

For the first time in the history of the Leeds International Piano Competition, the most prestigious competition founded by two women - Dame Fanny Waterman and Lady Marion Thorpe - has been won by a woman - Russia's SOFYA GULYAK.

The final placings were as follows:

1. GULYAK, Sofya (Russia)
2. GORLATCH, Alexey (Ukraine)
3. TAVERNA Alessandro (Italy)
4. KADOUCH, David (France)
5. CHEUNG, Rachel (Hong Kong)
6. KONG, Jianing (China)

Several women have come close in the past, but no cigar:

Viktoria Postnikova (2nd, 1966)
Mitsuko Uchida (2nd, 1975)
Diana Kacso (2nd, 1978)
Juh Hee Suh (2nd, 1984)
Evgenia Rubinova (2003)