Semi-finals
Day 3 (19 September)

We have come to the final day of the semi-finals and the competition looked awfully stiff. There have not been any duds among the semi-finalists and much of the “cream”, which Dame Fanny Waterman had earlier referred to, has been rising to the top. And now for more pianists:

Spencer Myer (28, USA)

The tall American with an easy and natural stage demeanor is a mature artist who has seen much success in other competitions. His Mozart Sonata in B flat major K.281 came across as robust and sturdy in the outer movements, but there was a smoothness in the slow second movement which came close to what the composer had likened to “the flow of oil”. Arguably better was Ravel’s five-piece suite Miroirs, which saw the full gamut of shades and inflexions. The audience applauded enthusiastically (but inappropriately) after an adroit Alborada del gracioso, which somewhat sullied the more subdued mood of La Vallée des cloches that followed. Myer’s impression of bells receding into the distance at the death provided a strange chill in the spine. Just wonderful!

Samuel Barber’s Sonata Op.26 – a virtuoso’s paradise – saw Myer take an approach diametrically opposite from Horowitz’s. Liberally employing the sostenuto pedal, his was a dreamy and more Romantic view as opposed to Volodya’s aggressive stance. The slow movement was more a lament than a funeral march, which gradually but inexorably shaped into a heady memorial. I would have preferred less pedal in the knockout fugue of the finale, which would have provided for a clearer and more luminous sound.

Verdict: With all the qualities of a fine pianist and musician (and no clear flaws), should make the final six.  

Song Siheng (25, China)

Song, the winner of the last Marguerite Long Piano Competition, was China’s final hope at “The Leeds”. Beethoven’s Sonata No.28 in A major Op.101 had proved to be a graveyard for pianists in previous competitions I had attended, but here he shined. There was much nobility in the opening phrase and he maintained a conversational character among the themes that emerged. The march romped forth unimpeded while genuine pathos was evinced in the brief slow movement. When the opening theme re-emerged, there was a real sense of déjà vu before concluding with a very intelligently crafted performance of the final fugue.

I would have advanced Song on the strength of the Beethoven alone but the rest of his recital was an overkill of virtuoso fodder. Liszt’s Vallée d’Obermann, taken at a slower pace than Andrew Brownell’s (from two evenings before), proved he could grippingly narrate a tragedy before letting it all rip. After that came the point where Song’s repertoire choices fell flat as Brownell’s stock rose. As if reassert his technical prowess (which we knew existed in oodles all along), Song went on to mercilessly pummel the keyboard in Ravel’s La Valse and Ginastera’s First Sonata. Granted this was the finest Ginastera I had heard in concert, it however left a curiously unsatisfying aftertaste.  

Verdict: Undoubtedly a virtuoso, but an unbalanced programming of pieces might prove his downfall. Not one of my final picks.

Yurie Miura (25, Japan)

The petite Japanese with a winsome smile and totally winning stage presence was one pianist I was urged (by a fellow pilgrim to Leeds) to pay much attention to. And she did not disappoint. Her Mozart Sonata in A minor K.310 was full of angst and passion, driven by some unspoken determination. Refinement followed in the slow movement while the A major segment of the restless finale had a childlike quality that rang out with the clarity of a mini carillon. Lushness and sensitivity dominated Szymanowski’s Variations on a Polish Folk Theme. With feather light touches and an ability to bring on the volume when required, hers seemed to add an extra dimension to Denis Kozhukhin’s reading of the same work two days ago.

While her Britten was a tad dry and unsentimental, she found some redemption in Prokofiev’s Sixth Sonata. One would scarcely imagine a pianist of her slight and diminutive stature to exert a pulverising force in this fearsome number, but she did, with an incisive clarity, wit and humour for the most part of the first two movements. However this concentration seemed to gradually tail off as the work progressed, suggesting that this warhorse might not have been her exact forté.

Verdict: A pleasant surprise package, and possibly the only woman to figure in the final.
    
Andrius Zlabys (29, Lithuania)

The oldest competitor in the semi-finals, Zlabys already looks like a seasoned and well-worn veteran. His surprisingly anti-virtuosic programme suggested there was more to this pianist than meets the eye. However in Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque, he seemed ill at ease. The Prélude sounded too deliberate, the Menuet was heavy handed, and the Passepied lacked a spring in its step. Only in the popular Clair de lune did he bring out its atmospheric allure. And the irony of it all: the houselights were on full blast!

Zlabys’ maturity came to bear in some of Brahms’ Six Pieces Op.118, especially in the brooding E flat minor final Intermezzo (No.6) and the central variations of the Romanze (No.5). Elsewhere the tempo dipped, and with some false notes and slips, patience began to wear thin. A mixed performance at best but there was little doubt that his dark and totally idiomatic view of Prokofiev’s Seventh Sonata served him best of all.

Verdict: A mature musician caught on less-than-best form. Will probably miss out on the final.

This had to be the most competitive of semi-final rounds I have witnessed in a piano competition, a testimony to the very high standards of “The Leeds”. I imagined the very tough time the jury would have in deciding the finalists, and the difference might be determined by a one juror or a matter of a single decimal point. 

My picks for the finals:
(in order my order of merit as heard in the semi-finals)

KIM SUNG-HOON
KIM SUNWOOK
ANDREW BROWNELL
YURIE MIURA
SPENCER MYER
NIKITA MNDOYANTS

The pianist whom I hoped might get a reprieve and feature in the finals:

GRACE FONG

The pianist whom I did not pick but was most likely to be chosen by the jury:

SONG SIHENG

And the jury’s choices were as follows (in alphabetical order):

ANDREW BROWNELL
GRACE FONG
KIM SUNG-HOON
KIM SUNWOOK
DENIS KOZHUKHIN
SONG SIHENG

One can’t get them all right, but I was more than happy that my top three had been chosen, as well as the most graceful one of them all. My breakfast buddy at the Manxdene Hotel was livid and outraged but his favourite, Yurie Miura will eventually get her day.

Tourist Tip of the Day

The single must-visit sight in Leeds is The Royal Armouries Museum (right) just south of the Aire River. Remember those knights in shining armour that used to grace the Tower of London? They’re all in Leeds now, together with firearms, projectiles, incendiaries and weapons of messy destruction across the centuries and cultures. Its five storeys house a virtual history of warfare, including dioramas of battles (Waterloo, Pavia etc) and more. Admission is free. To get there: From Kirkgate Market, walk along The Calls until you reach the Aire River. Cross the river and the museum is one short block past Crown Point Bridge. The pleasant 10 minute stroll is very scenic and well worth the effort.

by Chang Tou Liang

 

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