|
Nanyang
Academy of Fine Arts Arts Festival 1999 Wednesday |
The
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts presents Lazar Berman Celebrity Concert |
| Sergei
RACHMANINOV 6
Moments Musicaux op.16 Fr閐閞ic CHOPIN 6 Polonaises |
OVERALL
NOISE RATING: 2
(Well-behaved crowd - unfortunately I have this recurring fortune to sit
next to the only misbehaving person in the crowd - who burped, snored and
told me she classical music was Greek to her. Why bother to turn up? Especially
when you have $100-tickets - go give it to someone more interested, PLEASE.)
The Noise
Rating Index is a partially-objective measurement of pager and handphone
blasts, 9pm and 10pm watch beeps, coughing-during-the-pianissimo-bits,
intra-audience conversation and other mind-bogglingly inept noises emitted
in the concert hall during actual performance of music. It is measured
on a scale of 0 to 5, in increasing annoyance.
This
review has been kindly sponsored by the Nanyang
Academy of Fine Arts.
Thanks, Sharon!
by Johann D'Souza
Click here for Kian Hing's review!
Having played
the piano for the last 67 years - he is now 69 years old - Berman is a
member of a rare breed of pianists. While his whole 'gang' of Gilels,
Horowitz, Richter, Serkin and Arrau (no less) have all moved on, he is
the last of the living legends that this world has to offer - and cherish.
The Moments
Musicaux ("Musical Moments") is made up of six short pieces of varied
tempi, each alternating between slow and fast but all with different and
distinct attributes. From the initial opening chords, Berman's world-class
stature was instantly revealed and while he did make some slips (who cares
- he is human after all), Berman totally mesmerised me with his beautiful
tone and varied colors. These pieces have been played by many a great
pianist - what distinguishes Berman greatly is his colours. One has to
play the piano to realise and appreciate that every pedal marking Berman
takes is not only thoroughly thought-out but released with a certain but
appropriate amount of passion and clarity.
He was able
to do a few things I consider virtually impossible - that of clearly using
the pedal to bring the sound from forte to pianissimo and
returning to forte with ease. Berman and Jorg Bolet have often
talked about learning pedalling for up to 15 years - I now truly understand
exactly what they mean.
The pace
in the Andantino was never at any point rushed and while I have
heard so many pianists having this tendency to run off with Rachmaninov,
Berman seemed to want to show the intensity of each note, each skillfully
sculpted. Everything is so evocative of that innate spirit which he possesses
- I found everything Berman did simply breathtaking.
While many
a modern pianist would opt to lift their hands to get the 'effects', Lazar
Berman is glued to his chair with fingers always on the keyboard. With
innate strength alone, he reaches from the body into the keyboard, sending
each note all the way back to the end of the hall.
Even marcato
and staccato chords are clearly differentiated, as seen in the Andante
and Adagio passages, which in the hands of other pianists are likely
to be pedantic and mundane. What made me enjoy his readings of these short
pieces were the tempi in which he took them - they were never rushed at
any point and this brought out the balance and excitement in the music.
There is so much depth in these pieces, so much meaning which I hardly
imagined prior to the concert; but hearing them in his hands has brought
for me a much greater appreciation for Rachmaninov and for Berman as well.
Anther distinct
area which makes Berman stand out is his understanding of chordic display
- he shows and expresses differently in the compositions of each composer
in this concert. For Rachmaninov, the inner voice with single notes has
to be brought out as the main melody line and this was done with ease
and depth of tone. I especially loved the closing piece, the Maestoso,
which really showcased his technique; watching Berman from the circle
seats (my deepest gratitude to NAFA) was an even a greater treat - Rachmaninov
uses the thumb to bring out single melody lines with the balance of four
fingers filling in. However these are not just mere gaps to be filled
up - but imbued with passion. The pianist is made to really work - the
dexterity required would make the best of the best quiver at the enormous
difficulties. But Berman was here today.
The second
half saw the famous six Polonaises by Chopin. Berman did look rather tired
as compared to the first half, and this manifested in what appeared to
be short lapses in memory and at times some smudgy pedaling; but this
can be totally forgiven. Some of the endings to the Polonaises seemed
rather abrupt, with a forte staccato which to me seemed rather
odd. I have never really liked the Polonaises in comparison to Chopin's
蓆udes, Nocturnes or Pr閘udes, but after hearing Berman play them, I have
started to look at them in new light - there is rarely any better reason
for attending a concert.
The Polonaises
are not mere dances but those which depict a certain sense of nationalism,
especially seen in the light of Russia's control over Poland. The irony
is that Lazar Berman, a Russian, plays Polish music and understands it
as if he was Polish (mind you, at one stage in his career he was barred
from playing in the West in the early 1970s - this could well be the reason
why he has an affection for these Polonaises.)
The most
famous of the six Polonaises, which has become a signature tune for Chopin,
is his Polonaise in A-flat, op.53, nicknamed the "Polonaise Heroique".
From the start to the end there is no letting up and Berman clearly displayed
his prodigious technique by playing with both anguish and bewilderment.
I have this particular CD (on DG Galleria 449 090-2) where he can be heard
in the same music, but no doubt a 'live' performance always gives you
that sense of atmospheric nirvana which a recording cannot achieve.
While I
have had the privilege of hearing him play the second encore in his last
performance here in Singapore, it was still a breathtaking experience
to hear him again. There is a always a fresh vigour in his playing - in
works with dark brooding chords especially, they become a magical experience.
This concert
has indeed been a total triumph and I do hope that NAFA continues to bring
in world-class players such as Lazar Berman. Undoubtedly he will and has
inspired others to pursue their art form to the best of their ability.
This is the third time I am listening to Lazar(e) Berman 'live' and I must
say it was an experience to behold. There is always something to learn from
his playing, even just by watching him. Listening to him is a totally different
experience in itself. In a dream concert of the complete set of Moments
Musicaux, op.16 by Rachmaninov (mind you, for he has been accorded the
most appreciative honours by the Rachmaninov Society, stating that his recording
of these works is the best ever) and six Chopin Polonaises, I have to admit
I was eagerly awaiting to hear him from the moment the advertisement came
out in March this year.
The Allegretto is quite reminiscent of some of Rachmaninov's faster
preludes, from op.23 and op.32, which allows both hands to play separately
yet together forming a single unit. Once again there was the power of
Berman's ascending and descending runs in the left hand - all clearly
executed with crescendo and decrescendo. One has to follow him on score
to appreciate his phenomenal understanding and faithfulness to the music,
the clarity with which he extracts from the score. Truly, Berman shows
how it really pays to master the centre pedal to produce these effects.
Most of the Polonaises are rather long, averaging 7 minutes apiece (most
of Chopin's works are just a minute or two) yet one does not get bored
listening to Berman play the whole set in its entirety. His arpeggio-playing
and chordic strength was always powerfully exuded - for a while there
I thought the grand piano was actually wired up with a microphone.
For his encores Berman (right) picked two different composers which he
has been associated with: Scriabin - the 蓆ude, op.8 no.11; and Franz
Liszt's "Susum Corda" from the Years of Pilgrimage (3rd Year).
The first is a slow introspective piece which is by no means easy to play,
Scriabin's music being notably devilishly difficult even though it may
be marked "Lento" or "Adagio" as in this 蓆ude. His deep concentration
and well-thought pauses only made the crowd call for another encore.
Johann D'Souza wants to know what music Einstein listened to while in his mother's womb - he still doesn't believe that listening to Mahler makes people manic depressive.
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