Saturday 3 July, 1999 Victoria Concert Hall	6th International Piano Festival 'Celebrating Chopin'
	Beethoven 32 Variations in C minor, WoO.80 Beethoven Sonata in E-flat major,Op.27 " Sonata quasi una fantasia " Brahms Four Pieces, Op.119 Chopin Barcarolle in F-sharp major, Op.60 Chopin Rondo in C minor, Op.1 Chopin Selected Mazurkas Chopin Polonaise in A-flat Major, Op.53 DMITRI ALEXEEV piano

OVERALL NOISE RATING: 5 (Dismal - the Ugly Singaporean once again with their digital gadgets, who cannot understand English when asked to switch off pagers and handphones. Do you want us to repeat this in four languages? As for latecomers, the VCH management should ban those who come really late; don't even let them in during breaks. This has become a common occurence. The management should take measures for the sake of the people already in the auditorium.)

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 Singapore Symphonia Co. Ltd

Dmitri Alexeev played with the SSO a while ago (reviewed here), where I was actually reduced to tears after hearing the soulful rendition of the second movement of the Ravel Piano Concerto. I remember asking him if he would come to Singapore in the distant future to play for us in a recital and all he said was "if time and opportunity permits, I'll come". Well thanks to the organisers and Sponsors GK Goh, Singaporeans were treated to a good start - a sell-out concert - to the 6th International Piano Festival. It seems just yesterday that the 1st Piano Festival was held.

The concert began with the rare and seldom heard 32 Variations in C minor by Beethoven - not to be mistaken for the 45-minute Diabelli Variations - this one is shorter, it's a bit more interesting and is based on an 8-bar theme. Alexeev attacked the work from the initial chords and all virtuostic elements were brilliantly tackled. Each variation was given space and taken on differently in colour and contrast. The spirit of Beethoven was always resonating right through the work, so consistently that even silences had and were given meaning.

One is immediately given the impression that Alexeev is a thinking pianist, something also seen in his facial expressions and intense concentration, which was the order for the day. Even in the lesser-known Beethoven Sonata in E-flat Op.27 (well, everyone remembers the "Moonlight Sonata" Op.27, No.2 but no one remembers No.1) Alexeev was able to breathe life into the various movements, especially seen when modulations to a new key are taken, making contrasts seem real and clear. I especially took notice of his pauses, which were released at the most definite moment giving the music maximum impact. Even in the second movement, accented chords where clearly differentiated and his marcato chords were always filled with sound - nothing is hollow or pedantic.

DMITRI ALEXEEV has really stamped his class as a worthy winner of past major competitions - his credentials come from a line of competitions where only a supreme pianist would reign. The fact that he has done it on four occasions - the 1969 Marguerite Long Competition in Paris, the Enescu Competition in Bucharest in 1970, the 1974 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and in 1975 the Leeds Piano Competition - clearly goes to show that he is no ordinary pianist. The Leeds competition boasts of past winners like Radu Lupu, Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Murray Perahia and Artur Pizarro who is playing on the 3rd night in this Festival. 6th International Piano Festival 1999 July 3 - Dmitri Alexeev July 4 - Piers Lane July 5 - Artur Pizarro July 6 - Nikolai Demidenko Click on name for Inkpot review.

Alexeev's Brahms was a real spectacle as well. The first Intermezzo in B minor is very Debussian in spirit and Alexeev was able to free himself to display a certain sense of inventiveness, sculpturing his chords and holding his pauses for that extra second. In my books it all worked. He has this uncanny ability to ease into the recapitulation gradually, as seen in the 2nd Intermezzo in E minor, allowing him to express himself more clearly than other pianists whom I have heard playing these short pieces. For the Intermezzo in C major all chordic descending chords were played with a commanding exactness; and to round up, his Rhapsody in E-flat major was given a full body-and-soul experience, evident from the movements he makes with his head, body and inner soul which emanates from within (something which we of course could not see, but can only believe, which I do).

Celebrating Chopin - well, everyone loves Chopin, be it his Waltzes, Etudes, Impromptus or even his Ballades - there is something for everyone. The second half started with the much-loved Barcarolle: Alexeev's smooth entry only made way for the listener to be transported onto a new plane. At the middle, his dynamics were always taken thoughtfully, never exaggerated or taking anything for granted. In fact the fluidity of his playing, with sensually smooth legatos, only helped ease into the climax at the end which was built up gradually and unleashed with great panache.

In his rendition of the Mazurkas, I found that there was nothing that I could make note of (admittedly, I have not been a particular fan of the mazurkas, although great pianists like Michelangeli and Horowitz have often championed them). But Alexeev's renditions were particularly interesting as he managed to get into the Polish fervour and bring them through. Each one of the five was brilliantly challenged and it would be interesting now to listen to a recording of the entire set of 56 mazurkas played by Alexeev.

The final piece was the "Heroic" Polonaise, which was played at breakneck speed, all the more astounding because at all times the "Yin and Yang" balance between the two hands were always maintained. This is important because many pianists often get so caught up in the speed that the dynamics are lost. Alexeev, a true master of the pedal - especially the sforzando pedal, gave us a lesson on control to be remembered. This was especially when it came to the rising crescendo and decrescendo runs, which showed his true ability for colour and clarity.

For the encores, Alexeev played four pieces altogether to the utter delight of everyone. Many of us ardent pianophiles could not pick out the first encore and were wondering if it was an obscure mazurka or one of the relatively unknown Waltzes. I personally think it was a mazurka. He then proceeded to play two waltzes before ending off on a high note with a Rachmaninov prelude which has always been a favourite crowd pleaser.

Johann D'souza has just found out that it is Johann Strauss centenary - the name which his mum picked for him when he was still in her womb, especially after hearing the Blue Danube.

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518: 5.7.1999 ŠJohann D'Souza

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