Four flavors of music-making [REVIEW]

The Friday round of the Competition finals was exciting despite the fact that its repertoire featured the very same piano concertos as the previous night. Was it coincidence or a by-product of overlapping tastes among the finalists?

    The evening round of final auditions began with Carter Johnson. The Canadian went for Grażyna Bacewicz?s Piano Concerto, written on the centenary of Fryderyk Chopin?s death. Although set in a dense late Romantic texture, Bacewicz?s piece is virtually devoid of quotations or explicit references to the music of the Polish genius. When it comes to its complexity and creativity in processing folk influences, the Concerto is on a par with the likes of Witold Lutosławski?s Concerto for orchestra. In touch with the dynamic program elected in the second stage, Johnson went for a similar ambience ? it was clear he was in his element, which translated into an extremely dramatic performance, in which lyricism was juxtaposed with pathos. Even the central Andante, nocturnal in tone, was ripped by ominous interventions of the brass, amplified by the anxious tremolando of the strings. Johnson?s play no doubt shone in the passages marked by translucent textures of the accompanying ensemble; unfortunately for the pianist, the orchestra led by Tomasz Chmiel stifled his efforts in the tutti fragments. The Canadian chose adequate tempos, turning up the spiral of continuous tension.

    Coincidentally, two finalists opted for Ignacy Jan Paderewski?s Piano Concerto in A minor op. 17, which yielded interpretations as adverse as their respective stage personas. Krzysztof Kozłowski?s reflected his inclination for experiments and avant-garde pieces. In turn, Martyna Kubik?s rendition of the Concerto mirrored her tendency towards the Romantic and poetic lyricism. While in the latter case Paderewski seemed an obvious choice, the latter would bring to mind Bacewicz?s Concerto as a more natural fit. Perhaps Kozłowski?s choice was dictated by an effort to expand his stage image? One thing is for sure ? Kubik?s rendition was more charming, while Kozłowski played mechanically, and appeared as more of an actor than performer. Paderewski?s Concerto ? treasured by such virtuosos as Piotr Paleczny, Ian Hobson or Dang Thai Son ? abounds with references to numerous Polish dances (e.g. the mazurka in the first movement), an unpretentious cantilena (evocative of the Romanza dumka). Here, too, Martyna Kubik had the upper hand, as her delicate rubato gave the piece a glow of traditional pianism. The virtuoso finale also seemed beyond Kozłowski?s capabilities, as he rushed and stumbled several times. Kubik was more prudent, letting the orchestra catch its breath, to the greater benefit of the music. In Kubik, the Concerto finally found its match, as she underscored the beauty of Paderewski?s trademark composition.

    A completely different perception has accompanied another piece, namely Ludomir Różycki?s Piano Concerto no. 1 in G minor op. 43, which has been treated as an unwanted child, along with the other Young Polish works of this composer, relegated to the sidelines of the musical mainstream. Its fin de si?cle emphasis, intricate harmonics, and vaguely structured motifs have discouraged many from interpreting the Concerto. Ruslan Kozakov?s rendition of the piece brought to the fore its ties to the likes of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff ? his solid fortes and dark timbres fit it like a glove. However, despite the symphonic character of the piece and the integration of the piano with the orchestral tissue, one could sometimes have the impression that Kazakov was not in step with the ensemble. His tempos diverged from those dictated by the conductor, Massimiliano Caldi, and vice versa.

    A few words should be written on the orchestra itself. The Subcarpathian Philharmonic Orchestra led by two conductors, Tomasz Chmiel and the aforementioned Massimiliano Caldi, was presented with a tall task of mastering an immensely diverse repertoire of concerto pieces, from the earliest ones by Lessel and Dobrzyński through the more obscure Krogulski and Melcer-Szczawiński, all the way to Malawski. Their performance of the three concertos (Bacewicz-Paderewski-Różycki) selected by the finalists was conscientious, and the passages in which they seemed out of tune can be excused on account of limited rehearsal time. What was inexcusable was the reduction of the string section down to a string quartet: ten first and second violins were bound to fade when coupled with the humongous battery of drums.

    Capping any competition with a performance accompanied by an orchestra is no easy fit. The first meeting with an unknown ensemble after only a short rehearsal on the day of the performance is no recipe for an impeccable performance. Rather, it is a test of the performer?s stress resistance and their capacity to adapt ? after all, these young virtuosos will perform under diverse circumstances in the future. In Rzeszów, they passed the test with flying colors.

Author: Bartosz Witkowski