Marin Alsop To Lead Philharmonic in Four Concerts

Broadway World – New York,NY,USA

The charismatic Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Music Director lands a prestigious guest-conducting slot in the Big Apple, with a Chopin wunderkind in tow…

Marin Alsop will lead the New York Philharmonic in four concerts, each featuring Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World, October 7, 10, and 11, 2008. The programs on October 7 at 7:30 p.m. and October 11 at 8:00 p.m. will comprise Bartók’s The Wooden Prince Suite; Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, with Rafał Blechacz making his New York Philharmonic debut.

Pianist Rafał Blechacz was born on June 30, 1985, in Nakło nad Notecią, Poland. He began studying the piano at the age of five and completed his formal education in 2007 at the Feliks Nowowiejski Music Academy in Bydgoszcz, studying with Professor Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron. He won second prize at the Arthur Rubinstein Young Pianist Competition in Bydgoszcz in 2002 and at the Fifth International Young Pianist Competition in Hamamatsu, Japan, in 2003. In 2004 he garnered first prize at the Fourth International Piano Competition in Morocco. In 2005 Mr. Blechacz won first prize at the 15th International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw; in special recognition of his achievement, the jury decided, for the first time in the competition’s history, not to award a second prize. He also won four special prizes, including the Polish Radio Award for best performance of the mazurkas, the Polish Chopin Society Award for best performance of the Polonaise, the Warsaw Philharmonic Award for best performance of a concerto, and the award founded by Krystian Zimerman for best sonata performance.

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Chopin: Préludes (Music Review)

EDGEnewyork.com – http://www.EDGEnewyork.com

From the NYC GLBT online journal, quoting the Bay Area Reporter: “Even though his recordings for Harmonia Mundi have ranged from Couperin and Rameau to Kodaly and Ravel, it’s tempting to think of Alexandre Tharaud as a Chopin pianist, so regularly has the Frenchman returned to the music of the quintessential composer for his instrument. His new CD of the Opus 28 Preludes, that seminal work in which all of Chopin is on display, has caused a considerable stir…..”

Pianist Alexandre Tharaud.    (Source:Courtesy Harmonia Mundi)

Though Tharaud’s interpretations of the extraordinary miniatures are nothing if not individual, the extent to which they hew to the contemporary French inclination toward rowdy, big-boned, take-no-prisoners Chopin comes almost as a surprise. What gives them such high definition is Tharaud’s conviction, spelled out in the disc’s fascinating accompanying notes, that these extraordinarily familiar, listener-friendly pieces are “shot through with violence and death,” mortality-obsessed works conceived during the composer’s trip to Majorca in a futile attempt to deal with his tuberculosis.

So from the agitated arpeggiations of the first, C Major prelude until the railing defiance of the last, in D minor, darkness prevails. Even in the lacey textures of the vivace G Major, there’s a sense of febrile looking over the shoulder. It’s not a view of the work I’d want for everyday, but its integrity is beyond question…..

Chopin on the Web:

Buenos Aires Celebrates the Great Composer Chopin

By Gwen E. Kirby

From the “Online Guidebook to Argentina,” information on Festival Chopiniana 2008:

Chopiniana 2008 is a major classical music festival organized by the Fundación Chopiniana de Buenos Aires to recognize the works of that famous composer, Frederic Chopin. Chopin, born in Poland, composed in the 19^th century is known throughout the world as a famous Romantic. He wrote pieces primarily for the piano, and the piano will be the focus of the festival. According to My Buenos Aires Travel Guide, the festival consists of eight recitals in total, each happening on Wednesday night at 8, from August until October. Tonight will be the first of these recitals at the Teatro Santa Maria. The festival is supported by several embassies, including the Polish embassy, and tickets can be purchased for 30 pesos from the theater itself.

Argentina’s Travel Guide – http://argentinastravel.com

The Good Daughter

New York Times – United States

New York Times magazine Q & A with author Amy Tan, prompted by her first foray into opera — Tan wrote wrote the libretto for “The Bonesetter’s Daughter,” which will have its premiere at the San Francisco Opera next month and is based upon Tan’s novel of the same name.    Tan notes in the Q & A that her mother “wanted me to be a concert pianist, and that would be on weekends.  My day job would be a brain surgeon.”

Why do you play the tambourine instead of the piano after all your years of lessons? Chopin is not what you play when you’re in a rock band.

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Dutoit muscles perfection in stunning opening night

The Saratogian – Saratoga,NY,USA

Review No. 3 of the Philadelphia Orchestra/Charles Dutoit/Emanuel Ax in Saratoga Springs….

Soloist for Wednesday’s program was the stellar pianist Emanuel Ax, stepping in on a few days’ notice to substitute for scheduled guest André Watts. Ax played Chopin’s Concerto No. 2, rather than the programmed Grieg Concerto, and his choice reflected both his experience (he has recorded much of Chopin’s works) and his heritage.

Ax was born in Poland, and Chopin is an enduring and beloved symbol of that often war-torn country’s culture.

Ax handled Chopin’s music on this night as if it was a new discovery. His statement of the slow, second movement’s lyric message was fresh and alive with romance, appropriate to a piece written when the composer was barely 20.

Soft-edged and self-effacing, Ax lets his hands speak for his heart and head. In the few moments of this work that the piano had rests, Ax beat the rhythm into the air by his side as the orchestra played.

The fast third movement of the concerto is filled with handfuls of slippery passages, and Ax skated right through them while still keeping each note distinct. The music sparkled and sang.

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Recordings show the strengths and weaknesses of Kissin

Fresno Bee (subscription) – Fresno,CA,USA

Reissue on Brilliant Classics of Evgeny Kissin’s early Russian recordings get mixed reviews, but his Chopin concertos earn top marks:

Evgeny Kissin, “The Early Recordings: Mozart Piano Concertos Nos. 12 and 20, Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3, Schubert’s ‘Trout Quintet’ plus works by Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Scriabin, Liszt and Brahms” (Brilliant Classics) Grade: B

In Concert: “Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 1, Chopin Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 plus works by Liszt and Schumann” (Brilliant Classics) Grade: A )

The first volume, titled “The Early Recordings,” is the most collectible since it contains some of Kissin’s least-circulated concerto recordings. And though the performances are well-played and judiciously interpreted, they do make you wonder if his child-prodigy years were overrated. The “In Concert” set from 1987 gives the opposite impression, lending credence to piano pundits who claim Kissin never was greater than in those early years.

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Chopin on the Web:

Chopin Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:01:14 PST
By chopin@perfectpeople.net (Chopin)

A new “celebrity site” called Perfect People gives the celeb treatment to Our Man Chopin…

Chopin in the Blogosphere:

Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No.2

By charliend
Charlie Media Blog – http://charlie-blog.com/media

This just in: “Chopin is definitely a legend in the field of classical music.”

But suddenly, I remembered one music that my mother used to play at home, usually on sunday evening. Because of that, I really like this song, it transpose me in the past. Chopin is definetely a legend in the field of classical music.

Triumphal return for Philadelphians

Albany Times Union – Albany,NY,USA

The Philadelphia Orchestra launches its 43rd summer season in Saratoga Springs.   Bravos for the Beethoven, but the orchestra’s reading of a Chopin concerto with Emanuel Ax is in need of some Posturpedic treatment…

Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21 featured soloist Emanuel Ax, whose pearly tone and always elegant touch can show off the composer’s solo repertoire to wondrous effect. But with Chopin’s billowy soft orchestration, it was just too much cushy comfort. One needs some firm back support as well as a soft place to rest the head.

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Philadelphia Orchestra puts on a terrific show in debut

Schenectady Gazette – Schenectady,NY,USA

Same concert by Chief Conductor Charles Dutoit and the Philadelphia Orchestra; different takeaway from the Schenectady paper…

Ax was a superb interpreter of the Chopin. His fluid streams of notes were flawless and he gave the phrases much room to breath.

His dynamics were especially delicate and he didn’t hesitate to be forceful when the music called for it.

That energy lent a vigorous quality, which was a nice balance to the filagree.

In the slow second movement, Ax etched the sublime melody like the craftsman he is.

There was much delicacy in his very finished phrases.

The final movement was virtuosic, speedy and very charming in its sometime use of dance styles, such as the mazurka.

Throughout, Dutoit was the perfect partner.

The orchestra knew how to keep its balances and yet provided exuberant support when called for.

Ax was very pleased with the result as was the crowd, which gave everyone a standing ovation, long applause and several curtain calls.

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Lang Lang keys up Olympic gig

Variety – Los Angeles,CA,USA

Expect to see lots of stories on this subject in coming days…

Lang, who records for Deutsche Grammophon, has famously been filmed playing Chopin using an orange. With daring references to kung fu and videogames peppering his discussions of the great composers, Lang has made classical music accessible to many in China, which has some 30 million piano students.

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