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Royal Theatre
May 3, 2008
"There are and always will be thousands of princes; there is only one Beethoven."
Considering Beethoven's well-known attitude to the aristocracy and the "divine right" to rule, it may be seen as ironic that his final and most popular piano concerto should be known by the sobriquet "Emperor", even though the name was, of course, not the composer's own.
It is entirely understandable how the name came to be attached to the concerto - and I am not simply referring to the well-known story of the French soldier's cry of "C'est l'Empereur!" during an early performance; the concerto is undoubtedly majestic, imposing and impressive.
And rarely more so than during Jon Kimura Parker's fine performance which closed Saturday's opening concert of the Victoria Symphony's Mozart Festival.
For the critic, the prospect of yet another performance of such a familiar - indeed over-familiar - work can be somewhat daunting; all too often the soloist either plays the music as written and risks sending the experienced listener to sleep, or else plays it so idiosyncratically that any resemblance to the composer's original intentions is little more than coincidental.
Parker, though, is one of those rare birds who can follow the score to the letter while still fully engaging even the most jaded listener's attention.
Whether it was in the dramatic opening cadenza, the limpid slow movement or the dashing finale, Parker was both beguiling and commanding.
Throughout the concerto, Tania Miller's and the Victoria Symphony's stylish accompaniment was the perfect foil for the soloist, from the tautness of the initial orchestral tutti to the splendour of the final coda.
The most memorable and enjoyable Emperor I have heard in a long time.
Having apparently decided the night before that some Mozart at the Mozart Festival might be a good idea, for an encore Parker gave us the famous Ronda alla turca finale of the A major piano sonata, K.331, which he dedicated the the late Robin Wood of the Victoria Conservatory, with whom he studied for a couple of years.
Once again, without noticeable exaggeration, Parker gave a thoroughly idiomatic, exquisitely-judged performance. If one must play Mozart on a modern piano (and I personally have no problem with this) then this is how he should be played.
The first half of the concert consisted of two pieces by the Festival's eponym himself.
The overture to the Impresario was crisply and efficiently despatched and featured some delicious wind playing.
The Symphony in E flat, K.543 is a rather weightier affair than the overture to a singspiel, although arguably less profound than its companions. Miller directed a fine, flowing performance of the work, although perhaps a few slightly rougher edges would not have gone amiss: the third movement - more ländler than minuet, it is clearly the beginning of a line that stretches, via Schubert's "Great" C major to Bruckner - could have been a bit more rustic and the finale just a little faster.
There was one small detail which stands in the memory: was it my imagination, or a new edition, or did Keith MacLeod really ornament his clarinet line in the trio of the third movement? It was extremely tastefully and stylishly done, whatever the truth of the matter.
But my abiding memory of this evening will be Parker's superlative pianism.
MiV
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