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Phillip T Young Recital Hall
February 1, 2009
It's interesting to reflect on how one's taste in music changes - or more accurately, expands - with time. Once upon a time I would have looked at the programme offered by Lorraine Min and balked. Romantic piano was not my cup of tea, to say the least. But when I took my seat in the Phillip T. Young hall I was looking forward to hearing Beethoven's brilliant "Les Adieux" sonata, one of my favourite Chopin works, and Schumman's programmatic masterpiece Carnaval.
The concert opened with two sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti. The first, the E major L.21, took on something of a Romantic sheen, with an abundance of rubato and dynamic shading. The second, the G major K.209, was more straight-forward in presentation, with crisp and precise articulation that suits this music well. Overall, the Scarlatti pieces, while well-played, occupied a plane of existence parallel to but different from the rest of the music on the program.
Thus the transition to Beethoven's mid-period "Les Adieux" sonata (Op.81a in E flat major) was somewhat abrupt. But it quickly became apparent that Ms. Min's strengths lie in the emotive, passionate music of the Romantics. The phrases throughout were finely shaped, with an eye to the long line of the piece. Min did seem to hold back on the top end of the dynamic range of the piano; rarely did we get a sense of a true fortissimo. In retrospect, she might have been holding back, saving something in reserve for what lay ahead.
Full disclosure: the only Liszt I really like are his astoundingly brilliant transcriptions. Beethoven symphonies, Schubert songs, and Wagner operas all resound brilliantly in Liszt's hands. His original works, though, often leave me cold, all dramatic chords and virtuosic scalar passages, but a comparative paucity of melody and form. The Ballade No.2 in B minor is one such piece - and falling between the Beethoven sonata and Chopin's brilliant Ballade No.1, it paled, no matter how well played.
The Chopin, ah, the Chopin. The Ballade No.1 Op.23 in G minor is one of Chopin's most sublime creations. Given the genius of much of Chopin's music for piano, that is truly praise indeed. Ms. Min's overt predilection for this music was evident from the first passage. The long legato lines were enhanced with a deft touch; subtle rubato and dynamic shading within and along the phrases worked to make this a very convincing performance.
After the interval, Ms. Min returned to perform Schumann's Carnaval Op.9. The work is programmatic, with many short pieces many of which serve as characterizations of people in Schumann's circle (including Chopin). Thus the range of contrasts in the short pieces is broad, and draws on a wide range of sounds of which a piano is capable. Ms. Min's pianism shone here - her performance was nothing less than brilliant.
My initial anticipation of the concert programme was entirely met - Lorraine Min demonstrated her complete affinity for this music, and delivered a delightful concert.
But I have three quibbles with the concert, none of which have to do with Lorraine Min's performance. The first is the inadequacy of the programme. While the audience was presented with a lengthy biography of Ms. Min, there was a paucity of information about the music. Most significantly, none of the movements of the Beethoven or Schumann were listed - for example Carnaval appeared as one line in the programme, without the 21 separate descriptive titles notated. This is a significant oversight, as this information serves as an important guide to the audience, helping understanding of the piece. Less important but still missing were descriptive notes about the music itself, again an important tool in educating the audience.
My second quibble was the conspicuous banner strung across the back of the stage, notifying us that the University of Victoria is now "Canada's First ALL-STEINWAY SCHOOL". An identical banner appears at the main entrance to the building, and a shiny plaque in the lobby also informs us of this development. While I accept that this is important news for the School of Music (http://ring.uvic.ca/09jan08/steinway.html), the banner on stage is an unwarranted obtrusion. One hopes that it is temporary.
Finally, whatever happened to audience etiquette? The people who take the time and expense to attend classical concerts are, we hope, there for the music. And yet in the middle of pieces there were on-going whisperings, people leaving their seats, and the opening of candy bars (not cough drops!) and subsequent munching. Please be considerate!
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