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Scottish pianist Steven Osborne took the stage on April 11th
and offered a selection of preludes from the mainstream keyboard
repertoires of J. S. Bach, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff. Osborne
began with a cerebral, articulate, and controlled performance
of Bach's "Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp minor." Osborne's
performance seemed to center more on the work's formal structure,
than on its more expressive fugal elements.
Fugal themes, for example, could have been kept more ideally
balanced and distinct and might have been rendered with a
bit more vibrancy of color. Osborne allowed himself more latitude
with Debussy's "Preludes, Book II." Osborne found greater
beauty of sound in Debussy compared to Bach, yet still reined
himself in in terms of dynamic contrasts. Each prelude, nevertheless,
was given its own distinctive character and textural shading.
In Rachmaninoff's "Thirteen Preludes, Op. 32" Osborne seemed
at his best. In this work Osborne generated good lyricism,
power, and phrasing. Yet there still was a generalized softness
of attack that kept the playing from reaching the charged
levels of incandescent passion that is present in some of
the more extroverted and dynamic preludes. All things considered,
Osborne proved most expressive during his two jazz flavored
and improvised encores.
Italian pianist Emanuele Arciuli performed the closing concert
of the Festival on April 12th with an extremely demanding
and fascinating program of music by Szymanowski, Beethoven,
Debussy, and Rzewski. Arciuli's first piece was Szymanowski's
"Sheherazade (from Masques)." Difficult both technically and
musically, Arciuli navigated this work as if it held no difficulties
for him. From the outset, Arciuli produced a solid and big
sound with an impressive dynamic range, and excellent projection,
articulation, and tonal color.
He then went on to adroitly capture the quality of maniacal
quirkiness in this music while simultaneously building up
layer upon layer of Sheherazade's story. Beethoven's late
"Sonata in C minor, Op. 111" proved equally impressive. In
this piece Arciuli displayed a breathlessly fast and powerful
left hand and very strong and propulsive fugal playing. The
opening section of the second movement was taken at a very
slow, but effective, tempo and was laden with fresh ideas
that grabbed and held the listener's attention. Arciuli's
was a deeply considered and powerfully moving performance.
Debussy's "Preludes, Book I" was astonishingly beautiful,
lyrical, and introspective. The probing nature of Arciuli's
playing seemed almost like conjuring, and repeatedly revealed
layers in the music that usually go undiscovered. Emotionally,
intellectually, aesthetically, spiritually-this performance
was engulfing. The final work, save for three short and delicately
beautiful encores, was Frederick Rzewski's mind bogglingly
difficult composition titled "Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues."
Although very rarely played in concert, I have heard this
work performed several times live, but never with the expressive
musicality Arciuli imbued it with. The work requires the pianist
to maintain a complicated, driving, and powerful thrusting
bass rhythm that is meant to remind the listener of a surging
steam locomotive and which requires the use of both hands
to play. Then, simultaneously, the pianist must add in tone
clusters to be played with the right-hand palm, hand, fist,
forearm, and elbow. Never have I heard this section of the
composition played so musically. Arciuli performed it with
such ease, expressiveness, and accuracy that he made it seem
like he was playing nothing more difficult than chopsticks!
The middle blues section was excellent too: sexy, seductive,
sensual, and coy. Arciuli is a remarkable artist. I hope he
returns regularly to South Florida.
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