SIPCA Mozart take 2

The last 30 seconds of Takashi Sato's Mozart B flat major sounded rather facile, but I can't comment on the rest of it as I came in late to this broadcast.


The red wine head-fuzzy has given way to an unfortunate attack of the winter ills. So perhaps clarity will still be lacking in my prose this evening!

Nicholas Milton is talking a lot again. I guess it's interesting but my head hurts. I'm looking forward to hearing Eric Zuber play the D minor concerto, followed by Konstantin Shamray with another B flat minor.

So. Eric Zuber. I do love this concerto, just for the record. I'm so predictable... I'm not sure yet if I'm enjoying Mr. Zuber's performance or if I just love the music. Actually, I believe Mr. Zuber's playing lacks a little backbone at this point. It's just a bit faceless. It's very nice, yes, but it's lacking personality. He's also dropping a fair few notes, which is playing around with the harmonic structure. Oh, I'm such a hard mistress... Not so much loving this cadenza, which just about made me think we were in the middle of Rachmaninoff 3.

I want to like this, yet somehow I'm failing to. This is perhaps my problem and not Mr. Zuber's. Or perhaps it is his problem. The second movement is soporific. Again, that could be just me... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

How can the opening of the 3rd movement be so underwhelming? AND an accidental E-flat instead of E in the WORST possible place... sigh. Not helping his cause here, I'm afraid. However I'll listen to his Tchaikovsky with interest. I hope it has more personality than this Mozart. Perhaps he's holding back. Well the concerto sounds like misplaced Rachmaninoff again. Sigh. Afraid I'm not convinced. He's dropping loads of notes too. I did hear this part of Ran Dank's performance and it absolutely left this one in the dust. G.W. likes it, because of the 'intellect'. Really? sigh...

I hope that Konstantin Shamray has some inspiring pianism to keep me awake. Well this is at least a bit more interesting. There's not a lot to say, it's pretty smooth and flawless. It doesn't jump out at me, however, that might just be a good thing. Wonderful crispness of attack, beautifully phrased and polished. Not overtly muscular. Lovely first movement. Oh there is some exquisite playing in the slow movement. It's interesting and beautiful.

My hope has been fulfilled! I'm awake and enjoying this very much. Thank you, Mr. Shamray!