SIPCA Semifinal 2

Mariangela Vacatello was well into her Beethoven E major sonata by the time I'd managed to turn on the radio this evening. So I missed my favourite part, the first movement.

I'm a bit head-fuzzy this evening, so when I found myself thinking "This Beethoven sounds a bit too much like Chopin" I realised that she had, in fact, moved on to the Chopin Scherzo in E major, which was very fine indeed. Virtuosic, romantic, open-hearted playing. Simply gorgeous. The Beethoven had a few rough edges, but she certainly meant every note. I like her. It's easy to see how she's won a few 2nd prizes in major competitions but not a 1st... she's not careful enough to win. Then again, John Chen was a winner and he's hardly careful...

Now we have Gaspard de la nuit. Ondine starts beautifully - I am biased, perhaps, because she's a woman.

*side note - I was practicing the piano this afternoon and reacquainting myself with the considerable difficulties of this piece. I've been playing it for almost ten years now, performed it numerous times and there is still much to learn and grasp about it.
It's unfolding just as I like it. Yes, this is glorious playing, absolutely spot-on. Full of colour and lightness. Surprising, after hearing her full-throttle (and slightly messy) Beethoven, that she's capable of such feather-light Ravel. Also, Ms. Vacatello is completely on top of the technical difficulties, especially those nasty double intervals! Very impressive. She's nailed the climax - a few dropped notes, but just the right feeling, so it doesn't matter.

This is a living, breathing, feminine Ondine.

Le Gibet gives me chills immediately. This is leaving Sergei Saratovsky's reading in the dust, I'm afraid. The tolling bell is ominously clear at all times, no matter what else is going on. I almost feel like blocking my ears to shut the bells out. Which is exactly what I should feel like. It's just wonderful. Not over-romanticised. Not stretched out. Simple, dark, and chilling. Perfect.

Scarbo's quietly creeping out from under the bed... Goodness me. How WONDERFUL! Ms. Vacatello is taking risks, giving it space to breathe, and it is wonderfully imaginative. I LOVE IT! She's so in control of this she's capable of playing around with it. That's a tough ask. A couple of bung notes, but in the pursuit (and catching) something absolutely incredible. I hope it doesn't hurt her chances of a finals berth - she's a wonderful artist.

Oh, wow. I absolutely adored that Gaspard. She's got my vote.

Daniil Tsvetkov is turning out a very idiomatic Shostakovich E minor. I love this trio, in fact it was a subject of obsession in my mid-teens. The first movement was very exciting, but it didn't really breathe. A bit rushed. Wow, I thought the first was rushed. The second is so fast the violinist can barely manage it. Mr. Tsvetkov is handling it very well, however. It's exciting, although I'd prefer a bit more rough-edged in this movement. It's a sort of brutal, crushing dance, and I'm not feeling that. It all seems a bit "Let's just go for it and I'll (hopefully) see you at the end". I'm not sold. I wasn't really sold on this pianist yesterday, either. It's very rushed. He sort of makes it work but not quite.

The chords at the opening of the third movement are too ostentatiously dramatic for my liking. Sorry, Mr. Tsvetkov, I don't buy it. It's like a soapie actor 'doing Shakespeare'. Well, now that the strings have come in, it's a bit more believable. I'd like the fourth movement to be ominous yet darkly funny, but I'm not sure I'll get my wish. Nope. It's just a bit harsh. Pity.

The really great competitors (whether they win or not) make something magical in the chamber music stage. This isn't it. Finally we have some excitement happening, but whether it's due to the pianist or the music itself, I can't be sure. The cruel, mocking waltz just comes across as a bit nice. Oh, well.

Gerard Willems and I certainly concur on Ms. Vacatello's Gaspard. Surprise of all surprises, we also concur about Mr. Tsvetkov. Two for two! That's unusual.

Takashi Sato, on the Kawai, starts with Beethoven Op.27 no.1 in E flat. I'm a bit bored, which surprises me with this pianist. He's been so interesting thus far.

Bored, then startled. It's all a bit nice! What's happening?? Oh, here we go, with the martial theme of the 2nd movement he hits his stride. Now I'm listening. The rest of the sonata is excellent. Very interesting indeed, and impeccably well-handled.

The Chopin begins gorgeously, yet it seems pallid after hearing Mariangela Vacatello. It is very tender, expressive playing, all the same. However I keep tuning in and out. Is it my short attention span, or is it Mr. Sato's playing? Not quite sure. It is poetic, and lovely, but slightly pallid. Well, the second movement finds Mr. Sato much more in his element with its sparkling filigree. Gorgeous! Exciting!

The slow movement is... square. It's lovely, but Chopin needs more air to please my ears. It's so perfectly rhythmical. Why? If I want to hear perfectly defined quavers, I'll listen to Bach. I will allow Mr. Sato this - he makes a lovely sound. Quite feminine, actually. Not harsh or driven.

Why does the incredibly exciting final movement sound drab? This is not easy to do. I once heard a very drab pianist play this and I still enjoyed it more than this. Maybe Mr. Sato is tired. There's no triumphance (I just invented that word) in the cascading semiquavers, although they are perfectly in place. The audience loved it, but they're loving everyone by this stage.

Oh, dear. Didn't grab me at all. Nothing like when John Chen played it back in 2004. I was there in the audience, and I was spellbound. (Yeah, yeah, broken record...)

Ran Dank now. Brahms trio again. One of my favourite competitors. Hopefully he will remain so. Immediately it's obvious that he is a sensitive collaborative musician, he's really with his strings. This is chamber music. I'm a bit spellbound. I don't even have much to say, it's gorgeous. I don't really know the piece well enough to go into detailed comment.

However, this is by far the finest chamber music performance so far. I shall end this post on that note.