*side note - sinusitis makes it very difficult to sleep! Hence the necessary coffee.
Now, I've never been an enormous fan of this rather bombastic piece. Much as I love Saint-Saens in various incarnations (some of his art songs are utterly divine - La lever de la lune particularly), this concerto strikes me as being a bit low on ideas. I have, however, been a fan of Ms. Kolesova throughout. This is fine playing. It's a tiny bit messy, but that's to be expected really. The one thing that's bothering me is that her personality somehow doesn't seem really big enough to make something really interesting of this work. There's no doubt she's thought it through, probably performed it many times before, and is well on top of all the technical traps - yet, the concerto is playing her. She's chasing it down commendably, and is right behind it at every turn. Therein lies the problem. I want her to be on top of it, or dragging it along in her wake.
Personality makes the pianist. This is what I don't understand - Hoang Pham may have been a very gentle musician, but his musical personality was strong and immediately recognisable. Mariangela Vacatello was so immediately and strikingly individual.
All the same, Ms. Kolesova's beautiful playing is scintillating and exciting... In fact it's very fine indeed and I would like to see her in the top three placings. She's not a winner in my eyes though. I think structure was lacking in the Saint-Saens.
Mind you, we have some goosebump-inducing moments here towards the end of the finale. Finally, here's the fireworks I've been waiting for! If she'd done this from the beginning, I would be throwing her a parade. The live audience loves it, and rightly so. Very fine. Her playing reminds me somewhat of Alexei Volodin from the 2000 competition - incredibly competent, more than usually interesting, yet still lacking that all-important star quality.
Now, I'm going to fast forward through the interview with the conductor. No offense intended. Just lack of time. I have my own practice to do today!
Tomoki Kitamura. Beethoven 4. Always struck me as a concerto in which risks outweigh benefits. Perhaps young Tomoki can convince me otherwise. Oh, there is such heart in his playing of the introduction. It gets me misty-eyed almost immediately. Beautifully crisp double thirds. Textures so clean. He seems to be soaring above the orchestra with his refined phrasing. Triplets a little unruly but I can forgive him that.
I think it would be unfair for Mr. Kitamura to win this competition - yet. He still seems completely on a different level to John Chen (OK, let's accept this turntable is broken, not just the record...) Yet I hope to see him high up in the placings as he has that elusive gift of a recognisable personality. He seems to be truly enjoying himself.
As am I! This is far finer playing than Ms. Kolesova's. I think she had a bit of an off-day.
Such pearly tone and grand intentions! I love it. However I'm still not sure why anyone would choose this particular concerto for competition purposes. I guess he's not really a Rachmaninoff player... although he may surprise me in years to come! There is a quiet strength in his playing that is highly intriguing and will no doubt develop into something quite amazing.
It's just not there yet. This round has, unfortunately, highlighted the age difference between Mr. Kitamura and his fellow finalists. It is beautiful playing - far above that of Alexandre Loubiantsev in the last competition - yet... I will be very surprised if he wins.
The audience has gone crazy, as is to be expected. Audience prize? I think so. I also think the Classic FM presenters are able to engineer this quite a bit, and relish doing so. Who would wish to disagree with the kind, motherly tones of Marian Arnold? Not I. (tee hee).
I want to hear Mr. Kitamura in ten, fifteen, twenty years' time. I want to hear the previous winner NOW. And four years ago.
Interesting point that G.W. just made - Horowitz talking about not practicing too much and going to art galleries, etc... by that logic, I should be the greatest pianist in the world. (I'm not bad. I'm just not a world-class soloist. However, I do other things well!)
Ran Dank and Prokofiev seems a recipe for enjoyment - Oh, just so wonderful, right from the first entrance! Goosebumps, shivers, pinpricks of tears. Such joy! The second theme is so delightfully unbalanced.
I am basking in this. It's so wonderful. Can he be beaten? Not in my mind. Recap of first theme is so beautifully judged. I don't even notice the technical merits of his playing because it LIVES. The fact remains, however, that it is blazingly accurate playing with a huge range of colour, expression and attack. Mr. Dank is a very fine collaborative musician but a born leader in a concerto. I want to clap after the first movement! So I do, in the privacy of my own home.
This is wonderful Prokofiev. Wonderful pianism. Wonderful musicianship. I really want him to win the competition. The last movement is utterly intoxicating. Clouds of exotically perfumed air. Totally wonderful.
BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO. Actually, perhaps Mr. Kitamura will not clinch the audience prize this time... the audience have gone utterly nuts about Ran Dank. Rightly so. Absolute mastery.
Now I'd better go, and do some of my own work.
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