The last hurdle of SIPCA

Prokofiev is very much in my psyche at the moment. Tortured and longing. Angry at the world. General feeling of unhappiness. Or perhaps I'm in Prokofiev's psyche? Either way, it seems very right for me to listen to Prokofiev at the present time.

Konstantin Shamray and Prokofiev are an intoxicating combination. I'm not sure if it's the drunk-makingly moody Second Piano Concerto's fault though... Mr. Shamray is endearing himself to me more than ever before. This is really wonderful playing. There's a hint of squareness where there shouldn't be, however. Unlike the wonderful performance of Daniel Hill (hang on, he calls himself Daniel De Borah these days) four years past. Still, Mr. Shamray is full of excitement and darkness. It's that wonderful Slavic moodiness, with which I have plenty of experience.

Sigh. It's getting slightly bangy and messy now. That said, it is very exciting all the same. I am having a visceral reaction to it. Yet in this case, unlike the earlier Prokofiev 3, I'm not sure if it's the pianist or the music or both. Ran Dank and Prokofiev were inseparable and awe-inspiring. This seems a bit... patchwork. Bits tacked together with little sense of a whole. Perhaps, however, that is the fault of the concerto.

The second movement is fleet and accurate. An odd thought just struck me - I'd like to hear Tomoki Kitamura tackle this piece. Anyway. It flew by in a haze of clean fingerwork. It strikes me as just a bit too studied. Mind you, I do quite like the macabre humour he's brought to the third movement. Somehow I get the impression that's about the only kind that would have made Prokofiev laugh...

Wow the finale takes off, and Mr. Shamray is firmly in the driver's seat at this stage. It's been an oddly uneven performance with moments of real brilliance yet lots of mis-hits. The beautifully rhapsodic second theme is glorious to behold. Oh. Until he gets to the chordal recapitulation of it, then it sort of gets square and bangy again. I'd adore his playing if he could get rid of the square bangy-ness.

Oh yes. That's smart, people. Clap at the wrong time... Seriously, is it THAT hard to know when a concerto's actually finished? I think not. If in doubt, wait it out.

There are wonderful moments where Mr. Shamray is truly inside the music and its scary moodiness. Just moments, however. The grand dash to the finish line is one of these moments, albeit a slightly extended one.

OK. So the audience really seemed to enjoy that. Sigh. I would not be surprised if he wins. I guess all along I've thought he'd be a safe choice for winner... I wouldn't pick him though. Yikes. Maybe he'll win the audience prize now? Goodness. They are absolutely loving him! Then again, I remember being at the final concerto session in 2004. The audience was absolutely packed full, and the atmosphere was one of incredible excitement. Much more so than any other session I'd attended. The young piano students were out in force, perhaps having saved their pennies for the final (I was sort of in that boat myself).

Well it certainly seems to have made an impression. I wonder what it was like live? That's always the test. G.W. loves it. Then again I don't always agree with him. However, from his description, Mr. Shamray sounds like quite a character. G.W. seems to have perceived the structure that I didn't. I'm not willing to admit that I was wrong, yet!

I find D. Beaumont rather likeable, but he does ask the most interminably frustrating questions at times... sigh.

Takashi Sato up next with Beethoven 5. A concerto I know very well, having played second piano several times for concerto exams at universities. Also somewhat of a teenage obsession of mine.
Well. Here we have a confident, extroverted opening. Very enjoyable indeed. I like Mr. Sato's way with Beethoven. I have mentioned before that I admire his tone - that beautiful sound is much in evidence here. It is all very well-controlled and accurate, right in time with the orchestra and beautifully shaped. Oh I love the B-minor/major section so much and it has just the right feathery touch. Gorgeous. Just a touch of rubato. Beethoven's romp through tonalities in this concerto is fascinating. I must confess to happily bopping away in the B-flat triplet section. It's so happy and it makes me happy! Couldn't be further from Prokofiev at this moment.

Oh yes, this is wonderful playing. Mr. Sato has won me over. Nothing jarring about it. Polished, beautiful, and interesting at last. A wonderfully wise choice by this pianist. Takashi Sato has saved his trump card until now, but was that a wise decision? Time will tell. What an exciting cadenza! So beautifully structured. This is big-boned yet very refined Beethoven. Simply glorious. A couple of cracked notes but this is one of those times it honestly doesn't matter.

The divine beauty of the second movement has gently crept upon me. This music, to me, is the expression of deepest, most profound love and beauty.
Mr. Sato's integration of the appogiature into the line is seamless and beautiful. So many pianists shock me there. This is pure, unadulterated gorgeousness.

I am crying. Big, fat tears pouring down my cheeks. This would be embarrassing if I were not at home alone. As it stands, I will simply relish being moved.

Love love love this finale - it seems to be almost the antithesis of the cruel dance in Shostakovich's E minor Piano Trio. (Makes me wonder if that's deliberate on Shostakovich's part, keeping in mind the slow movement of his 2nd piano concerto and its known links to the slow movement of this concerto) In this performance, Mr. Sato has it. Whatever it is. Just wonderful, wonderful playing. Now I want him in the top 3 too. Um. Whoops. A seriously misjudged run becomes atonal... ah well. With playing of such beauty I can forgive him that, and he's recovered magically. Magic! YES! Magic. Absolutely. Quite a bit of fierceness too. What a wonderful trill! Sigh. I am running out of superlatives for this amazing performance. Brilliant ending! However I feel it deserves far more applause than it's getting. Well, he won't win the audience prize. G.W. doesn't like it that much, either, which I expected. Especially given his self-styled "Beethoven expert" tag... (I don't mean that in a snide manner at all- he plays extremely fine Beethoven) I guess he has to show his expertise here. I liked it, anyway.

Eric Zuber is the last one. I will have to cut my commentary short - I must get ready to go out for the evening! I'll be out when the announcement is made, which is a bit of a frustration but as I said yesterday I do adore my friends and one can't spend their life being a blog-writing hermit.
Tchaikovsky 1. I love this. Have even played it myself. A suitable vehicle for my rather fierce and masculine pianism.

Oh, yay. The horns didn't splat the first note. (Maybe the fourth or fifth). Mr. Zuber has the requisite big, warm sound in the opening chords. Very generous of spirit. In his hands at this moment they are not just chords - they are beautiful and expressive. I believe he really loves this piece. So generous! Goosebumps. Visceral reaction again. I knew his Tchaikovsky would interest me. It is only the beginning of the first movement and already I feel that like Takashi Sato, Mr. Zuber has saved the best for last. This is FIERCE! As well - proportioned as Michaelangelo's David, yet even more handsome. Oh. What a pity. He's dropped the ball a bit in the second theme. It's a bit clunky, not quite dancing enough. Still, I like it.

Getting a sense of deja vu here. In 2000, Marina Kolomiitseva played the same concerto, and was also the last competitor. I didn't think she was particularly good (dull as dishwater about sums it up) but she won. Eric Zuber far outstrips her. You can really hear his big-ness in this particular concerto. I felt his Mozart was underdone. A bit too pink in the centre. This is evenly roasted. (Yes, in my spare time, I love to cook!) I love the way he delays, ever so slightly, the climactic moments, which makes me want them all the more. (Whoever says music is nothing like sex is clearly uneducated in one or the other).

Mr. Zuber is clearly excited, and it is certainly infectious! Perhaps a little over-excited at times, but I can't fault him for that! It is Tchaikovsky, after all! Such a variety of interesting, pearly tone in the cadenza. This is great playing. What a fabulous end to the first movement!

It is easy to believe that Mr. Zuber has a deep love and respect for this concerto. He performs it with the utmost reverence. So often it's dashed off as a showpiece, but not today. Every note is music. The slow movement is utterly ravishing. The 'fairy wings' (my nickname for it) part is perfectly in place and dances gorgeously. I will stay until the opening of the third movement to give some general impressions but then I really must go and get ready.

Well, it's very good. Wondered if it could use more brutality, but that came in soon enough. It will take a HUGE mishap in the next few minutes to change my mind about how much I love this performance. Now, I'm off.

Goodness me. I just can't pick a winner. If you'd asked me this morning I would have said I'd like Ran Dank without a doubt, but with so many terrific showings it's difficult. Now, I think the only thing that would annoy me utterly is if Tatiana Kolesova was announced as winner. I just don't think she did enough, despite her wonderful early round. Also Tomoki Kitamura, who is just too young in spirit, although immensely talented.