Ran Dank's Mozart - a belated listen

I was in a seemingly unassailable good mood earlier today. However, this mood has since been assailed in a rather serious manner. What else for it but to take the reminder from a kind blog commenter and have a listen to Ran Dank's Mozart on the ABC website?

Very glad I am doing so. It is indeed masterful playing and if this man doesn't win the competition I will be very cross. Therefore I am preparing to be very cross, because aside from the extremely mind-bogglingly brilliant John Chen, my favourites have never won. In 1996 (when I was just a slip of a girl but still had very clear opinions) it was the incredible Gabor Rosza, who shockingly didn't make it past the semifinals... with Brahms like his? For goodness' sake. I still remember it. Ah well. In 2000, Ayako Uehara was the clear winner in my mind, followed closely by Henry Wong Doe (yet another wonderful pianist from New Zealand. Is there something in the water?) and yet the utterly boring Marina Kolomiitseva took the honours. Unbelievable.

Such maturity and refinement. Glorious. I really do love this concerto, especially when played as well as this. Oh, what a wonderful cadenza! Spellbinding. Stunning. Ran Dank, although one of the older competitors, falls into the 'ageless genius' category I keep harping on about.

The start of the second movement is utterly wow. W.O.W.

I don't have much to say. This is good. Final movement is incredibly exciting. Well, I remember it from the other night.

BRAVO.

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!

SIPCA Mozart... take 1!

Ran Dank has just finished a very well-received Mozart D minor.

I wish I'd heard the rest of it, only managed to catch half of the final movement. Ah well. I was actually watching Scrubs on Foxtel... nothing like a bit of silly comedy!

Pity, though, I missed probably the one pianist I'd really like to see win this thing. Well anyway I'll hear his Prokofiev 3, which will be something to behold I'm sure.

G. W. likes it. he's saying MASTERFUL. I wish I'd heard it. Whoops.

Next we have Tomoki Kitamura, who will play the first of the two G major concerti he has chosen.

I have had several glasses of red wine, and am rather head-fuzzy so my commentary may become less than lucid. Then again, it might just get better!!!

Nicholas Milton is talking talking talking. I want to hear Tomoki!

OK here we go. K 453 in G major. Very nice. Very clean. Excellent choice for him. Pretty flawless and beautiful so far. Very nice 1st movement cadenza.

Just spilled red wine on self, must clean up before posting further. Oops!

Loved the 1st movement. 2nd movement has wonderful simplicity and directness. There's a boldness of attack that I very much like. Boldness and delicacy. There's not a lot else to say. Or I can't think of it anyway.

3rd movement is whizzing by in a very pleasant manner. I like Mr. Kitamura's playing very much. I don't know if it inspires devotion in me, but it is nice all the same. I certainly envy his ability to not make mistakes. Something I never quite mastered.

Audience loves it. I'm sure I love it too... or am I? Hmm. He's no John Chen, but he's damn good for his age. Mind you he is small and cute-looking which the punters always like. G. W. is back now. He likes it. Of course. Apparently it suited Tomoki very well. Yes. I think so too.
Except G. W. doesn't like it as much as he liked Ran Dank I think. Me neither, I think. However I am not so sure.

I don't care so much anymore, now that Mariangela Vacatello and Hoang Pham aren't in it anymore. Or maybe it's the red wine? Wheeeeeee!

OK. Interval. So. I didn't like The Piano Shop on the Left Bank when I read it myself. I like it even less when I hear someone else reading it. Oh thank goodness it's over.

Oh GOOD! Tatiana Kolesova. She better not be vanilla, or I'll scream. She's convincing me thus far. It's full of passion and vitality. Chocolate, maybe. Cherries? Hmm.
Oh yes. I like a cadenza that goes to the furthest possible key (E flat major) immediately! Very good. Some dropped notes but who cares? I sure don't. Especially given I can't do it myself so who am I to criticise?

In fact, one could say that about this entire blog. Therefore I retract that comment.

Yes. This is nice, but I liked what I heard of Ran Dank better. Yup. definitely. He's my new pick, based on tonight's head-fuzzy observations. However, this is a romantic, soulful interpretation from Ms. Kolesova, that has many meritous qualities. Is that a word? Well it is now.

Audience is going madly crazy! the deep voice of Gerard is now upon us. He says she was more physical and muscular than Ran Dank and he thinks overstated. Fair enough. Yes, agreed that it's very capable. He thinks Mozart isn't her. Fair enough.

Well. That's it for my red wine-induced commentary for this evening! Back tomorrow!

Similar - but different.

Over the weekend I found myself partaking of the delights offered by an International Film Festival, whilst visiting a friend in another city. We used the "eenie, meenie, miney, mo" method of film selection, which worked out quite well.

Friday evening we watched The Truth about Queen Raquela, which was based on true events surrounding Raquela, a Ladyboy living in Cebu City, Phillipines, who desires to go to Europe and make a new life for herself (and meet the man of her dreams). Not everything went quite to plan for her, but she acquitted herself with the utmost grace and seems a very warm-hearted, humorous person. We enjoyed it thoroughly.

Saturday we ended up seeing "811", a Singaporean musical about a Getai group called the Papaya sisters. The movie description gave us the idea it would be fluffy bubblegum with little real story - not at all. As well as being incredibly colourful and full of joy, there was a much darker side to the story which we didn't expect but found very welcome.

Two great films that I probably wouldn't normally go and see, but I'm glad I did.

Not too sure why they picked the six they did. 

Where is Hoang Pham? Yoon Soo Rhee? 

Hmm. Whatever. I can't see a clear winner from this six. Bring back 2004, when it was all easy and exciting.

It's been an interesting afternoon session of SIPCA semifinals...

Miyeon Lee gave us some seductive Scriabin, bite-less Beethoven, fascinating Holliger, and an up-and-down Dante Sonata. I find much to enjoy in her playing, but much to quibble with also. Her Dante had me jumping out of my skin at times, only to fall so very flat at others. I still find her an interesting artist, however, so I wouldn't mind seeing her progress.


Charlie Albright brought us the Archduke Trio, which was a bit young-sounding, although beautifully played. He is an interesting musician, that is for sure. Yet... still I'm not 100% convinced.


Yoon Soo Rhee is well and truly besting her countrywoman. I'm glad I'm listening to her in the afternoon, because I am enjoying her playing THOROUGHLY. Especially the Five Klavierstucke by Yun, which were very fine indeed. Not music I'm familiar with, but I'd like to be. Her Ravel is also extremely fine - Oiseaux tristes a dark rainbow of colour; Une barque given an exciting, stormy feel; and the Alborada full of passion and virtuosity. It lacks some of the polish given to it by Hoang Pham, however, so I'll have to put it in second place thus far. Her Beethoven, to start, was beautifully shaded... yet so full of presence. So much presence!

Well, well, this is a great Rigoletto-Paraphrase! One that singers could keep up with, for the most part! Scintillating fingerwork, and gorgeous singing melodic lines. I am a fan. BRAVO, Yoon Soo Rhee. A wonderful, wonderful recital!

I admire female pianists who aren't afraid to (or are capable of) making a big sound, with big ideas and DARING.

Now we have Eric Zuber, with the Mendelssohn Trio in D minor. Thank goodness not everyone's playing it this time... in 2000 and 2004, this and the Arensky were almost all anybody did. This year there's a bit more variety, however, there are quite a few Brahms B minor...

So far, so good. He seems to be attentive to his strings, even with all the bubbling notes of the Mendelssohn piano part. I like this better than I liked his last recital. Gorgeous second movement. A beautifully shaped performance that was attentive and a pleasure to listen to. Nothing like his crash, bang, bash performance of the Nutcracker suite!

I'm listening, but...

I'm going away tomorrow, for the weekend, and have stuff to do. So my update will be less comprehensive this time, and after the fact as opposed to a running commentary.