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Sunday, Sep 07, 2008
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From subtle to powerful, Romanian pianist has it all |
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| From subtle to powerful, Romanian pianist has it all | ||
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by Rod Parke -
SGN A&E Writer Ursuleasa piano recital Wednesday, January 30 Meany Theater The more power music has to move us, the more unfathomable that power becomes. I can't begin to explain why or how Bruckner takes me to swimming pools of ecstasy, reducing me to a sobbing idiot. Likewise, the ability of some artists to make manifest the power that lies hidden in a piece of music is quite mysterious, no matter how much we may understand about phrasing, dynamics, and all the stylistic techniques a musician must master. Thus it was that I sat amazed in Meany Hall at the spell being cast over me by Mihaela Ursuleasa, a 29-year-old pianist from Romania. Her opening work was a set of variations by Mozart to a theme by Gluck. Her playing here revealed not a hint of the intense spring wound up inside her. Instead of trying to wow us with brilliant technique or modern super-clarity, she caressed the phrases with musical tenderness, seldom if ever rising above a moderate volume. I felt myself being lulled into a state of relaxed bliss. The "Ten Variations, K. 455" was more sung than played. The effect was supremely musical, but far from anything to make one sit up and take notice. Likewise, Schumann's "Fantasiestücke, Op. 12" began with the most beautifully sustained softness & a gossamer web of almost painful utterance that seemed to arise from deep in the composer's soul. Schumann is not one of my favorite composers, yet this pianist not only kept my interest but also made the music seem very special. I even felt she was showing us something of the delicate imbalance that was later to upset Schumann's sanity. This work also served as the perfect vehicle through which to gradually release the technical brilliance so far hidden in the player. As moods shifted, so too did the dynamics and facility of our pianist! In fact, her ability to contrast her well-established soft playing with every level of volume, without ever approaching banging the keys, became a source of wonderment. And her control of dynamics was unsurpassed in my experience, being able to sustain several different volume levels simultaneously. The last of the eight "fantasy pieces" provided quite a technical show with nonetheless no loss of musicality. A rousing end of the first half of the program. For all the beguiling appeal of her photo, Mihaela Ursuleasa was all business on stage. She walked on after intermission, just as at the start, in her maroon velour slacks and black blouse, only slightly acknowledging the audience, and immediately began playing. For the Rachmaninoff "Etudes tableaux, Op. 39," it was as though her energy suddenly found a welcome release in the technical extremes of the music. Only occasionally did the soft gentleness of earlier return. Instead, we witnessed a power and facility to match that of nearly every young pianist in today's super-crowded field of astounding artists. I confess the technical fireworks overshadowed, for me at times, the musical content, so that I lost the trail (if there was one) in this work. No doubt, greater familiarity with the Rachmaninoff would have yielded greater musical riches. But there was no escaping the amazing display of talent. For encores, Ursuleasa wowed us with a delightful change of mood to the joyous "Toccata" by Romanian composer Paul Constantinescu, called "Joc Dobrogean." It was a technical tour de force, great fun and a real crowd pleaser. She then made an absolutely perfect end by playing one of the Chopin Nocturnes (unannounced), returning to her unequalled sustained soft playing and again spinning an intoxicating spell. The rather under-sold audience will, I'm sure, spread the word about his astounding musician. I know I shall not miss any future Seattle appearances! Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached at rod@sgn.org. |
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