Friday
Oct 28, 2005
SGN.org
Volume 33
Issue 43
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Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008
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ANDRAS SCHIFF at Meany Theater: Serious music making or pompous noise? |
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| ANDRAS SCHIFF at Meany Theater: Serious music making or pompous noise? | ||
| By Rod Parke
- SGN A&E Writer
The recital by pianist Andras Schiff at Meany Theater was special for several reasons, not the least of which was his particular brand of artistry. But he also taught us a couple things. First, he gave us a lesson in piano sounds by using two very different pianos for the two halves of his program. Though I prefer the Steinway overall, the Bossendorfer has a much purer sound in the treble range. By comparison, the Steinway's mid-and upper-treble is messy, adding a "ringing" sound to the basic notes. (The Bossendorfer would show a much simpler, cleaner sine wave for these notes on an oscilloscope.) But the Bossendorfer also has a somewhat unruly, plumy (unfocused) bass, which Schiff, nonetheless, kept under masterful control. So, for the earlier works, Schiff chose the purer upper range of the Bossendorfer, saving the focused bass and fatter treble of the Steinway for the later Haydn and the Beethoven "Waldstein" sonata. Second, about 3 minutes into the "Waldstein," the pianist stopped playing, turned to the audience, and said, "I can't concentrate with such loud coughing. Let's take a little break while you have a good cough, and then we'll try again." At which point he left the stage to the enthusiastic applause of shocked, but grateful audience members like me. As Matt, the Meany sound engineer, held the stage door open for the pianist, Schiff said to him, "For an hour and a half I've endured that coughing!" He returned moments later, and nary a cough was heard the rest of the evening. (The Seattle P-I reviewer chided Schiff and claimed there was only one cough. Obviously, he wasn't listening.) I will resist the urge to deliver a long sermon on audience decorum. But I offer these suggestions: muffle your coughs in a coat or scarf; exhale before coughs or sneezes to reduce their loudness; unwrap candies/cough drops BEFORE the music begins; and above all don't fuss with your program during the music because paper makes loud noises when moved. (Reading the program during the music is extremely rude to the performer and reveals that you are not really listening to the music!) Oh, I could say so much more. One has the right to hear a concert with as little disturbance as possible. So, "How did he play?" you might ask. Almost, but not quite, like a purist. He did not use the pedal at all in the first half. Everything was a model of clarity, with finely etched phrases, each one of which knew exactly where it was going. The tone was perhaps a little spare but beautiful throughout. Not the only way I would want to hear these pieces, but a delight nevertheless. The first half consisted of Haydn's "Capriccio in G Major," and "Sonata in E Minor" and Beethoven's early "Sonata No. 16 in G Major." After the intermission came Haydn's "Variations in F Minor" and Beethoven's "Waldstein" sonata. Where he was less than a purist was revealed in the opening moments of the "Waldstein." Here he did indeed take the traditional but unwritten retard at the end of the descending arpeggios. A purist would stick to what Beethoven put on the page. Schiff is an artist of obviously strong convictions. I found his choices intelligent and rewarding to hear. Everything had musical intent, vitality, and appeal. In fact, he made the last movement of the "Waldstein" sonata more enjoyable than I have ever heard before. The more lyrical passages therein were almost dreamy, like something out of Debussy, and contrasted beautifully with the more percussive parts that have always reminded me of a carillon "ring down." Would I hear Andras Schiff again? In a heartbeat! I liked his seriousness, which some took as pomposity, but which I saw as total commitment to the music. In striving to play the music as he thinks the composer intended, Schiff ended up playing it in a manner unlike any other pianist. I found that fascinating. Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached be e-mail at: rmp62@columbia.edu |
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