Greetings for 2014

Little Nastia's Dream on the New Year Eve by V.A. Gavrilin

В. Гаврилин. «Настенькин сон под Новый год»

A World Premiere!

A student at the Vancouver North Shore Music Academy in the class of composer and teacher Alexander Pechenyuk, our son Antoine Villéger, 7 y old, premiered his own composition: "Sarabande with Variations"  Op.1 (2013) this Sunday November 24th during their fall recital...

... Coincidentally on Alfred Schnittke's birthday, most definitely a good omen!

P.S.: At the 2014 North Shore Music Festival, Antoine received the trophy for Creative Composition

In Memory...

Yuri Nikolaevsky, the conductor, colleague and friend of Alfred Schnittke (1934-1998) who conducted my performance of the Concerto for Piano & Strings ten years ago in Omsk passed away in November 2003.

So in memory of both the maestro and the composer, here is Schnittke's lovely piano 4 hands Sonatina composed in 1994.

Bach & Backhands...

Having my Bach French Suite No. 5 BWV 816 presented alongside Gould's, Serkin's and others in John Terauds' Musical Toronto latest blog post about illustrating interpretation versus realisation, I thought interesting to put side by side two different processes that yet share similarities and reinforce each other. This 7 y old is 2 weeks into studying the Little Prelude in D minor BWV 926 and has been now 6 months training on the courts... combining Bach and backhands! 

allmusic subtle art of reviewing...

Allmusic.com Blair Sanderson unsolicited review of Svetlana’s CD live recording of her May 15, 2010 performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor with the Omsk Academic Symphony Orchestra was originally short, to the point and yet factually incorrect:

Svetlana Ponomarëva's performance of Sergey Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, with the Omsk Academic Symphony Orchestra under Dmitry Vasiliev was recorded live on May 15, 2010, at the Omsk Filarmonia Concert Hall as part of Shebalin Music College's 90th anniversary concert. The youthful pianist demonstrates abundant energy and bravado in this perennially popular concerto, and the student orchestra rises to the occasion by giving her a strong accompaniment throughout. This recording is not divided into separate tracks per movement, but plays as one track.

Upon accidentally discovering the review in 2012, I quickly sought to correct and inform allmusic:

 Comment on Blair Sanderson's review: "This recording is not divided into separate tracks per movement, but plays as one track." Thank you for reviewing our recording. As the producer I must precise the reason for the one track and also correct the mistake suggesting that the OAS orchestra was a "student" orchestra (see below). Indeed, this recording plays as one track because it was a one time live performance and that in order to recreate the feeling and emotion, I chose to put the listener in the same situation than those who attended the concert. The Omsk Academic Symphony Orchestra is NOT a student orchestra. It is a celebrated professional orchestra conducted by a young yet experienced conductor. Here is their website: http://omfil.ru/

Since then, our 2011 "Musique de France" CD appeared by itself, added to Svetlana’s allmusic roster, but without review. Recently, we discovered the Rachmaninov review was finally updated and seriously augmented. However, the tone of the review changed:

"Regrettably, the quality of the recording is mediocre, and whatever brilliance may have been in evidence in the concert hall is seriously muffled in the amateurishly handled audio. The position of the microphone seems crucial to this situation, for it not only seems well to the side of Ponomarëva but in a disadvantageous position to pick up the orchestra (possibly placed in the audience, if the applause and calls at the end give any indication). Assuming that the piano and orchestra were well-balanced from the audience's angle, with good acoustics, then Ponomarëva probably played with the right dynamics and the instruments were likely at appropriate levels. But the evidence on this recording suggests a bass-heavy piano sound and an orchestra that goes in and out of focus through much of the piece. Because of the thick, tubby sound, Ponomarëva's playing is hard to judge, and too much of the peformance (sic) has to be taken on faith. With superior recordings of this concerto available, the only reason to have this one is for the sake of documenting this artist early in her career."

I would have imagined that Blair Sanderson had time to visit Svetlana’s website and appreciate the circumstances under which the recording was made. In fact, I do believe he did and also has been reading some well known blog to boot in order to weave a legitimate technical point into a personal tirade on her musicianship. So I’ll be happy to answer Mr. Sanderson’s criticism and some more. The performance was recorded on a Roland Edirol R1 set at 24 bit 44.1 kHz and mastered on Wavelab 6 without any sound compression (the low input level required to avoid orchestra's fortissimos saturation explains the surface noise too). 

From where I sat, here is a photograph taken during the beginning of the finale. The Edirol was beside me about 2 ft higher on a tripod; so much for “well to the side of P...”

On this image, Mr. Sanderson will also notice the abundance of microphones placed among musicians and legitimately wonder about the reason that would have pushed us to choose the backup Edirol versus professional taping to issue our CD. Well, guess what Blair? Their equipment failed in mid concert, recording the first Mozart part but quitting in the middle of the Rachmaninov’s Moderato. They made a few attempts at restarting which created two loud  thumps audible in our recording.

We posted extracts here and here on YouTube, taken from a different angle by a professional videographer whose camera sound unfortunately was compressed yet showed the clarity and intensity Svetlana achieved during this performance as well as the moved audience's response. So you do not have to take it on faith.

Finally, I'll agree with you many other recordings do bring state of the art recording technology. So do I when I listen through professional grade JBL monitors and can deconstruct a carefully assembled supposedly “live” CD, that critics just like you took at their name faced value. Let me quote your own review of that one:

"In the concerto, Wang's delicate and refined playing might have been obscured by Rachmaninov's thick mid-range scoring, and a large orchestra would have made recording her extremely difficult, if not utterly pointless. But Wang is perfectly audible with scaled-down forces, so the concerto works brilliantly in this case. The Rhapsody is a more skillfully wrought composition, and it offers more transparent orchestral writing. Here, Wang's performance with the orchestra almost has the intimate feeling and clarity of chamber music, and everything sounds fantastic. Abbado certainly knows how to balance the sound of the orchestra to complement Wang, and the partnership between conductor and soloist works well to show the music to best advantage". 

Blaming Rachmaninov for thick textures because a full orchestra may cover their star pianist opens a fascinating new perspective in the subtle art of reviewing! 

At least, our effort was a true “live” recording despite its unfortunate technical shortcomings and Svetlana’s music making did not include one artificial or meaningless inflection; youthful indeed! Perhaps Mr Sanderson may be well inspired listening to the lesser publicized 1924 recording by the composer and tell us if its midrange nasal sound condemns his music making...

Dr. Marc Villéger

P.S.: As of 2016, it looks as if the original review has been posted back.

Jurassic Bach!

In order to play Bach in style

you don’t have to wear a Baroque outfit

or use an authentic instrument…

Just follow the R-r-r-rules

Minuet in G Major BWV 116

Played by a 7 year old "Tyrannosaurus"...

Five stories about Vancouver

After my May 2013 Omsk recital (part 1 & part 2) I was asked about life in Vancouver and the interview is now available -in Russian- on the "Business Course" magazine website.

Bravo Beatrice!

In what will undoubtedly turn out to be a blessing in disguise, the Cliburn jury awarded only a Silver Medal to exceptional Italian pianist Beatrice Rana!

Her receiving the "Audience Award" at least did not lie...

Play Me!

Coming back from my hometown Omsk via London Heathrow, I sacrificed to the rite of spring PR and played the white piano, coming up with my most moving performance yet. Thanks to a maintenance agent's kindness, this Lebrecht's Slipped Disc worthy moment was recorded for posterity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlhCHPFiQbU&feature=youtu.be

However, nobody recognized me... Except an old guy, who thought I was Daniel Barenboim playing Chopin.

Post Scriptum May 27, 2013:

Case in point: an ironic video borne out of a minor blogging spat got full treatment that playing Bach in style, releasing Schnittke piano sonatas or playing inspired Rachmaninov “live” could not, QED.


Post Scriptum May 28, 2013:

Aside from Joplin' in an airport, I play a recital about every 6 months... From my May 20, 2013 recital in Omsk

Post Scriptum May 31, 2013:

And the story has legs of its own...

No Concerto for You!

 

On April 9, 2013, it will be ten years since my Omsk performance of Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto for Piano & Strings with maestro Yuri Nikolaevsky (see photos), a colleague and friend of the composer, who sadly passed away in November 2003.

This concert was recorded despite the professional crew not showing up and during all these years, over 30,000 hits and supportive comments from strangers have made this performance of the Concerto the most viewed on YouTube!

Optimistic, we were expecting that at home in Canada, at least some organization would have been eager to introduce this repertoire to its audience.

In 2004, we submitted the idea to our friend maestro Eri Klas, a personal friend of Schnittke who also premiered some of his most emblematic works, who agreed to conduct the reputable local Radio Orchestra in a Russian program including the Concerto. As details were being ironed out, we invited the CBC producer to a little gathering at home with our representative. A jubilant mention of Khrennikov around a glass of wine should have made us suspicious! A week later, we were informed that the producer was going after the maestro, behind our back, looking at bringing a better known Canadian pianist... Honest people withdrew and the concert never happened. Welcome to Vancouver: so much politics for 30 minutes of music!

A few years later, my first Schnittke CD in hand to back up our proposal, we suggested to the defender of contemporary repertoire, Grammy Award winner and VSO Music Director, Bramwell Tovey to play the concerto for the tenth anniversary of Schnittke’s passing in 2008.

Silence. Not a piece by Schnittke that year and since.

So we decided to record our own tribute through the Schnittke/Bach CD, never played on CBC Radio 2 to this day.

Finally, following a 2010 success in Omsk, we sent the live recording CD of my Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 performance to the VSO Artistic Director. After a few months waiting for an answer, we sought to at least receive what we deemed a minimum courtesy, which is a written reply; at last, we were sent packing, officially! On the positive side, I am glad to report we do not get evening phone calls enticing us to renew subscription anymore.

So now you do understand why I am particularly happy to announce that in May 2014 I’ll be flying to Russia and performing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Omsk Academic Symphony Orchestra, in their brand new concert hall!

P.S.: On May 4, 2013, Denise Ball CBC producer of Radio 2 program "In Concert" quite predictably awarded a "disc of the week" to Valentina Lisitsa's Rachmaninov Concerti Decca CD set, especially now that "Lisitsa now has it all — legions of fans and a legitimate concert career. She's also a true trailblazer for classical music. The only question is whether others will follow her lead."

Well let's take her to her word and see how long it will take for the recently uploaded 2010 live Rachmaninov Concerto No. 2 on my CBC Music artist page to make it on the CBC Radio 2 waves... (I'm not holding my breath)

My Carnegie Hall experience

Since 5 y old kids playing at Carnegie Hall are all the rage these days, I decided to share my experience making a debut there in 2004!

New York, New York!


At last: Carnegie Hall and my face on Weill Recital Hall's billboard

Practicing at Steinway in the Rachmaninov Room, courtesy of Peter Goodrich

Finally entering the temple...

Yep, shopping too

Reading the score again

Walking to the Hall

Yes it isn't a dream

Backstage

Celebrating with friends at Trattoria Dell'Arte

Back to work!

Nice Inspiration Ms Cheng!

The March 10 edition of CBC Radio 2 "In Concert" featured Canadian pianist Angela Cheng playing a selection of Bach music, recorded recently in the National Gallery in Ottawa.

A familiar pair of Prelude & Fugue from the Well Tempered Clavier started the recital: the WTC book 1 C sharp Minor BWV 849. So, out of curiosity, we listened.

Nice inspiration Ms. Cheng, in particular, the dynamic contrast at bar 84 of the Fugue... Let me guess?

Here is a YouTube link to the extract from my Schnittke/Bach CD, of course never played on CBC Radio 2 (despite them having received copies when it was released in the fall 2008).

Imitation is a form of flattery, at least when it is informed.

During Bach's time, the harpsichord did not have the dynamic of a modern piano, therefore any change in dynamic would have to be "terrasse-like" (step by step) and not wavy crescendos and diminuendos.

Then, music was not looked at as art but belonged to mathematics and religion (Dictionary, Walther J.G., 1708); thus, the prelude cannot be a serenade, a romance as preludes were used to set the stage, usually a religious scene: it was about God first.

Finally, supreme irony, the musician who followed her on stage, Pinchas Zukerman, has had my CD since the NAC 2008 visit in Vancouver:
"...Just wanted to let you know that Pinchas and I both very much enjoyed [Svetlana's] playing. Thanks for forwarding it to us..."Amanda Forsyth, NAC Principal Cello, Ottawa, Canada on the Schnittke/Bach CD, January 2009.

Ah friends...

P.S.: That "In Concert" program was repeated on July 21, 2013. To this day, since 2008, CBC Radio 2 never played the Schnittke/Bach CD including these Prelude and Fugue.

Rules of Articulation vs 6 y old pianist

Playing Bach clavier music in style should not only be an adult affair but indeed a gift that pedagogues owe to their students.

This is why we have made available S. Gordeevtseva's essay "Touching a Mystery" about rules of articulation in J.S. Bach's clavier music in English and in Russian for free downloads on my website.

As an illustration, here is the video of a 6 y old student tackling J.S. Bach Little Prelude in C Minor, in style after working on it for about a month. When not distracted... his playing shows clarity of texture and rhythmic accuracy that reveal the Minuet like nature of the piece; even some stars could benefit from this foundation!