Lang Lang Archives - Ken Turner

Nina Scheidmantel Carnegie Hall Debut

Monday, October 31st, 2016 by Ken Leave a Comment

Nina Scheidmantel at Carnegie

On Saturday October 29, 2016, I went to Carnegie Weill to see pianist Nina Scheidmantel’s Carnegie debut recital. I had decided to attend based on her web site and some videos on YouTube. While the videos were quirky (in more than one her dress magically changed while she was on stage) I could see that she was capable.

Presented by the Artist

Nina’s recital was billed as “Presented by the Artist”, meaning that it was privately funded. I wondered if I might get to meet her manager and gain insight into how to set up such an event myself.

German-Chinese Pianist

Two hours before Ms. Scheidmantel’s concert I stopped by at Carnegie to photograph her poster. An elfin gentleman in some kind of dress clothing appeared by my side, asking if he could interest me in the recital. When I showed him my ticket, we became instant friends.

It turned out that this affable gentleman was managing Ms. Scheidmantel’s recital. He told me that as a German-Chinese pianist, Ms. Scheidmantel had given recitals in China and earned interest from both Chinese and German authorities, some of whom were expected to attend this performance. It promised to be a great evening.

Balcony at Carnegie Weill

I had not been upstairs at Carnegie Weill before, and was delighted to find that my front and center keyboard-side seat was just perfect. Weill is small (around 260 seats) so even in the balcony I was closer to the performer than most of the audience are in the 2800-seat Stern Auditorium. I had brought my concert binoculars, but I did not need them.

Program and Artist

Nina’s program included Ravel, Beethoven, Schumann, Brahms and Prokofiev. After a brief announcement by the gentleman I had met earlier, Ms. Scheidmantel came on stage in an elegant floor-length black gown, with her hair up in a sparkling silver tiara. I was struck by how tall she was, and how much more Chinese she looked compared with her Carnegie Hall poster. Two of my favorite pianists (Lang Lang and Yuja Wang) are Chinese, so my expectations grew accordingly.

Of Pianists and Dragons

Ms. Scheidmantel attacked her Ravel vigorously. Although Valses Nobles et Sentimentales opens percussively, I have never thought of it as bombastic, but that was how Ms. Scheidmantel came across. Indeed, that was how she also played Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms. At the end of each piece, she clenched her arms in a victorious flourish, as if she had just slain a dragon.

Release the Pedal, Nina!

Nina had a signature move where she would sustain a single note at the end of a section, long enough to transform it into something magical. Unfortunately she came off the pedal so slowly that sometimes she fell foul of damper mechanics. The resonating string would buzz for a long second, making it sound frayed. Was this a flaw in the regulation of the house Steinway, or should Nina have lifted her foot more decisively?

More Nuanced

I struggled to repress my discomfort at the endless Sturm und Drang of Nina’s performance. While I was struck by how physically powerful she was at the keyboard, I wish that she had included something more nuanced in her program. If I were her manager I would advise her to switch out Schumann in favor of something leaner. Chopin’s C minor Nocturne Op. 48 No 1 would have suited her style well and made for a rounder program.

Expectations

After the Brahms I felt that Nina had shown us everything that she could do, so I left. I felt good about supporting a relatively unknown artist, but bad that I had expected more of her than was reasonable. I was also disappointed at the choice of repertoire, which may have contributed to my perception of the pianist as a little heavy-handed.

The gentleman managing the recital had told me that this was not a publicity event so much as a family celebration and Nina’s personal dream. As a pianist myself I can relate to this dream, but when you sell tickets to the public you put yourself in the public eye, and the public has expectations.

Nina Scheidmantel – a Spirited Performance

Nina Scheidmantel carried off her Carnegie debut well for someone so early in her career. She appeared totally at ease and gave a spirited performance that speaks well for her future. I hope that as she matures artistically and her repertoire grows, we will see her again in New York.

Kissin at Carnegie, November 2015

Sunday, December 20th, 2015 by Ken Leave a Comment

Evgeny Kissin after playing Beethoven at Carnegie Hall, November 3rd, 2015

I saw Evgeny Kissin perform on November 3rd, 2015 at Carnegie Hall, with my daughter Annie. We had fabulous seats over stage right. Could not see the keyboard, but that didn’t matter. I was not there to learn anything, I was there to enjoy and to remind myself just how far I still have to go as a pianist.

A few weeks before this event, I had attended a Lang Lang recital at Carnegie. I was surprised that my pianist friends were not so thrilled about Lang Lang. The message I got was yeah, sure, Lang Lang is good but he’s not Kissin. Since I thought Lang Lang was awesome, my expectations on this night were extremely high.

The Stern Auditorium was packed. There were even seats on stage for about 100 people. Kissin did not keep us waiting like Lang Lang, and his shoes did not call out for attention. This was a performer who had no need to sell himself. He bowed both to the audience in the main hall, and to the lucky souls behind the piano who had wangled a seat on stage. Somehow, I felt that I was in the presence of greatness.

Warm-up candy: Mozart

The recital opened with Mozart’s Sonata in C Major. This was pleasant and precisely articulated, but not the kind of music I would go out of my way to listen to. For Mr. Kissin, it was good warm-up candy before going for the big stuff.

Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata

Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata came next. In comparison with Mozart’s little kitty-cat, Beethoven was a tiger that allowed Kissin’s mastery to shine. With his shaggy hair, you could have imagined that he was Beethoven himself. I can’t describe for you the power that Kissin has, and what it was like to listen to him play this monster of a sonata, but it left me stunned. I don’t know who I admire more, good old Ludwig or this fabulous Russian pianist.

Kissin’s Brahms Intermezzo #1 – MEH!

After the intermission, Kissin played 3 Brahms Intermezzos. I am particularly fond of #1, but I was disturbed at what felt like excessive rubato in his rendition. I suppose that the greatest pianist in the world is entitled to play it his own way, but my “gold standard” is the one at this link: J. Brahms, Intermezzo op. 117. no. 1, Virna Kljakovic.

The rest of the evening was mostly Spanish (Albeniz, Larregla) music, which at any other event would have been captivating, but for me the concert really ended after Beethoven’s Appassionata, since I felt let down by the Brahms. Not even the strong delivery of Larregla’s Viva Navarra could offset the feeling that Mr. Kissin, world’s greatest pianist, didn’t “get” the Brahm’s Intermezzo. I imagine that he would disagree, but unfortunately I didn’t get to chat with him afterwards.

The bow says everything

When Mr. Kissin took his bows on this November night at Carnegie, he came forward and stood, head tilted back for a few seconds, radiant and gracious in our applause, before bowing. It was as if he were transformed by music, and we with him.

Lang Lang at Carnegie, October 2015

Monday, October 26th, 2015 by Ken Leave a Comment

Lang Lang

I saw Lang Lang 3 days ago at Carnegie Hall on Friday October 23^rd, 2015. It was a memorable evening, so I wanted to share the experience here.

The concert was scheduled for 8:30 pm, but Lang Lang did not come on stage until 10 minutes later. When he walked out, I was struck by how thin he was. Not unhealthy, just fit and stylish.

His shoes were pointed and shiny, maybe patent leather. His pants were the style of today’s young men, narrow-legged, slim around the ankles. They reminded me of what we used to call “drainpipes” in the 1960’s. My school banned them because they reflected the evils of rock-and-roll.

Tchaikovsky “The Seasons”

Lang Lang’s performance was superlative from the beginning. Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons, which was new to me, was rendered beautifully. The Russian dances that pop up during this piece (e.g. February) were a little muddy, but that’s the composer’s fault. As to June, I recognized and loved it instantly. Under Lang Lang’s hands it was a cross between Chopin and Brahms. You can find it at around 18:30 in this video.

Johann Sebastian Bach Italian Concerto, BWV 971

I am not going to comment on this delectable piece. Lang Lang played it beautifully, there is not much else to say.

Chopin Scherzo’s

The Chopin Scherzo’s came after the Intermission and were the highlight of the evening. Lang Lang’s playing can only be described as bravura. This man can attack the piano and get away with it, because he is technically impeccable. I have never enjoyed Scherzo #2 as much as I did at this recital. The following video of him playing this Scherzo is comparable to what he did for us , but at Carnegie his performance was sharper and cleaner, going beyond anyone I have seen play live.

Ponce “Intermezzo”

Lang Lang’s first encore, the Ponce Intermezzo, was adorable. I have to add this to my repertoire! If you don’t know it, try this YouTube rendition by Glenda Courtois.

Lang Lang the Showman

What else do I remember? Lang Lang’s signature sharp head movements, his face turned up and towards the audience, his skinny legs splayed wide, those elvish pointy shoes. He pedalled soft and sostenuto at the same time during the Tchaikovsky. In the Chopin scherzlo’s, he was speed-pedaling as if am spinnrade.

I just had to love Lang Lang’s unique (as far as I know) way of whipping his right hand back and down from the keyboard, as if he were kneepcapping a man standing behind him. And good grief, how he hammered out those big Chopin scherzo’s! Lang Lang is a slight man, so I understand how the larger Franz Liszt would break a piano while performing.

Lang Lang loves his audience. He embraced us collectively with warm gestures before sitting down at the piano. When he took his bows at the end of each segment, and at the end of each Chopin scherzo, he put one leg (with its pointy shoe) forward and bowed deep from the waist. His hand went over his heart again and again. He raised his arms to us at the left, the center, and the right. I felt such rapport with this masterful pianist, because he knew what he was uniquely able to give us, and he knew that we loved every minute.

For those of us who both love and play the piano, watching Lang Lang at Carnegie Hall on October 23rd, 2015, was rapturous.