IPS guest pianist José Feghali

FRANZ LISZT has a way of dominating—nay, overwhelming—a concert, especially when he comes at the end of the program as he did Monday night at Memminger when guest pianist José Feghali unleashed the stupendous Sonata in B minor.

Josés last five notes in particular—which he handled with his deft, lingering style—bowled us over. The serenity of those single notes in such extreme contrast to the “pyrotechnics” that preceded them left us in silent awe.

It was also a perfect segue to José’s encore—perhaps the loveliest, most “watery” rendition of Debussy’s Claire du Lune you will ever hear—and a personification of what this pianist does best, which is dwell masterfully in the soft passages.

That is no doubt why he has a predilection for Frederic Chopin and Robert Schumann whose works, along with Mozart’s Sonata in B-flat, K. 333, comprised the first part of the evening. And even though the two Chopin nocturnes (C-Sharp Minor, Op. 27/1 and C Minor, Op. 48/1) are among the composer’s most severe and somber, they both contained—amidst dark, stormy sections—some long delicate passages that required careful handling. It was in those passages that you could see and hear José’s devout immersion in the music. It was obvious that he loves delving into the quiet depths, so much so that he occasionally seemed over-immersed, once or twice to the point that the music felt directionless. But the conviction with which he kept regaining the composition’s focus beautifully redeemed him.

The vast Liszt sonata, which pits violently stormy sections against lush, languorous ones, also had a tendency to drift now and then. But in this case it was more due to Liszt’s indubitable keyboard complexity and his unbridled emotional intensity—which can come across as confused rather than expressive.

When I asked José himself, “what does that Liszt sonata mean for you?,” he replied: “Ah! It is heaven. It is hell. It is death. It is birth. It is …everything.”

He added that, to much less of an extent, the same is true of Schumann’s Kinderszenen—13 short pieces which, according to the program notes, were written for young listeners during Schumann’s painful separation from his fiancé, pianist Clara Wieck, while she was on an extended tour. José pointed out, however, that Schumann was bipolar and that these seemingly innocent pieces also characterize the composer’s conflicted inner landscape which was prone to mood swings. In a sense then, what we heard with the Kinderszenen were distant, delicate (sweetly delicate) rumblings before the storm—the Liszt torrent—which followed after the intermission.

The most pronounced comment I heard from people after the concert was that they have rarely if ever heard such superlative pianissimos. José’s feathery touch, and the sensitivity he manages to convey with it, were, to say the least, remarkable.

Bravo to Monsieur Feghali for a superb showing. And thanks to Enrique Graf and the College’s International Piano Series for keeping our hearts, minds, and souls this well nourished.

Pianist Anton Nel

The 2010–2011 International Piano Series at the College of Charleston will get underway at the Sottile Theater on Tuesday, October 19, at 8 PM. Like last year, we will be posting Lindsay Koob’s program notes the week before each concert. Hearing a recording ahead of time brings another dimension to the piece when you hear it live.

The first concert promises a bravura performance by South African pianist, Anton Nel. Here’s a look ahead:

From the Program Notes

THE FEARSOME DIFFICULTY of Enrique Granados’ spectacular Allegro de Concierto has, until lately, tended to keep it out of most pianists’ repertoires. The sheer challenge of its knuckle-busting virtuosity is by design, as it aims to impress with its awe-inspiring grandeur. But amid its near-constant welter of glittering figurations and rapid arpeggios, it offers melodic passages of incredible lyric sweetness over rich harmonic foundations. The piece often recalls the dramatic and epic qualities found in Chopin’s Ballades: only one reason why Granados has been called “the Spanish Chopin.”

Among the finest and most evocative of impressionist master Claude Debussy’s many piano works are his 24 Preludes for Piano: works that have few equals as pure tone-paintings. Mr. Nel treats us here to three selections from the first book of twelve pieces. ‘What the West Wind Saw’ is a fiercely “windy” number, full of sweeping arpeggios, rapid chord-sequences and assorted effects. ‘The Interrupted Serenade’ is a funny little item in which a would-be Spanish Romeo’s attempts at songful wooing are rudely thwarted. ‘The Sunken Cathedral,’ with its magnificently granitic modal structure, projects its intended image in a grand and timeless manner.

Ludwig van Beethoven composed his mighty and incandescent “Waldstein” sonata around 1803, a few years after the composer first realized that he was losing his hearing. But his reputation as a fiery piano virtuoso was still intact, so it is likely that he wrote this blockbuster for his own use. The brusque foreboding and dramatic intensity of the opening passages alternate with more tranquil episodes, leading into a glittering coda. The brief slow movement progresses through moments of tense mystery and soft wonder, achieving an exalted degree of contemplative lyricism; it moves straight into the magnificent finale without pause. The dreamy initial theme soon turns into often turbulent, but joyful celebration that lasts through the exciting final coda. With its overwhelming kinetic drive, original design, adventurous harmonics and sheer pianistic glory, this sonata has few equals anywhere in the main piano repertoire.

Mr. Nel’s selection of masterpieces by Frédéric Chopin reminds us why so many pianists can’t bring themselves to offer a recital that lacks the elegant and exquisitely crafted creations of this “Poet of the Piano.” His Barcarolle in F-sharp is a fairly late work; its radiant, ultra-romantic melody floats over gently rocking left-hand figurations that suggest an ecstatic, water-borne journey that rises in passion and intensity before ending with a playful coda. The Ballade No. 3 in A-Flat paints a far more epic sonic picture; it rises out of a coy little conversation between the hands that—after a brilliant flight of pianistic fantasy—leads into a whimsical, rocking motif. This then gradually rises—amid moments of tension and mystery—into a blazing and triumphant climax.

The following 3 Waltzes, Op. 64 are among Chopin’s shortest waltzes, and are among the very last pieces he wrote. The glittering and gleeful No. 1 in D-Flat (“Minute Waltz”) is the shortest of them all—but no pianist in his right mind would attempt to perform it in a minute or less. The lovely No. 2 in C-Sharp Minor—with its episodes of veiled melancholy—is one of the most often-played of the waltzes. The No. 3 in A Flat is a mostly happy little number, with just a few pensive touches. The popular Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante in E-Flat begins with the kind of smooth and gentle, yet often sadly romantic music that you find in Chopin’s airy nocturnes. A brazen fanfare then announces the arrival of the Polonaise: a fairly light and delicate number compared to his other works in that form. This mostly playful, yet elegant music is interrupted by a somewhat more poignant central episode before ending in a flash of brilliance.

~> Click to learn more about the series and tickets

Lindsay Koob is the Charleston City Paper’s classical music critic. Follow him on his blog: www.eargasms.com

In the next few days, we will post part 2 of the video interview where Enrique talks about his students, his teaching methods, and his approach to music. In the meantime, get ready for what will surely be a spectacular concert at the Sottile.

TUESDAY • March 16
Works by Haydn, Rachmaninoff, Tosar, and Liszt
8 PM • Sottile Theater • 44 George St

Piano Sonata No. 62 (Hob. XVI/52) in E-flat Major • Joseph Haydn
This sonata is considered by many to be Haydn’s greatest (and trickiest) work in the genre. Like his Sonata No. 60 (see Mr. Berrocal’s program notes), it was written for London virtuoso, Therese Jansen, during his second visit to that city in 1794/95. As “Papa Haydn’s” sonatas go, it’s a rare tour de force of virtuosity.

The opening Allegro moderato movement treats an abundance of ideas, all based upon the material heard in the first eight bars. The secondary theme comes at the end of the exposition, launching an extended flurry of development. The following Adagio’s dotted rhythms and thematic materials bear strong kinship to the previous movement. The ebullient finale strays from the usual rondo form, again presenting a wealth of varied motifs in sonata form.

Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op. 3 • Sergei Rachmaninoff
Here’s a rare chance to hear Rachmaninoff’s five early Morceaux de Fantaisie as a complete set (they’re usually heard separately). They’re considered an important barometer of the composer’s early development. They are all in three-part (ABA) form, save for the final Sérénade—a straightforward waltz with Spanish inflections. The best-known of them by far is the second work of the cycle: the justly famous Prélude in C-sharp minor that the composer came to hate because his concert audiences always demanded it as an encore.

Aside from those, you’ll hear the lovely opening Elégie, a melancholic gem with epic melodies and a grand climax. Mélodie—the third number—combines drama with lyric beauty, with an ending that recalls Chopin. The following Polichinelle is a pyrotechnic blockbuster that comes at you like a fast and devilish march.

Danza Criolla • Hector Tosar
Pianist, conductor, and composer Hector Tosar (with whom Mr. Graf shares a birthday) was one of his native Uruguay’s most important musical figures. His early Danza Criolla is a fairly short (six minutes) and energetic piece that recalls the “Malamba”—a Gaucho folk-dance from the Pampas of Argentina. It begins and ends with a headlong pattern of running eighth-notes, in the driven manner of a toccata—with more lyrical moments in between. It features rather strange harmonics, with one hand playing in C Major (white keys) while the other plays only black keys. Its lively South American flavors are reminiscent of Alberto Ginastera, Argentina’s greatest composer.

Sonata in B minor • Franz Liszt
Liszt’s magnificent single-movement sonata—among his thousand-plus piano works—remains the only one written in strict sonata form. It comes across as a free-flowing, spontaneous fantasia—but it’s in fact very tightly organized around the materials heard in the work’s opening passages. It dates from 1854, after one of his high-born mistresses convinced him to retire from concertizing to concentrate on composition.

Single movement or not, the piece has all the trappings of a conventional sonata. Liszt managed to draw three complete themes from the opening bars—plus a chorale-like central passage. All of them are revisited in the later Prestissimo section, and (in part) in the concluding Andante. And there are sections of the work that even correspond to the usual opening movement-slow movement-scherzo-finale format. But even if you can’t catch them all, the work’s spectacular pyrotechnics and unbridled passion will simply bowl you over. •

(Lindsay Koob writes his regular blog Eargasms for the Charleston City Paper.)

Roberto has been a soloist with major orchestras in South Carolina, including the Greater Spartanburg Philharmonic, the Greenville Symphony, the Charleston Symphony, and the South Carolina Philharmonic. And he was twice a finalist in the Princess Cristina National Competition in Spain, as well as a semifinalist at the Hilton Head International Competition.

Roberto has performed in Europe and North and South America, and is currently pianist and coach for the Florida Grand Opera, as well as the Music Director at Saint Hugh Catholic Church in Coconut Grove. He also teaches at the New World School of the Arts in Miami.

TUESDAY • NOVEMBER 10
Works by Haydn, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and de Falla
8 PM • Sottile Theater • 44 George St

Josef Haydn: Sonata No. 60 in C Major (H. XVI/50)

Haydn—unlike his successor, Beethoven—was hardly a virtuoso pianist, but he understood the instrument very well. His many piano sonatas vary considerably in their levels of sophistication and difficulty, depending on whom they were intended for.

Joseph Haydn

While many of them were written for his assorted students, the Sonata No. 60 in C Major (H. XVI/50) was composed for leading English virtuoso, Therese Jansen, during his mid-1790s visit to London—and are thus among the most technically advanced of them all.

The sprightly opening Allegro movement is one of Haydn’s most effective—especially where he restates the initial theme in double notes while adding rising left-hand scales. The development section is particularly imaginative and varied. In the highly expressive and demanding Adagio movement, the tender opening motif stands in stark contrast to the second section’s octave passages. The brief and witty concluding rondo movement teases the listener with its unexpected pauses between fragmentary reprises of the main theme.

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Moments Musicaux, Op. 16

Rachmaninoff’s six Moments Musicaux, Op. 16, make up a highly appealing cycle that begs to be performed complete. In their scope and technical difficulty, they presage the composer’s later Etudes-Tableaux.

The first piece, in B minor, is a fairly lengthy composition that begins with a lovely and sorrowful melody over restless undercurrents. Then it shifts into a more optimistic connecting passage that leads to tense and rapid elaborations on the opening theme, before ending as it began. The second is an ecstatic fantasia built on a syncopated melody in octaves, bathing the listener in a sense of excited reverie. Number three begins as a slow and tragic march, cunningly developed with staccato left-hand octaves. The fourth item is an especially intense and hard-driving bruiser, with a rising theme over descending figurations in the left hand before working its way to a massive climax.

The cycle’s only moments of emotional relaxation come with the fifth piece: a tender and flowing barcarolle (listen above). The final number is a work of massive sweep and power, with complex figurations in both hands that seem to surge and recede with tidal effect.

Franz Liszt: Spanish Rhapsody

Liszt’s formidable Spanish Rhapsody is a feast of piano pyrotechnics. The first section is a romantic treatment of the well-known “la folia” theme that inspired endless sets of instrumental variations since the early Baroque era. After stupendously virtuosic, Spanish-flavored treatments of that theme, the familiar “Jota Aragonesa” motif appears. A more pensive secondary theme surfaces before combining with the opening folia theme and driving to a spectacular finish. This jaw-dropping showpiece (listen at left) will be a partial re-arrangement by Mr. Berrocal—according to suggestions made by master Cuban pianist Jorge Luis Prats (who is well-known to this series’ audiences).

Manuel de Falla: Fantasia Baetica

Manuel de Falla’s wonderfully colorful Fantasia Baetica, written in 1919 and dedicated to piano legend Artur Rubinstein, takes its title from the ancient Roman name for southern Spain: the region now known as Andalusia, where Flamenco was born. Its brilliant and rhythmically vital outer sections frame a brief central interlude. Ever the impressionist, Falla deftly serves up a rich feast of Flamenco style and spirit, complete with characteristic guitar textures—plus vivid keyboard evocations of all the associated stomping, clapping, and singing. •

Read Lindsay’s introductory article to this series.

Hartmut has been featured in concerts throughout Europe, Russia, and the United States. His competition prizes include the Jugend Musiziert Competition in Germany, the Anton G. Rubinstein International Piano Competition, and the Johannes Brahms International Piano Competition in Austria. He has alsoappeared in the Im Agricoli Festival in Poland, the Schubertiaden and Dreiklang festivals in Germany, and Piccolo Spoleto in Charleston.

Hartmut received his Artist Certificate from the College of Charleston where he studied with Enrique Graf. He is currently a faculty member at the Conservatory of Music in Dresden, Germany.

MONDAY • OCTOBER 26
Works by Schubert, Hoiby, and Chopin
8 PM • Sottile Theater • 44 George St

Franz Schubert: Moments Musicaux

Franz Schubert’s six Moments Musicaux remain among the most beloved of his many piano miniatures. Written mostly during the final two years of his tragically short life, they are full of the composer’s hallmark melodic charm and harmonic beauty. Some have characterized them as “songs without words.”

The opening piece (listen at left) is a kind of stylized minuet—one that was never meant to be danced to. Its upbeat outer sections stand in stark contrast to the wistful and lovely central section. The second is a gentle, five-section rondo of sorts, with tuneful, yet tragic interludes—and even a moment of helpless, “why-me?” outrage (he knew he didn’t have much longer to live). Next comes a delicate little eastern-flavored gem that sparkles, delights, and makes you want to dance.

The highly original fourth piece sounds almost like Bach, with staccato bass figures underlying its mesmerizing legato melodic flow—until the middle section’s placid, “rowing” theme appears. Marked contrast arrives with the fifth number: a robust, galloping piece with moments of subdued mystery. The final item—the longest of the lot—returns to the quasi-minuet form and mood of the opening number; offering soft, other-worldly appeal shot through with a desolate sense of emotional resignation.

Lee Hoiby: Toccata · Schubert’s Variations

Franz Schubert

American master Lee Hoiby has been called the “other Samuel Barber.” His Toccata, Op. 1 was written in 1951, while he was still a student—before he had found his mature voice. Its virtuosic nature reflects his ambition to become a concert pianist.

This experimental work is reminiscent of Debussy, and especially Prokofiev. It bounces back and forth between conventional harmony and atonality. Save for a chorale-like central passage, it’s a kinetic and hard-driving piece, with a tense and worried feel to it. Hartmut described it as “kind of crazy.”

Hoiby’s Schubert Variations, dating from 1979, are based on one of Franz Schubert’s many short waltzes for piano—specifically a “Ländler,” a kind of Austrian folk-dance. The piece, in somewhat altered form, also exists in a chamber version for nine strings and woodwinds. The music seems to progress ever-farther from the dark, minor-key theme, while retaining Schubert’s original bittersweet aura. The prevailing mood is subdued and lyrical, though there are some rapid and rhythmically vital passages. A gentle restatement of the opening theme brings the work to a pensive and lovely close.

Frederic Chopin: Sonata No. 3 in B minor

While the vast majority of Frederic Chopin’s output consists of shorter pieces, his final Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 is a shining example of his skill and assurance in handling the more substantial sonata form.

Its opening movement presents a brief and stormy first theme, followed by a more extended second subject. The music alternates between stunning virtuosity and quieter lyrical passages, with deft use of counterpoint in its central development section. The following scherzo movement is a delightful and fleeting romp, temporarily interrupted by a serene and poignant trio section.

The soft and songful largo movement—the sonata’s heart (listen at left)—could well have been one of Chopin’s enchanting nocturnes. It begins with an exquisite aria, leading into a quietly rhapsodic central section. The swelling chords that begin the finale quickly give way to a headlong, often violent rondo that skillfully blends elements of its opening and middle sections as it drives to a blazing finish. •

Read Lindsay’s introductory article to this series.

As a sometime pianist and piano music devotee myself, I’ve been attending and writing about IPS for nearly a decade. I can attest that even most major metropolitan areas don’t offer as star-studded, diverse, or well-supported a piano series as this.

Previous series have brought us legendary keyboard greats like Leon Fleisher, Earl Wild, Abbey Simon, Ann Schein, and Jorge Luis Prats—plus notables like Anne-Marie McDermott, Andrew von Oeyen, Stephen Prutsman, Awadagin Pratt, and Sergey Schepkin, among others. Enrique, as one of the piano world’s most respected pedagogues, and a frequent judge at leading international competitions, has also seen to it that we have heard the cream of the world’s emerging young artists over the years, including a few of his own prize-winning students like Eunjoo Yun, William Villaverde, and Sean Kennard.

In the past, appearances by Enrique’s students were sprinkled among the established artists. But the upcoming season will, for the first time, be devoted entirely to his top protégés past and present. Young German keyboard wizard, Hartmut Sauer, studied with Enrique as recently as last year, and emerging Spanish virtuoso, Roberto Berrocal, was his star student nearly a decade ago. Perhaps the most remarkable recital you’ll hear this season will be from a bona fide prodigy: fourteen-year-old Charlestonian, Micah McLaurin. Micah has been studying with Enrique for nearly two years now, and this amazing young man has international superstar potential.

The 2009–2010 series will also include a choice program from Enrique himself, plus an extravaganza of Bach concertos for multiple pianos, performed by a bunch of Enrique’s finest students. We at CharlestonToday hope that the five sets of program notes which we will present here one week prior to each performance (and which will be published in the IPS season brochure) will enable regular attendees to learn about the music beforehand, thereby enhancing their understanding and enjoyment of the performances. Hopefully the notes will also inspire readers who are not among the series’ regular supporters to come see—and hear—for themselves what all the fuss is about.

Monday • OCTOBER 26
Hartmur Sauer plays Schubert, Hoiby, and Chopin

Tuesday • NOVEMBER 10
Roberto Berrocal plays Haydn, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and de Falla

Tuesday • FEBRUARY 9
Micah McLaurin plays Bach, Chopin, Haydn, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev

Tuesday • MARCH 16
Enrique Graf plays Haydn, Rachmaninoff, Tosar, and Liszt

Tuesday • APRIL 27
Bach concertos for two, three, and four pianos and orchestra

All concerts • 8 PM • Sottile Theatre • 44 George St.

Five concerts for $80. Individually for $20. C of C students and those under 18 attend for free. Reservations and information at (843) 953-6575 or www.internationalpianoseries.org.

Enrique Graf is College of Charleston Artist-in-Residence. After winning all the national competitions in his native Uruguay, he attended the Peabody Conservatory to study with Leon Fleisher. He won first prize in the William Kapell International Competition, the National Ensemble Competition, and the East and West International Competition. And he has given recitals and has been a soloist with orchestras all over the world.
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Enrique’s all Poulenc CD with the Charleston Symphony was a pick of the month by the Sunday London Times. He has also made recognized recordings of Bach Suites, Mozart Sonatas, the Liszt Sonata, works by Mendelssohn and Mussorgsky, the Grieg Concerto, Edward Hart’s Tidal Concerto, Gershwin’s Concerto in F, and two Beethoven Concertos, which have been called “ideal performances” by Fanfare.