New Jersey Symphony. Xian Zhang, conductor; Danill Trifonov, piano. March 10, 2022.

NJPAC, Prudential Hall, Newark, NJ.  (Grand Tier, Seat B103, $43).

Program

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Capriccio italien, Op. 45.

Mason Bates Piano Concerto.

Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture.

Tchaikovsky Suite from Swan Lake, Op. 20a.

It is impossible to talk about this context without referencing the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which could have led to some awkwardness (probably there is a better term to describe this) to this series of concerts.  Both Carnegie Hall and the Met have cancelled some artists because of their refusal to criticize Putin directly.  I do not know Trifonov's background - other than he studied at Cleveland - and allegiance so didn't know what to expect.  The range of possibilities could have ranged from "nothing unusual happens" to full cancellation, this program is close to being all-Russian, after all.

Before the concert began NJSO's CEO Gabriel van Aalst came on stage with Trifonov and Bates and made some remarks about the recent horrific events, and the NJSO members stood up as the played the Ukrainian National Anthem.  While Trifonov looked uncomfortable, I thought it was a good gesture on everyone's part.  It was also my first encounter with the Ukrainian national anthem.

Bates, Trifonov, and van Aalst on stage as the NJSO plays the Ukrainian National Anthem.

All the Tchaikovsky pieces are quite familiar, yet enjoyable.  While the orchestra played the lines beautifully, I thought there was not a lot of urgency in their playing.  One reason might be the acoustics of Prudential Hall; while sounds are clear, they also come across as somewhat too clinical.

The Program Notes describes the love theme as an intertwining of two segments representing Romeo and Juliet.  One of those days I will find out what they are.  The selections from Swan Lake are lovely, but somehow the most dramatic ballet scene (I am talking about all these Fouettes) did not find its way into the suite.

It is rare for me to find a new composition the lynchpin of a concert.  Today's was one of those exceptions.  Bates writes using both classical and electronic instruments, but uses only traditional instruments in composing this piano to highlight Trifonov's virtuosity and style.  Again from the Program Notes: "The three movements take us on a time-travel adventure, opening with Renaissance flavor that suggests lutes and the percussion of early music.  The second movement immerses us in Romantic angst, as the soloist struggles in artistic (and musical) isolation.  The finale fast forwards to jazz and minimalism, filtered through Bates' individual voice."  Bates certainly wrote this concerto with these characteristics in mind, and the simple sentences I quoted helped tremendously in my appreciation of the music.  The piece is about 25 minutes long, if I remember correctly, and the movement transitions were quite obvious even without the breaks.  While I wouldn't have minded if the piece was a Prokofiev or a Rachmaninoff, having this Bates concerto in the Program was just fine.  My one observation (if others had not made it already) is that the "minimalist" part was "Philip Glass on steroids."  While the music seemed to move along slowly, it was done with a richness that would be incongruent with Glass's approach.

This was an afternoon concert, and a rather long one.  Attendance (see photo) was okay for an NJSO event.  Applause was - as usual - lukewarm.

Bates and Trifonov after conclusion of the concerto.  Zhang looking on from the podium.

At the conclusion of the (rather long) program.  Attendance was okay for an NJSO concert.

Seong-Jin Cho, piano. March 7, 2022.

Matthews Theatre, McCarter Theatre Centre, Princeton, NJ.  (Balcony B, BB5, $33.)

Program

Sonata "1.X.1905" by Leos Janacek (1854-1928).

Gaspard de la nuit by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937).

The Four Scherzos by Frederic Chopin (1810-1849).

Cho's name became quite common in the last couple of years, so I was interested in catching this recital, especially McCarter had a  half-price Thanksgiving (2021) sale.

After sitting through a rather long recital, I must say I enjoyed the concert thoroughly.  The program ended at around 9:15 pm, and Cho threw in a couple of encores, so we didn't get out of our seats until around 9:30 pm.  A two hour program for a soloist must be quite demanding.

Typing this blog entry four days after the event,  I have forgotten most of the specific reactions.  A couple of things stood out: how well-formed the lines were; and his great control of the dynamics, going from loud to soft smoothly in a short span of a few notes.

As with the February 18 program of Jennifer Koh's, David Wright provided the Program Notes.  It contains a lot fewer typo's this time.  I record some of them below for future reference, with my personal remarks (as triggered by reading the Notes).

Janacek wrote "Z ulice 1.X.1905" (In the Street) as a sonata of protest of the October 1, 1905 event which saw the German-dominated council of Brno send in armed forces to break up a Czech rally in opposition to the council's decision to veto the idea of setting up a university in the town.  The sonata had three movements originally, but the last movement (Finale: Funeral March) was destroyed by Janacek during the final rehearsal.  He further threw the remaining movements into the Vlatava River after a private performance in Prague.  The work was preserved as Ludmila Tuckova, who performed the premiere, had a copy.  What we heard today were Presentiment: Con moto; and Death: Adagio.  There was no pause in between, although the change in mood was very clear.

We had visited Czechoslovakia before (actually only Czechia) and I was happy to be able to recall Brno, Prague, and the Moldau.

I had only limited prior encounters with Janacek's music, most notably his opera Jenufa, which I saw in 2016.  The remark I made was "the opera is definitely worth seeing again."  The reaction I have today is more along the lines of "I would love to catch another Cho concert," though.

While the Program Notes describes how the poems of Aloysius Bertrand inspired Ravel's composition, Wikipedia explains the person word Gaspard roughly means "the man in charge of the royal treasures."  It further ranks the piece as one of the most difficult in the piano repertoire.  (Incidentally, I also consider Ravel's Tzigane one of the most difficult violin pieces.)  The three movements resulted from Ravel's attempt to say with notes what the poet said with words.  Surreal, macabre, and difficult are the words that came to mind as I listened to this, for the first time.

Briefly quoting from the Program Notes and Wikipedia ... Ondine is "the flurry of rain thrown against your window by me, Ondine, spirit of the water."  When she was rejected, the nymph retreated into the lake calling, pleading, and enticing.  The writing was inspired by Chopin, Liszt as well as Ravel's earlier compositions.  The gibbet (Le Gibet) is a gallows-like instrument for execution, here the deathly stillness (marked toujours ppp and sans expression) is broken only by a relentlessly tolling bell.  One could hear the bell distinctly throughout the work (B-flat octave ostinato).

Scarbo is a hallucinatory vision of an impish intruder, a dwarf who changes his shape from a spinning wheel to a candle to a steeple before the poet's eyes.  I don't have the skills to correlate things precisely, but the changes in character were easy enough to discern.  Wikepedia further adds Ravel's commen: I wanted to make a caricature of romanticism; perhaps it got the better of me.  The way Cho dispatched this movement reminded me of my first encounter with Trifonov (whom I will see in the next concert).

After listening to the four Chopin scherzos, my first reaction was few would call them that.  They are all virtuoso pieces that follow the scherzo form, but by no means a joke.  Quoting from the Program Notes: All but one of them seem to have no "joke" about them at all; they are fiery dramas, close cousins of the ballades.  The Notes also describes the pieces as "[an] exploitation of the vigorous new piano technique that the young Chopin virtually invented in his Etudes, Ops. 10 and 25."  When one tries to listen for the scherzo form, one can probably make out the "minuet-trio" aspects.

The four scherzos are (i) B minor, Op. 20; (ii) B-flat minor, Op. 31; (iii) C-sharp minor, Op. 39; and (iv) E major, Op. 54.  (iv) can be characterized "Butterfly" had the name not been assigned already to one of Chopin's etudes.

I set out to write a short blog, and ended up with quite an entry; I am sure how good I felt about the pianist and the program has something to do with it.

Before the program began, a gentleman came on stage, and explained Cho was a last minute stand-in a few days prior in a Carnegie Hall concert performed by the Vienna Philharmonic.  He arrived at 2 pm on the day of the concert, practiced with the orchestra for 18 minutes, and then performed Rachmaninoff 2 without music.  Well, another example of "talent is God's being unfair."  This had to do with the recent invasion of Ukraine which resulted in many Russian artists being cancelled.  If I had a political blog, I would have a lot to say about that!

The auditorium was full.  Many of the Asians in attendance were probably Korean.  It was raining, and we had to park quite far away (close to "downtown").

Cho at the end of the concert.  He played two pieces as encore.

It is quite usual for a tuner to retune a harpsichord during the intermission.  Not so common for a piano recital.