Quantcast
Channel: LaDona's Music Studio » Claude Debussy
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 4

Was it the piano or the pianist?

0
0

I recently went to a recital given by last year’s Honens winner Pavel Kolesnikov. It was on the new C. Bechstein piano recently acquired by the University of Calgary’s School of Creative and Performing Arts. This was the piano’s debut.

My interest was piqued. Since reading The Piano Shop on the Left Bank (Thad Carhardt) a few years ago, I’ve been curious about hearing performances on pianos other than Steinway and Bösendorfer. 

I found it a bit disappointing and was frustrated that I couldn’t tell whether my dissatisfaction was with the pianist or the instrument. Am I so used to the “perfect” even sound of the Steinway that all else pales? The Steinways, I must add, heard more these days via Youtube than live. 

Have I not been to enough live concerts?

Memories of recitals from my youth came flooding back. My teacher insisted we all attend every piano recital in town. I remember overhearing conversations in the lobby about how fabulous or dreadful the piano was at the time. And feeling clueless about the whole thing.

Can I trust my ears now?

To me the works by Debussy sounded the best on this piano. There was some Rameau that I loved as compositions, but sounded too resonant for how I imagine French Baroque should sound. And the Chopin sounded too brittle.

Was it the pianist or the piano? I don’t know. I’m interested in any feedback.

Russian pianist (and Honens Laureate) Pavel Kolesnikov playing Debussy’s La cathdrale engloutie on – what else? – a Steinway.

 


Filed under: General, Music Videos, Performance, Pianos Tagged: C. Bechstein, Claude Debussy, Honens International Piano Competition, Impressionism, Pavel Kolesnikov, Piano, piano music, Steinway & Sons, The Sunken Cathedral

Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 4

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images