It’s Sunday afternoon at the Great Hall of the University of Leeds (picture, right), home to the Leeds International Pianoforté Competition (thereafter to be referred to as “The Leeds”) since its very first edition in 1963.

There is an old school and old world feel about what is arguably the world’s top keyboard competition. While booking my tickets in June I realized there was no Internet access to tickets. Everything was carried out through snail mail with payment by an international bank draft at the good old post office. The recital rounds of the competition are held in a glorified school hall with less than ideal acoustics and with ceiling lights turned on full. Its audience is also a progressively greying one. Besides the participants themselves, I am positively the youngest person in the hall. Polite chatter fills the venue as attendees and pundits debate about the merits of each pianist, with the inevitable airing of grouses real and imagined.

Day 1 (17 September 2006)

Some of the pre-competition favourites – including Roberto Plano, Boris Giltburg, Chu-Fang Huang, Chenxin Xu, Adam Neiman and Alexey Koltakov – have not made the cut. But anticipation builds up for those who have. According to the grapevine, much is expected and hoped from “the two Kims” and Russian Tatiana Kolesova (who returned after placing 6th in 2000 as a 15-year-old). Of the 12 semi-finalists, seven are either Asians or of Asian lineage.

Common to each recital was Benjamin Britten’s Night Piece (Notturno), originally composed for the 1963 competition. Cast in B flat major, its blend of impressionism (Debussy and the dreamy opening of Prokofiev’s Eighth Sonata are evoked) and Bartokian pointillism (in the eerie middle “night music” segment) make it an eventful five minutes or so. Of the 12 performances over three days, there were three who stood out: Andrew Brownell (USA) brought out its multi-layered dynamics and mystical quality most convincingly. Grace Fong (USA) yielded a sensual and colourful sound that was hard to match. Andrius Zlabys (Lithuania), whose mimicry of night birds was positively gripping, had the most shattering climax to the piece.

Cheung Jae-Won (25, Korea, right)

The first music to be heard in the semi-finals was Mozart’s Variations on “Unser dummer Pöbel meint” (a theme by Gluck), later orchestrated by Tchaikovsky in his Mozartiana Suite. Unfortunately, Cheung’ prosaic, heavy-handed statement of the theme and rather humourless view of the variations that follow signaled an unpromising start. Nimble and accurate fingers do not fail her in Beethoven’s final, and Prokofiev’s Sixth Sonatas but the cerebral faculties fail to match up. Where was the limitless fantasy in Beethoven or the sardonic wit of Prokofiev?

Verdict: Efficient technician, not an artist yet by a long shot. Not a finalist.


Denis Kozhukhin (20, Russia)    

This pony-tailed blond Russian (left) was astute in picking an all-Slavic programme, playing to his strengths. Two Chopin polonaises displayed a good grasp of the idiom and its rhythms, while his kaleidoscopic take on Szymanowski’s Variations on a Polish Folk Theme Op.10 displayed Einstein’s Theory of Relativity at work. Although in all about the same length, these impressionistic and eventful variations made the Cheung’s Mozart played earlier feel like watching (or would that be hearing) paint drying. Prokofiev’s Fifth Sonata becomes totally accessible, almost easy in his hands, fully realising its whimsical and schizophrenic possibilities. Finally, a varied selection of Rachmaninov Préludes (four from Op.23 and two from Op.32) sealed a highly assured and confident showing.

Verdict: An imaginative pianist, but I would have liked to hear him in more substantial non-Slavic music as well. Possible finalist.


Nikita Mndoyants (17, Russia. Pictured right)

If this name sounds vaguely familiar, that is because he is the son of Alexander Mndoyants, finalist in the 1977 Van Cliburn Piano Competition. In Mozart’s Sonata in D major K.311, he displayed a good range of colour. Sensitive and fluent, he took the treacherous 3rd movement well within his stride. His centerpiece, Schubert’s Sonata in C minor D.958, was full of drama and contrast. Although not totally free of slips and missed notes, Nikita’s strength is his ability to gradually build up to great climaxes. A natural in Prokofiev’s Seventh Sonata, he gave an intelligent reading. The precipitato finale was taken at a very steady and controlled pace, but generated a great head of steam before reaching a very thrilling end.

Verdict: Mature for his age, takes musical risks and shows great potential for further development. Possible finalist as well.

Andrew Brownell (27, USA)

The lanky American with Chinese lineage and Jimmy Hill’s chin was my top pianist of the day. He struck a positive chord with his anti-virtuosic (but not non-virtuosic) programme, beginning with Bach’s Partita No.3 in A minor. Taking an approach that isn’t particularly baroque, the dances are crisp and well articulated, with plenty of gorgeous moments in the slower movements. And did I sense a touch of rubato in the penultimate scherzo? Always clear and intelligent, his Bach proved to be more Perahia than Gould.

Equally daring was his choice of Brahms Four Ballades Op.10, proving beyond a doubt that he is a cut above the “usual” competition pianist. Seldom have I heard these four contrasting pieces so coherently nuanced. There is tragedy, serenity, violence and nostalgia, bringing out the true essence of the young Brahms. Finally, Liszt’s Vallee d’Obermann, played with the more poetic ossia in the contemplative central section, showed that he could thunder with the best of them.

Verdict: Finally, a true and fully-formed artist is heard. A definite finalist, likely with a top three placing.

News and Gossip

The immaculate souvenir programme of “The Leeds” listed eight pianists from the Republic of Korea (South Korea). However accompanying each participant’s photograph was a little flag of the Democratic Republic of Korea (North Korea). This led one member of the audience to comment, “I did not know there were so many good pianists from Pyongyang!”

by Chang Tou Liang

 

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