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United Kingdom Various: Seong-Jin Cho (piano). Barbican Hall, London, 13.2.2023. (JC)
Handel – Suite No.5 in E main, HWV 430, The Harmonious Blacksmith
Sofia Gubaidulina – Chaconne
Brahms – Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op.24; Capriccio in F sharp minor; Capriccio in B minor; Intermezzo in B flat main; Capriccio in C sharp minor from Klavierstücke, Op.76
Robert Schumann – Études symphoniques, Op.13.
Being one of many scorching younger superstars of classical music, it was solely pure that a number of hype was constructed round Seong-Jin Cho’s solo piano recital on the Barbican Hall. Nevertheless, I used to be nonetheless shocked to see the quantity of individuals milling concerning the lobby earlier than the beginning of the live performance and witness a turnout that might rival that for a soccer match. There had been older {couples} in addition to toddlers, folks wearing fur (actual or fake?) in addition to folks in tracksuits; admittedly, everybody was principally Korean, however the sight of this various crowd, in addition to their full, cooperative silence throughout the efficiency, gave me hope for classical music. Yes, everybody may need been there for various causes, however the reality stays that they are going to take residence with them an impression of what Brahms, Robert Schumann in addition to Sofia Gubaidulina’s music sound like within the palms of a grasp.
Since his phenomenal triumph on the Chopin International Competition in 2015, when he was solely 21, Seong-Jin Cho has executed very nicely to forge a profession for himself, breaking out of the mould of taking part in solely Chopin, a illness that had plagued many previous winners of that formidable competitors. He lately launched an album with a highlight concentrate on Handel, which positioned aspect by aspect three of Handel’s keyboard suites with Brahms’s Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, a Romantic piece with robust Baroque influences.
The recital programme contained some parts of this new album, which demonstrates Cho’s flip in the direction of extra Germanic music; the primary half noticed Handel’s Fifth Suite in E main and the Brahms Variations sandwiching Sofia Gubaidulina’s brutal and disturbing Chaconne. It was a brilliantly diversified first half however I’ve some reservations concerning the programming.
It took a while for Cho to heat as much as the temper of the Handel suite. The Prelude felt a little bit inflexible and barely mechanical, however Cho step by step acquired into the swing of issues which made his taking part in mild and charming. There was refined texturing of melodic traces and an abundance of tasteful ornaments within the repeat sections. As I used to be to search out out extra in a while into the live performance, the taking part in was flawless and suave. Cho had a collected air about him.
That air of collectedness was shattered instantly as quickly as he got here again onstage after the Handel and launched straight into the Gubaidulina Chaconne. It was a wild and thrilling efficiency that fully threw Handel-playing Cho out the window; it was my favorite efficiency of the night. Cho offered this angular and rhythmic piece – a totally dichotomous piece to the pure and flowing Handel – with clear intention, exhibiting his viewers precisely what he wished us to listen to. There was a really clear sense of the chaconne line regardless of the notes popping out from each register of the keyboard. He was capable of construct up pressure and unleash gigantic climaxes from the pressure of his bodily gestures hammering onto the keyboard; the sound he was capable of produce was immense and overwhelming. The rhythmic rigour mixed with Cho’s super bodily energy made for a really thrilling efficiency, and an incredible introduction of this music to many unfamiliar with it.
Cho’s option to go straight onto Brahms’s Handel Variations didn’t sit too nicely for me. Still reeling from the affect of the Chaconne, the rapid graduation of a 30-minute lengthy set of variations didn’t give the viewers sufficient time to soak up the shock of the Gubaidulina, and I discovered it at occasions tough to concentrate on the gorgeous melodic traces within the Brahms. Nor did I sense that there was a lot to hyperlink the 2 items collectively, other than the truth that they each pay homage to Baroque kinds. Although this was testomony to Cho’s unimaginable endurance as a performer – and the truth that he navigated the extremely tough technical passages within the Brahms flawlessly solely serves to reinforce this – this inventive alternative diminished the dignified stature I imagine the Brahms Variations deserves. Despite the flawless approach, at occasions his taking part in appeared too extroverted and flashy, missing the introspection and gravity the Variations asks for. The sound from his efficiency of the Gubaidulina, which labored so nicely, when carried over to the Brahms, sadly sounded too harsh at occasions. Nevertheless, Cho is one who is aware of easy methods to construct as much as climaxes and he concluded the Brahms with a grand flourish that earned him a waterfall of applause.
The second half contained solely German Romantic music, opening with 4 items chosen from Brahms’s Op.76 Klavierstücke – a set containing eight quick items – adopted by Schumann’s grand Symphonic Etudes. The Klavierstücke had been very thrilling, and it was exhilarating to witness Cho’s unimaginable mild contact, but all of it appeared a little bit too easy for him, and the tempi he selected to play the Capriccios in solely served to obscure the stateliness of the dance character within the items.
As with the primary half, Cho determined to play by means of all the second half in a single breath, with out break. The solely factor which hyperlinks the final of the chosen Klavierstücke and the Symphonic Etudes is the important thing of C-sharp minor; the character of each items are fully contrasting. Again I have to disagree with this inventive alternative; the melancholy of the Theme from the Symphonic Etudes deserves to be set upon with contemporary ears.
It is mind-boggling to witness Cho play the notoriously tough Symphonic Etudes flawlessly, and the super scale of his sound, capable of fill all the corridor, was past spectacular. Nevertheless, there have been occasions when construction and sense of proportion appeared disregarded rather than extra performative whims akin to making an extremely mild or extremely large sound. Nor did the efficiency sound private, even when Schumann is at his most intimate and brooding in a few of the variations. However, credit score should be given to Cho for making a sensational finale together with his robust, exact rhythm and the unimaginable sound he can produce from the instrument, a dramatic end which drew him countless applause and standing ovations.
It was the efficiency of an incredible grasp and a showcase of magnificent taking part in in addition to spectacular endurance, but Cho for me didn’t carry the private contact required of the items he selected to programme.
Jeremy Chan