Saturday January 12th 8p.m. – Tonight the National Philharmonic presented Brian Ganz Plays Chopin, Bel Canto of the Piano. The program features 10 rarely performed Chopin songs in the lyrical bel canto singing style. Brian Ganz is just beyond the midpoint of his decade long quest to perform all 250 of Chopin’s works. This concert was held at The Music Center at Strathmore.
Brian Ganz performed on Van Cliburn’s Steinway & Sons grand piano. Brian was really excited about performing on this particular piano saying that Van Cliburn was one of his highest inspirations. The bond a musician has with their instrument is extremely important. It was great to have such a fantastic instrument available with such historical significance. Brian Ganz is definitely worthy of playing it and it sounded great.
The program included: Catabile in B-Flat Major, Impromptu No. 1 in A-Flat major Op.29, Nocturne in C Minor, Nocturne in F Major Op. 15 No. 1, Bel Canto Songs Życzenie (A maiden’s Wish), Śliczny Chłopiec (Handsome lad), Hulanka (Drinking Song), Precz z moich oczu (Out of My Sight!), Poseł (The Messenger), Moja Pieszczotka (My Darling), Dwojaki koniec (Double Ending), Pierścień (The Ring), Smutna Rzeka (Melancholy River), Piosnka litewska (Lithuanian Song), Sonata for Piano No. 3 in B minor, Op.58. All works by Frédéric Chopin.
Chopin was a poetic genius and one of the best pianist of his generation. He was admired by his contemporaries which included Franz Liszt and Robert Schumann. To have a series dedicated to Chopin work’s like what Brian Ganz is achieving is remarkable! It takes a great deal of commitment to perform all of Chopin’s works. It was a bold idea especially considering a lot of these compositions are Chopin’s less known works. Audiences have taken notice. The attendance tonight was great and not everybody here (myself included) is a Chopin expert. A lot of people are genuinely interested in learning more about Frédéric Chopin and hearing some of his more unique music.
For the lyrical bel canto portion of the concert, the lyrics were sung by mezzo-soprano Magdalena Wór. Iwona Sobotka was originally scheduled to perform but had to cancel due to travel complications. I was excited to hear Magdalena as a replacement. I’m familiar with Magdalena and have seen her perform portions of Alexander Nevsky Cantata, Op. 78 along with the National Philharmonic Orchestra. I was taken by her expressiveness and emotional connectivity. Nothing has changed Magdalena is still just as captivating as ever. Especially enjoyable was the number Smutna Rzeka (Melancholy River). It’s the story of a mother who has buried all seven of her daughters and sings sad songs by their graves. Magdalena was perfect for singing this style of aria. Her voice is so deep and rich, you can really feel the emotion. These songs although they varied in meaning had a vaudevillian style that was really entertaining.
My main interest in this concert was to hear Sonata for Piano No. 3. The Finale: Presto non tanto, is exhilarating! The technical magnitude is unbelievable! Franz Liszt even used this sonata to teach his pupils. Brian Ganz executed this sonata magnificently! The Finale is exceptionally difficult and he performed it with impeccable mastery. What’s so great about Brian Ganz is that there is no doubt he thoroughly enjoys playing the piano. That really translates well into his music. This Sonata was the perfect example of a exciting piece of music that riles up a lot of emotion and has the power to captivate an audience.
This is a great series! I would definitely recommend seeing Brian Ganz continued journey to play all 250 of Chopin’s works. It’s a really intriguing series even if you aren’t familiar with the songs, it will be a recital that you will enjoy.
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