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The high point : Rachmaninov's Preludes (October 02, 2006) Westfälische Rundschau
The moon shines bright and glowing when the young Czech pianist Lukas Vondracek sets off in the first movement of Beethoven's C sharp minor sonata (the 'Moonlight' Sonata).
The highly gifted twenty year old came to perform in the series 'The Next Generation III' at a piano evening in the Harenburg Centre, understanding how to grip his public with a powerful display of sound. He approached the sonata in his own way, unsentimentally and purposefully. No gloomy darkness reigned at the start, but a clear atmosphere of lyrical sensitivity, and an extended melodic line. Abrupt accents in the Allegretto gave a somewhat contrary outline.
With the following B flat minor sonata of Frédéric Chopin Vondracek had chosen a piece which is a well-known favourite of piano lovers. This 'Funeral March' sonata breathes youthful vigour - Chopin was only a few years older than the pianist when he wrote it. Schumann called it a "coupling of his wildest children". Vondracek demonstrated a similar youthful passion in his performance. The extended first movement was played with a strong virtuoso attack, with mighty chords, the scherzo with powerful bravura.
In the funeral march with its suggestive rhythms he found ways to contrasts of tragic greatness and melodic beauty, and like a will-o'-the-wisp he let the finale purr to an end, a wonder of fluency which flies off in pursuit, but ends then in nothingness. Some preludes of Rachmaninov formed an impressive high point, beginning powerfully with the famous C sharp minor piece as a demonstration of daring keyboard acrobatics. Vladimir Ashkenazy has played and introduced these Preludes in his own inimitable way. Vondracek has studied with him, and learnt much, as he himself says. |
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