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CAPE TOWN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA (CPO) REVIEW: PIANIST LEO GEVISSER
South African pianist Leo Gevisser is currently completing his music degree at Juilliard under legendary teacher Jerome Lowenthal. His is a searing intellect aligned with an alarmingly natural musical gift, and one cannot wait to hear where this will go in a few more years.
He simply seems incapable of clumsy phrasing, and every theme and pattern is explored in minute detail and mined for the maximum emotional and musical content. His playing seemed to align Beethoven’s First (but the third he had written) Piano Concerto with the concertos of Haydn and Bach: crisp fingerwork with crystal-clear articulation made a case for Beethoven as a composer of line, rather than the richer pianistic textures that more developed modern pianos would afford him 20 or 30 years later in his career. Gevisser made the most of contrast with lighter-pedalled scampering to those Mozartian drops into melodic material where the lyricism takes precedence.
Gevisser offered a first movement Cadenza by Beethoven himself: a brave choice as it turns out, because Beethoven in his early days, simply improvised his cadenzas and did not write them down, leaving us to rely on stylistic guesswork by Ries or Czerny. But having to teach them to the Archduke Rudolph of Austria, and being unhappy about plagiarising pianists who were passing off his improvisations as their own – the older Beethoven set out to commit to paper, a set of cadenzas for the concertos. The cadenza for the 1st Concerto is the longest of the set and ironically the most harmonically daring and pianistically demanding – giving it a very different character to the rest of the concerto. As always with Gevisser, expect a surprise.
The encore was the Brahms/Busoni Chorale Prelude Op.122 No.11 “O Welt, ich muss dich lassen”, the last work he composed (for organ), after the death of his beloved Clara Schumann and knowing that he had cancer which would soon take his life. It was the perfect encore, played with exquisite voicing belying its original concept as an organ work – based on a melody by Bach, already paid tribute to in the Concerto, and providing the missing link of the 60 years between the Concerto and the Wagner that was to follow.
KWA-ZULU NATAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA (KZNPO) WINTER SEASON REVIEW: CONCERT 2
Three works, an Overture by Bizet, Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No 5 (The Egyptian) and Symphony No 3 by Brahms made up the programme at the KZNPO's Symphony Concert on Thursday evening.
Although all emanate from the 'Romantic' Era (19th Century) the music was contrasting and, respectively, distinctive in character, providing ample opportunity for challenging orchestral performance.
A number of 'extra' players had to be brought in to assist in providing the necessary full orchestral sonorities, and although it is not ideal to import players (preferable to have a full contingent KZNPO), this augmented orchestra rose to the occasion under the able and dynamic direction of conductor Daniel Boico who coaxed some fine orchestral playing from all sections of the orchestra. They did full justice to the sparkling 'scherzo-like energy' (programme notes!) of the Overture and to the rich and beautiful scoring of the symphony, paying attention to the appropriate tempi and characterisation.
The highlight of the evening, however, was undoubtedly Leo Gevisser's performance of the Saint-Saens Piano Concerto. Technically very challenging for the soloist but allowing for some contemplative and rhapsodic playing, the concerto is a favourite with pianists.
Gevisser's performance demonstrated his complete technique and mature sensitive musicality. His humble respectfulness of the music rather than showy personal display stood out for me, as did his lovely 'singing' piano tone in the mercurial scale runs, powerful chords and delicate soft notes. After a resounding end to the finale, he offered up an exquisite calm, quiet encore ... It was sheer musical delight!
A standing ovation for both concerto and symphony was a good indication that the concert was enjoyed to the full by all. - Barbara Trofimczyk
JOHANNESBURG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA (JPO) REVIEW: GEVISSER OP 19’N SOLIS VAN STATUUR
Johannesburgse Filharmoniese Orkes, met Bernhard Gueller (dirigent) en Leo Gevisser (klavier). Program: Klavierkonsert no.4 in g mineur, opus 40 (Rachmaninof); Simfonie no.6 in D majeur, opus 60 (Dvorák). In die Linder-ouditorium, Parktown, Johannesburg.
Rachmaninof se Vierde Klavierkonsert was in sy finale vorm ʼn laatlammetjie – elf jaar ná sy eerste verkyning tydens die minder suksesvolle première daarvan in Baltimore op 27 Maart 1927 met die Philadelphia Orkes, gedirigeer deur Leopold Stokowski en die komponis as solis.
Dié concerto was anders en moeiliker op die oor as sy voorgangers. Die swoele, lang uitgerekte melodieë van nos. 1, 2 en 3 wat vir dae lank ná ’n uitvoering in luisteraars se geheue teruggeroep kon word, het ontbreek, behalwe miskien die wiegelied-agtige hooftema van die tweede deel, gemerk Largo. Sommiges herken daarin ʼn verdoeseling van die kinderliedjie Three blind mice, maar daar is minstens ook knap kontrapuntale figurasies wat daaruit voortspruit.
Toe die 19-jarige Leo Gevisser die podium opstap om dié werk te vertolk, kon ʼn mens dalk nog wonder oor sy graad van opgewassenheid vir dié taak. Na afloop daarvan was daar beslis een senrale, dominante gedagte in dié luisteraar se bewussyn: Gevisser is bepaald ʼn helder nuwe ster op die Suid-Afrikaanse pianistefirmament. Met die JFO en die uiters ervare en ondersteunende Bernhard Gueller letterlik aan sy sy, was die tafel gedek om Gevisser se benadering, deurgronding en musikale karaktetekening van dié werk te ervaar. ʼn Helderheid binne ʼn allesomvattende pianistiese betoog was die resultaat, met ʼn volwassenheid wat hier wyd verby die vermoëns van pianiste in hul tienerjare strek.
Albei Allegro vivaces (eerste en derde deel) reageer uitsonderlik en natuurlikerwys op die solis se kombinasie van briljantheid en uitdrukkingsvolle intensiteit. In die openingsdeel was die energieke hegtheid tussen solis en orkes onmiddellik opvallend. Nieteenstaande die tempofluktuasies wat voorkom, is die onderliggende momentum oortuigend volgehou. In die genoemde Largo was die dinamiese wisselwerking tussen die solis en orkes op ʼn verhewe vlak. Dit verras omdat ‘n mens dit gewoonlik as minder geaksentueerd ervaar. Gevisser is opvallenderwys steeds soekende na pianisties genuanseerde spel en, waar dit geregverdig is, bereik hy ook vlakke van demoniese virtuositeit – alles saamgevat rondom pianistiese finesse.
Dvorák se Sesde Simfonie is nóg ‘n werk wat sy aanvanklike stiefkinderlike behandeling begin afskud het. Talle dirigente en orkeste het begin besef dat daar verskeie sjarmes in dié komposisie verborge lê. Die komponis, met sy sterk gevestigde nasionalistiese denke, het hom meer na die Duitse voorbeelde begin wend – veral ook omdat ʼn sterk vriendskap tussen hom en Brahms ontwikkel het. Daar is opvallende ooreenkomste tussen Brahms se no.2 en Dvorák se no.6. Gueller se benadering tot dié simfonie is vars, met simfoniese krag, maar ook gelaai met ʼn verfynde insae betreffende die sensualiteit wat rondom die komponis se notasie as ʼn romantiese subteks na vore kom. Die aardse kwaliteite is eweneens kragtig deur die dirigent belig.
Terloops: Twee Pretoriase instrumentaliste, die hobospeler Johan Ferreira en die Franse horingspeler Jaco van Staden was genooide spelers vir dié konsert. Hulle spel was voortreflik.
