(Vitaly Pisarenko - Pic by Yoshie Kuwayama)
A remarkable display of extreme piano virtuosity was given
by Vitaly Pisarenko when he played for the Friends of Music at the Durban
Jewish Centre.
A few days earlier this 28-year-old Russian pianist had
created something of a sensation with his performance of Tchaikovsky’s B flat
minor concerto with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra. Word of his prowess had
obviously gone around, and a large audience turned up for his solo recital at
the Jewish Centre. They were not disappointed.
He opened with the most conventional item on his programme,
Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata, Op. 13. This splendid work was played with
immaculate technique and well-judged tonal contrasts, plenty of speed and
vigour but no banging. The famous song-like middle movement produced smiles of
appreciation in the audience.
Three pieces from Maurice Ravel’s Miroirs, mirrors intended to reflect the personalities of some of
his artistic friends of a century ago, brought forth more brilliant playing.
Ravel’s cool, elegant, sculptured music was delivered with immaculate
technique. A high point was the celebrated Alborado del gracioso, the morning
song of a jester, with effortless glissandi (sliding the fingers quickly over
the keys) from the pianist.
Thundering virtuosity of a very different kind came with
Franz Liszt’s transcription of the well-known Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens. This is something of a rarity
in the concert hall, which is not surprising; it is exceptionally difficult.
High-speed octaves in both hands were as impressive to see as they were to
hear, and they roused the audience to a high pitch of enthusiasm.
Finally, Rachmaninov’s nine Etudes Tableaux, Op.39, “picture
studies”, showed more keyboard dexterity, but this time of a more controlled
and poetic type, with that touch of melancholy that characterises so much of
Rachmaninov’s music.
The Prelude Performer of the evening, supported by the
National Lotteries Commission was Daniel Bedi, a 17-year-old pupil at Kearsney
College. He played two contrasting piano pieces: Dizzy Fingers by the gifted American light composer Zez Confrey
(1895 –1971) and the Nocturne No 20 in C sharp minor by Chopin. - Michael Green
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