French Piano Music Showcase in Melbourne Next Week – Pascal Rogé
May 30th 2008 01:24
Is anyone else excited by the influx to Melbourne of several internationally acclaimed pianists for recitals over the next week? I almost fell off my chair at the prospect of having the choice of hearing the likes of Emmanuel Ax, Pascal Rogé and Roy Howat, all within one week, playing at the National Academy of Music. So I have bought tickets to Pascal Rogé who is playing an all-French programme, (Satie, Debussy and Ravel) and Emmanuel Ax, who will be playing largely Romantic piano repertoire – such intimate musical experiences are rare, and not to be taken for granted, especially in Australia. (which is a topic in its own right.) Not only does the audience get to live the music in close proximity to the artist, but it’s the artist who selects the programmes. This is an absolute treat as the audience hears the soloist’s every breath and practically every thought, at least musically anyway. Here is an opportunity to question the motives for making such selections – what is a Frenchman doing playing an all-French programme? Is it purely French arrogance? I would say definitely not because the music stands on its own for beauty and imagination, among other things. What also makes it special for me is the way it illuminates the piano as a jewel of an instrument. Played on a concert grand piano, the sound colours and effects within this repertoire will be nothing less than stunning. This music, although largely Romantic and almost post-Romantic, (like Debussy I refuse to call his and Ravel’s music Impressionist) has a refinement and cerebral quality that other Romantic music overcompensates for with excessive “passion” and “drama” – here the music is about the instrument, not the soloist or the composer, and for me, that’s how it should be. It will be very interesting to hear M. Rogé's interpretation of the music of his own country, and by extension, his culture. Stay tuned for a review next week.
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