On Wednesday evening, January 22, Russian pianist Alexander Toradze made his appearance as part of Carnegie Hall's Keyboard Virtuosos Series. The thirty-three-year-old pianist defected to the United States in 1983, and this was his Carnagie Hall recital debut.
Mr. Toradze had previously appeared in concert with the New York Philharmonic during that orchestra's 1984-85 season, but unfortunately the unfocused acoustics of Avery Fisher Hall made it difficult, if not altogether impossible, to judge his work in the demanding Third Piano Concerto of Sergei Prokofiev. The acoustics of Carnegie hall (surely the best hall in New York for sound) provides the listener with a more correct acoustical environment in which to hear any artist, so the opportunity to hear Mr. Toradze perform again was most welcome.
This year marks the one-hundredth anniversary of the death of Franz Liszt, and like many other pianists who have recently given recitals, Mr. Toradze selected a composition by the Hungarian master to begin his program. The Variations on a Theme of Bach ("Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Sagen") was published in 1863 and is based on the beautiful passacaglia theme from Bach's Cantata No. 12. The variations date from Liszt's religious period and the composer eschews his more characteristic virtuostic style, favoring instead a more contemplative and introspective approach in dealing with Bach's theme. Mr. Toradze's performance suited the composer's intent well, as he sought to bring the spiritual qualities of the music alive in the long meditative episodes, while giving the more sonorous passages their due with a rich, full-bodied tone. The pianist seemed to be deeply committed to this music, and in fact appeared to be almost prayerful while playing.
As committed as he was to the music of Liszt, one could sense that Mr. Toradze has a special affinity for the music of this fellow countrymen, Sergei Prokofiev and Igor Stravinsky. In Prokofiev's Sonata No. 7 in B-flat, Toradze displayed dazzling technical prowess as well as some keen interpretive insights as to precisely how this music should be played. Particularly impressive was his rendition of the sonata's final movement (Precipitato), which he took at a very brisk tempo. A lesser pianist might have problems with this piece at a more moderate pace, but Toradze turned it into a tour de force, demonstrating some truly amazing pianistic skills. Even in the most demanding passages, the pianist played with assurance and confidence, making for a most satisfying performance.
After intermission, Mr. Toradze turned to the impressionistic utterances of Maurice Ravel's Miroirs. This five-movement suite, featuring some of Ravel's most popular music, is every bit as demanding as the Prokofiev sonata, though it requires a very different pianistic approach. The music demands tender loving care, and Mr. Toradze played with elegance and grace throughout. His articulation was precise and well-defined without sounding clinical or academic. Of particular interest were the two movements "Une Barque sur l'ocean" and "Alborada del gracioso," which Ravel eventually scored for orchestra. Both movements were played with great charm and élan, and upon his finishing the "Alborada" the obviously pleased Carnegie Hall audience displayed their approval with a spontaneous outburst of spirited applause. The final movement, "La Vallee des cloches" is a most sublime piece and Mr. Toradze showered the music with some absolutely gorgeous playing. This was undoubtedly the high point of the
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