Kissin’s personality (and maybe even the myth that has formed around her) is truly exceptional. Tylenis, reserved, writes music and poetry in several languages (among them Yiddish occupies a significant place), sometimes a bit eccentric, but very curious and strong-minded performer tends not to speak during concerts, and until 2022. February 24 avoided giving interviews. Born and raised in Moscow, the Jewish pianist nurtured his national identity from an early age, and after the collapse of the Soviet Union, he went to live in the United States and Western Europe. I was thinking about what word would be suitable to describe his views towards Russia, and the most appropriate word was suggested by the host of the concert, Julijus Grickevičius – unambiguous. And such are really rare, especially in the world of classical music – it is enough to remember the discussions that have just taken place.
Of course, it is not only the personality that attracts such a full philharmonic hall that some of the guests have to sit on the stage (I felt white envy for the latter, especially those sitting in the middle of the first row). The prodigy, who grew up on the big stage, played in the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of the legendary Herbert von Karajan, is famous for his interpretations, scrupulous attention to sound and melody. Sometimes the interpretations receive ambiguous assessments, but it is really not worth arguing about his professionalism. In short, he’s like a personal hero to me, on my must-listen list.
I will present some dry facts about the program: Kisin is currently presenting it in European countries (a recording from the Verbier Festival in Switzerland can be found on Medici TV, however, the same works sounded a bit different in Vilnius). It includes compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, Johannes Brahms and Sergei Prokofiev. The works are arranged chronologically, and the dates of creation cover the 100th anniversary (1814-1914). All of them are united by a romantic spirit, sometimes manifesting itself through a warlike spirit, and sometimes through heartfelt emotions. The works of Beethoven and Chopin played in the first part were written in the mature period of these composers’ lives, while the opuses of Brahms and Prokofiev, played after the break, were written in their youth. All these composers, at least as demonstrated by Kissin’s performance, paid much attention to expressive, mostly singing melodies.
If in the first part the classical rationality has some importance, the simple and singly performed melody of the second part takes the most important place.
Beethoven Sonata no. 27 in E minor Op. 90 is already unique in itself – clear symptoms of Romanticism begin to appear in it: the work consists of only two parts, it does not end with a fiery finale, the author leaves the indications of tempo and character in German, and compared to the sonatas of his contemporaries, it is full of sensuality (this is what Beethoven indicates). Kisin undertook this task very attentively – the sonata sounded full of tenderness and attention, without trying to over-dramatize or over-contrasting dynamics. His interpretation was “seamless” – transitioning from one topic to another is imperceptible and dynamic. One of the most distinctive features is Kissin’s attention to sound, which is revealed not only in his sound, but also in his body language. Even the passages that would tempt someone else to pass them off as an effect and proof of their genius, here sounded like strings of beads, listening to each sound separately. If in the first part the classical rationality has some importance, the simple and singly performed melody of the second part takes the most important place. And of course, the sonata has an impressive ending – it just starts and ends.
The nocturne may have started lyrically, but the performer was grateful for the unsweetened romanticization and the overdosage of rubato and legato.
Chopin’s Nocturne no. Op. 14 48 no. 2 in F minor and Fantasy Op. 49 in F minor, although written in the same year 1841, is of a very different character. Nocturne is extremely sad, maybe even tragic; his main means of expression is an endless melody supported by the left hand in short, guitar-like arpeggios. Some interpret it as a dialogue between different registers, but in Kissin’s case it sounds continuously, with barely perceptible sighs. The nocturne may have started lyrically, but the performer was grateful for the unsweetened romanticization and the not-overdosed rubato and legato. Compared to Beethoven’s sonata, Kisin is less careful here – his melody line is composed of rich and sonorous sounds and merges into a lonely lament. The middle part is more determined, with a Polonaise rhythm, leading to a brighter reality. According to Chopin’s instructions, the two main motifs should sound like the orders of a tyrant and the plea of an abused, but this time on stage they sounded like solid and very determined phrases.
Dmitriy Matveyev’s photo/Evgenii Kisin’s concert in Vilnius, 2024
When I became interested in Chopin’s Fantasia, I accidentally went down the rabbit hole of analysis. The structurally non-binding genre of free development became an expression of longing for the homeland for the composer. Chopin left his native Poland just before the November Uprising, and his fantasy created ten years later echoes the songs of the uprising. Among them is Karolis Kurpiński’s “Litwinka” (lit. “Lietuvaitė”), the motives of which can be heard at the very beginning. I don’t think that Kisin was thinking about the links with Lithuania when he included this piece. On the other hand, knowing his and the composer’s biographies, song lyrics, historical present, past and local contexts and their parallels, forces one to start creating unique meanings before the piece has even sounded. Two artists living in different periods face similar dilemmas and take similar measures to spread the word about nations attacked by almost the same aggressor.
What does Kissin say?
One could continue to reason, but let’s not stray from the music itself. The complex form is conducive to creating new interpretations – a multitude of musical themes with various textures and characters appear here: decisive, warlike, lyrical and choral, they are arranged on the principle of a mirror and create a musical narrative, where every time the same musical material returns, it is the performer who becomes the creator of the musical narrative . What does Kissin say? First of all, in the introduction (where “Litwinka’s” motifs are heard), the mood is not too warlike. He brings the introductory improvisational passages that sound for the first time very slowly, stopping and taking a breath. Of course, the first climax is impressive, but the mechanically sounding march episode is no less interesting. There is a note of weariness and sadness in the returning melodies, but not tragedy or melancholy. The lulling middle part of the lullaby lights up like a sign of hope after stormy struggles. After the return of the conflicts of the first part, the same themes sound much more determined this time – a good starting point is again the march, which sounds solid, lively, joyful and even triumphant. It is true that a thread of tragedy is woven at the end, but Kisin is able to convey all this in bright colors.
Dmitriy Matveyev’s photo/Evgenii Kisin’s concert in Vilnius, 2024
I have to admit that both in life and in this concert, I didn’t pay much attention to Brahms’s work. Therefore, this composer’s four ballads op. I listened to 10 without much deeper insight. I can go on and on – attention to sound, melody… but I won’t. Rather, I will talk about Prokofiev’s Sonata no. Op. 2 14 – the most modern, but still deeply romantic piece of the program. Here again, even before approaching the music itself, it is worth noting that Kisin chose to play music by Russian composers. At the beginning of the war, there was a heated debate about the promotion of Russian culture in the Western world, and in Lithuania this topic came back to life last week. In an interview, Kisin talked about how he himself faced this dilemma when performing works by Sergei Rachmaninoff. “Oh my God, how sad Russia is,” he quotes Pushkin’s words about Gogol’s work. This is how it is seen in Rachmaninov’s music.
The third part is particularly expressive – Kisin highlights textural layers, concentrating accents and extracting from them polyphony and at the same time the effect of a Prokofievian dream.
Let’s get back to the music. Kisin gave this versatile sonata a distinctive color palette. Instead of an overly expressionistic take on this composer’s music and focusing on dissonances and contrasts, his interpretation focused more on the melody/s, highlighting the accents in some passages, creating a polyphonic effect that was unexpected for the generation. The third movement is particularly expressive – Kisin brings out the textural layers, focusing the accents and extracting polyphony from them, and at the same time Prokofievish dream effect.
I am sure that many (including me in part) came with the purpose of hearing Kissin. Someone nearby was happy that so many young people had gathered. I think this reveals certain problems of philharmonics and other national and state music. Why the youth willing to pay triple digits for a solo pianist recital, but don’t buy tickets to deeply discounted concerts? Maybe he is not always satisfied with the mediocre “potpourri of the most famous classical hits”, but he is able to choose what is really interesting and of high quality.
Dmitriy Matveyev’s photo/Evgenii Kisin’s concert in Vilnius, 2024
Maybe that’s why the audience reacted so violently. Kisin returned to bow nine times. I am a skeptic of shouts of “Bravo!”, especially in Lithuania, but this time they were really deserved. For the encore, he performed three pieces by the same composers: Chopin’s Mazurka in A minor, Op. 67 no. 4., Prokofiev’s march from the opera “Love for Three Oranges” and the famous Brahms Waltz in A flat major op 39 no. 15. A modest, but experienced veteran of classical music, perhaps he is not very impressive as a performer – he does not address the audience himself, he still enters the stage like a tense teenager, he is focused before going down, and when he straightens up he is already smiling. But during the performance, he completely immerses himself in the music, and the piece becomes a medium between him and us. It’s scary not to fall into clichés, but such concert experiences are the most meaningful. Perhaps that bow and smile is a barrier between Kissin’s two worlds – a modest, quiet and withdrawn exterior, and another – a curious, bright and rich interior.
#Kotryna #Lukšytė #Yevgeny #Kisin #earned #Bravo #Culture
2024-08-30 09:53:19