 |
British pianist Imogen Cooper gave a piano recital on 18th June 2015 and presented a programme consisting of Chopin Barcarolle in F-Sharp Major, Schumann Humoreske in B-Flat Major, Schubert 12 German Dances and Piano Sonata No.20 in A Major. Reputed as one of the finest interpreters of Schubert’s music, Imogen Cooper is particularly known for her poetic poise and sensitivity in her interpretations.
The programme notes were not well-written and balanced as the biographies of the composers made up most of the programme notes, while the musical information and description of the pieces were very minimal and brief. I had expected a more organized, balanced and detailed programme notes from Mr. Keith Anderson.
Chopin’s Barcarolle, or gondolier's song, began with a rather wandering and mysterious opening and then the bass ostinato, which was supposed to evoke the lilting rhythm of the boat. However, Cooper failed to convey the wavelike motion of the left hand, where the music depicted the rise and fall of the waves. In addition, the articulation from the beginning was too stiff, so she could not express the mellifluous music with a rich tone throughout the piece. There was still some nice voicing and luscious moments from Cooper. The singing melody was executed with lucidity and delicacy. In the virtuoso ending, the dramatic climax seemed to be a bit congested and Cooper’s playing lacked layering due to the restricted dynamic gradations. Some people perceived this piece to be portraying a love scene in a gondola. Moreover, as Barcarolle was composed in 1845-46, which were the final years of Chopin’s life, this piece was also a “farewell to this world” with bitterness. Unfortunately, Cooper did not succeed in transmitting the extra-musical messages of Chopin’s Barcarolle.
Cooper then gave a much more persuasive account of Schumann’s Humoreske with scintillating phrasing and formidable pianism. This piano cycle was written when Schumann was separated from his beloved Clara Wieck and Schumann once said, “The whole week I have been sitting at the piano and composing and writing and laughing and crying at the same time.” The emotional tone and character of the respective sections were greatly varied and Schumann’s emotional world was beautifully encapsulated in Humoreske. Beginning in tranquility (Einfach), Cooper’s playing was sweet and soothing. In a livelier episode, Sehr rasch und leicht, Cooper played energetically with exuberance. Cooper captured Schumann’s headlong love towards Clara. In the more technically demanding sections, Cooper had displayed extreme precision and impassioned rigour despite her age. Besides, she managed to express Schumann’s inner thoughts in the more introspective sections, in particular in Einfach und zart, where she allowed the music to speak quietly without losing the forward momentum. Finally, the piece ended with an emphatic conclusion. Cooper had sensitive characterization in different sections and presented different moods. She was also able to combine lyricism and virtuosity. Cooper could show the extreme contrast between sections while maintaining the interconnection in between and smooth transitions, which also reflected that she had a deep understanding of this piece. The dual nature and fragility of human was effectively manifested by the dazzling juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated elements. Cooper’s interpretation was nearly flawless, except that her articulation was slightly stiff.
After the intermission, here came Schubert’s 12 German Dances; and Cooper is the true master of Schubert’s music. Cooper played these dances with finesse and rhythmic drive. The often unexpected modulation of keys and harmonies in the dances was handled with great care, in which Cooper attempted to reveal Schubert’s innermost thoughts with a direct approach. Cooper played with a wide palette of tone colours in this piece. The dances were also played to prepare the audience for the following central piece of the whole recital – Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A Major.
The night’s programme ended with an absorbing, penetrating performance of Schubert’s sweetly nostalgic Piano Sonata in A Major, which is nowadays considered to be the most important among Schubert’s masterpieces. Schubert had been suffering from syphilis from 1823 onwards. Nevertheless, he was still optimistic about the future and composed a large amount of music, including this Sonata. The Sonata started with stately forte chords which provided the motivic materials. Then it led to the second theme which had a more lyrical melody. Cooper had effective dynamic shading and well-judged pedaling to produce a harp-like tone when playing the downward scales. Additionally, Cooper used a warmer, richer hue and variations of tone colour. Cooper’s performance was a combination of passion and poetry and she always played with a full-bodied tone. The sincerity of Cooper was impressive, and there was nothing artificial in her playing.
In the poignant, pathetic and sorrowful second movement of the Sonata, Cooper’s interpretation had exquisite sensitivity and was so artistically appealing that the audience could feel the deep pain in the music. Cooper definitely succeeded to tug at the audience’s heartstrings, unlike some interpretations that are emotionally austere. The C-Sharp minor section with fortissimo chords was extremely tense and harsh and Cooper brought the audience from dreams and memories into a new dimension of hostility, and then set the music back to calm darkness. Cooper certainly grasped how to express Schubert’s ever-changing emotional world.
In the joyful and playful third movement, Cooper’s tone production was well-controlled and idiosyncratic without making the structure of this movement flaccid or losing the propulsive power. Her rendition was elegant and elucidating with filigree.
The expansive and wind-swept fourth movement started with an ethereal singing tone. Cooper’s playing, again, was well-balanced and she often brought out the melodies embedded in the seemingly accompanying left hand. Cooper was able to lead the flowing music smoothly between different thematic groups. Cooper also treated the unconventional harmonic shifts with lyricism and attention. This movement was immaculately layered and structured with a driving force. She could exhibit the sense of suspense created. Everything was so natural in Cooper’s hands. Cooper executed the agitating Presto section fierily and the Sonata ended with a triumphant conclusion. Regrettably, there was an audience member leaving during the fourth movement, making noise and disturbance to the performer and other audience members. This act should be condemned for its disrespectfulness towards the artist and concert etiquette should always be borne in mind.
After the fairly ebullient applause from the audience, Cooper gave an ardent and soulful account of Schubert’s Musical Moment No.3 in F minor, which was lively and Cooper emphasised much on the dynamic contrast.
From this recital, we could see that Cooper is an expert in Schubert’s music, and Cooper is admirable for having the courage to step out of her comfort zone to explore the worlds of different composers. Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A Major was sometimes deemed as obscure because of the prolonged duration of the Sonata and the “irrelevant” elements on the surface. Cooper succeeded in turning the ornamental musical details into organic elements. To make every element amalgamated logically and beautifully takes many years of understanding. Cooper absolutely conveyed the spirit of Schubert. Furthermore, Cooper struck a balance between analytical calculation, rationality and intuition, perception in her thought-provoking and insightful interpretation of the Sonata.
In this thoughtfully crafted programme, the main theme of the recital was about love. By including the pieces from different composers, Cooper could fully portray the composer’s thoughts on love. Chopin had been longing for a serene, sincere and everlasting love and he fell in love with George Sand deeply at that time, despite his serious illness; the love between Schumann and Clara was probably the most obstacle-strewn and passionate; Schubert was fully devoted to his pupil, Countess Karoline Eszterházy. All of them displayed different moods in their works. Chopin’s Barcarolle was cheerful, ecstatic, and at the same time aching since he was suffering from tuberculosis while imagining the time spent with George Sand in the earlier years. Schumann’s Humoreske expressed his yearning for Clara and the optimism in his melancholy. Schubert’s Piano Sonata expressed a transcendental sorrow and the sense of the vanishing of all the things in the world. Notwithstanding, Schubert was able to have bliss in the face of death. Schubert’s music is always saddening, but with reconciling love. Both Schubert and Schumann had plenty of internal conflicts and struggles.
Cooper once said, “Duality, intermingling and juxtaposing identities, the dream world, the subconscious, wild humour, the supernatural, disguise, the outsider; such is the inner world of Robert Schumann.”
本網站內一切內容之版權均屬國際演藝評論家協會（香港分會）及原作者所有，未經本會及/或原作者書面同意，不得轉載。