First Round, Day 1 (afternoon session)
Jonathan Mak opened his program with the gentle, allemande-like prelude in f minor by J.S. Bach (Well-Tempered Klavier I). His sensitive phrasing perfectly captured the character of this prelude, nicely setting up the melancholy fugue that follows. He achieved remarkable clarity in the fugue, taking care of and shaping every single melodic line, even when it was not the main focus. Continuing with the f minor theme, Mak showed off his virtuosity with Liszt’s transcendental Etude no. 10. The rapid 6/3 chords that open the piece sparkled with energy and clarity, and he continued to show his command over the overall sound of the instrument. Everything was balanced perfectly, with melodies soaring on top of a cloud of luminous sound. His second etude, Ligeti’s “Arc-en-ciel” (rainbow) demonstrated his control of slower-paced, long melodic lines.
Mak’s classical sonata choice was Beethoven’s sonata in F major, op. 10 no. 2. His playing delivered a crisp, clean interpretation, and he continued to make the piano sound wonderful. Just at the moment of suspense before the first movement’s false recapitulation in D major, a phone went off in the audience, and I was impressed with Mak’s ability to continue to play through this interruption without it seeming to throw him off at all, especially in this section with so many rhetorical silences. He played the second movement of the sonata slower than I’m accustomed to hearing it, but I quite liked the thoughtful effect he created with the slower tempo. It also set off the contrast of the fast, imitative finale quite well. His last piece, Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in D major op. 23 no. 4, functioned as a lyrical encore to the program that underscored his ability to beautifully manage and layer the piano’s sound.
Yongqiu Liu began with J.S. Bach’s prelude and fugue in a minor (Well-Tempered Klavier II). She managed the highly chromatic, sliding lines of the prelude with ease, creating an understated sound world that contrasted sharply with the angular subject of the fugue. Her Haydn sonata (the “grand” E-flat major Sonata, Hob. XVI:52) provided an opportunity for her to showcase her sparkling melodic figuration and skill as an interpreter of classical period music. I enjoyed her huge variety of sound across the many different textures of the first movement, although I think she could have occasionally made more of surprising rhetorical pauses and changes of key. The second movement of the Haydn was beautifully played, and I was particularly impressed by the naturalness of the rapid, cadenza-like figuration that she integrated throughout. The third movement of the Haydn was also excellent, with suspenseful pauses and rapid, driving figuration keeping the audience engaged. This sonata is unusual in that the middle movement is in E major, a key very far away from the first and last movement’s E-flat major (most classical sonatas have a closely related key for the middle movement).
Liu continued with a lyrical performance of Rachmaninoff’s Elegie in e-flat minor, op. 3 no. 1, filling the space with a beautifully layered sound and highlighting her dynamic range. Her two etudes were Chopin’s famous “Winter Wind” (op. 25 no. 11) and Liszt’s even more famous “La Campanella” (S. 141). She played each fabulously, delighting with an incredible clarity in Winter Wind, especially in one or two special leggiero passages. She achieved a bell-like sound in La Campanella that perfectly fit the piece, all while managing the virtuosic repeated notes and rapid figuration with ease.
Aaron Kurz was one of the few contestants to begin his program with two contrasting Scarlatti sonatas, instead of a prelude and fugue by J.S. Bach. Most of Scarlatti’s 555 sonatas come in pairs that share the same key, often one slow and one fast. Although these two sonatas (K. 119 in D minor, K. 213 in d minor) don’t have adjacent catalog numbers and were probably not written as a set, Kurz is still following Scarlatti’s lead by pairing contrasting sonatas that share a tonal center. His performance of these pieces was clear, insightful, and full of character. I especially enjoyed the delicacy and poignancy he brought to the second sonata in d minor.
For his classical sonata, Kurz chose Mozart’s Sonata K. 332 in F major. His sound was clear and energetic throughout the first movement, and his portrayal of Mozart’s rapid changes of character were particularly effective. I was also impressed with his ability to project his sound and intentions to the back of the hall, communicating effectively with the audience. His second and third movements were a hair on the slow side, but also quite enjoyable, showcasing his capable lyricism and clean passagework.
Rachmaninoff’s prelude in B-flat major, op. 23 no. 2 was next on the program. Kurz managed an impressively transparent sound in this piece, shaping the huge mass of notes Rachmaninoff wrote into beautiful and coherent phrases. His two etudes were by Debussy (no. 11, “composite arpeggios”) and Ligeti (no. 13, “Devil’s Staircase”). The Debussy etude beautifully blended melodic, textural, and harmonic materials into a cohesive whole, and the Ligeti etude displayed yet another side of Kurz’s impressive pianism, with his driving rhythmic intensity building excitement throughout the piece.
Leo de Maria began his program with a sparkling performance of J.S. Bach’s prelude and fugue in G major (Well-Tempered Klavier II). This fugue is unusual because the subject is almost entirely made of arpeggios, instead of a more traditional melodic line. Even so, de Maria was able to bring out the contrapuntal nature of the piece quite effectively. His next piece, Chopin’s “Black Key” etude (op. 10 no. 5), was a perfect follow-up to the Bach, sharing many similarities in character to the prelude and fugue. He played it fantastically, with a sparkling and lively sound.
The two Rachmaninoff pieces that followed (Prelude in G major op. 32 no. 5, Etude-Tableaux in D major op. 39 no. 9) filled the hall first with a luminous, ethereal sound and then with the energy of a driving march. These two pieces capture two essential sides of Rachmaninoff’s piano music, and de Maria proved he could play both quite capably.
The final piece on de Maria’s program was Beethoven’s Sonata in C major, op. 2 no. 3. The largest of Beethoven’s opus 2 sonatas, this piece is orchestral in scope, with the first movement almost mimicking a concerto. His playing was energetic and driving throughout the first movement, giving way to a more reserved and introspective sound in the opening of the second movement. I also enjoyed the scherzo and the finale, which displayed a playful and lighthearted side to his playing. Throughout the piece and program, he dispatched difficult passages with ease while also delivering thoughtful interpretations of the slower, less technically demanding music.
Delvan Lin chose to begin his program with a pair of Rachmaninoff pieces (Prelude in b minor op. 32 no. 10, Etude-Tableaux in e-flat minor op. 39 no. 5) instead of beginning with Baroque period repertoire like most other contestants. The prelude is one of Rachmaninoff’s most famous, nicknamed “Homecoming” or “The Return” because of its inspiration, a painting by Arnold Boecklin. Lin captured the nostalgia and longing in the piece well, which requires careful pacing of the piece’s long dramatic arc. The etude paired well with the prelude, dominated by a similar texture of a dramatic melody supported by repeated chords.
Lin’s prelude and fugue by J.S. Bach (g minor, Well-Tempered Klavier II) was thoughtful and clear, although I would have liked to hear a bit more drama and sharply dotted rhythms in the prelude. His Beethoven (Sonata in E-flat major op. 7) was full of life and character, and he fully committed to the sudden sforzandi and dynamic changes that characterize Beethoven’s early piano music. In the slow movement, he took advantage of every break and pause to maximize their rhetorical effect, keeping the audience listening even when he wasn’t playing. He also successfully characterized the scherzo and finale, which each have a lighthearted beginning and end with a stormy middle section. Lin’s finale was Chopin’s “Winter Wind” etude (op. 25 no. 11), dazzling the audience and bringing the first day of the competition to an exciting close.
Looking ahead: there is one more day of the first round, and then the judges will announce at the end of the day Tuesday the eight contestants who advance to the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Best of luck to all the amazing pianists here!