At last, a thoroughly satisfying piano recital comprising an all-Chopin evening that featured Jeremy Denk, presented on Mainly Mozart’s Spotlight Series at the Neurosciences Institute March 14-15. Denk played the entire program from memory and loosened up at the top of the second portion, comprising Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Opus 58, having been told by back stage that it was all right to talk. He proved a delightful, relaxed and informative raconteur, demonstrating sections of the work as he discussed them. His playing possessed what he described as Chopin’s developmental fervor, the composer’s “redrawing of what a sonata can be.” This familiar work, with its luscious themes and melodies and the finale’s relentless build, brought the audience to its feet.
Denk, who certainly knows how to build a program, began with Mazurka, Opus 7, numbers 1 and 3, and Opus 24, numbers 2 and 4. These proved a nice build to Etudes, Opus 25, Nos. 1 and 7 and Opus 10, No. 12. He closed the first part of the program with a thrilling, fluid and full performance of Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Opus 52.
Denk, recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and a renowned chamber musician who will return for this season’s Mainly Mozart Festival June 10-21 at the Balboa Theatre, proved himself a match for his description of Frederic Chopin: ambitious, intellectual and audacious.
The next Mainly Mozart Spotlight Series Masters concert is scheduled at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 4-5 at the Neurosciences Institute. It features the Altenberg Trio of Vienna, comprising Claus-Christian Schuster, piano; Amiram Ganz, violin; and Alexander Gebert, cello. They will perform an all-Mozart program featuring the Divertimento in B-flat, K. 254; Piano Trio in G, K. 564; and Piano Trio in B-flat, K. 502.
The final Mainly Mozart Spotlight Series Masters concert of the season, heard at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 25-26 at the Neurosciences Institute, features the music of Antonin Dvorak with violinists Sara Troback and Joseph Lin, violists Cynthia Phelps and Che-Yen Chen and cellist Desmond Hoebig. Programmed are the Terzetto in C for Two Violins and Viola, Opus 74; the String Quartet in F, Opus 96 (“American”); and the String Quartet in E-flat, Opus 97.
It’s not too early to plan for June 10, the kick off of the Mainly Mozart Festival, which features internationally acclaimed pianist John Lill and the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra under the baton of David Atherton in performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s five piano concertos. If you haven’t received your brochure yet, do phone for one.
For information and tickets, visit www.mainlymozart.org or call (619) 230-0100.
