The latest powerful and passionate Resonance concert at Pitt St was a solo piano recital by Chris Cartner entitled RUSSIAN ROMANTICS. The concert saw Cartner perform short works by Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin and Tchaikovsky that had the audience enthralled.
Cartner’s playing, striving to express the melancholic Russian soul, was superb throughout, passionate yet precise with a warm tone.
Cartner, in orchestral black, briefly introduced each of the segments. First was the Rachmaninoff ‘Etude tableaux in C Minor , Op.33 no 5′. With this work Rachmaninoff continued down the path that Chopin and Liszt had already set out on with their concert etudes: very challenging technical tasks are presented for refined concert performance in the form of extremely expressive character works that dazzle. After the first ominous chords the music swirled and eddied. It was passionately and lyrically played with a tempestuous flurry, then became much more reflective and melancholic, leading to its sad conclusion.
Then came the elegant ‘Meditation’( Morceaux’ ) Op 72 no5′ by Tchaikovsky. The melody delicately stated and developed towards its wistful ending. There was a hugely passionate, very fast section. Cartner’s fingers were flying!
Two Scriabin ‘etudes’ ( ‘studies’ ) followed that were troubled and tempestuous. The second began very fast but became slower and more reflective leading to its sudden conclusion.
The bulk of the second half of the programme was a suite from Prokofiev’s ballet ‘Romeo and Juliet’, as arranged for piano .Nowadays this gives rise to much earnest discussion as to which choreographic version is one’s particular favourite. Is it Ashton’s, Cranko’s, Lavrosky’s, MacMillan’s, or Murphy’s?!
This magnificent suite from the ballet, first performed in the nineteen forties, features lush, tempestuous melodies that soar, entwine and ripple.
The concluding section of the programme consisted of four short Rachmaninoff pieces, featuring varying moods and tempi , vibrantly played by Cartner.
The first was full of hidden bubbling passion. The second began at breakneck speed , breathless and tumultuous, but eventually ended on a softer, sighing note.
The third piece was the saddest and most reflective of the four pieces.
The final short piece featured a full throttle beginning. It had an insistent aria like melody and featured blisteringly fast playing by Cartner. With this piece, Cartner brought the concert to a dynamic conclusion.
RUSSIAN ROMANTICS was performed at the Pitt Street Uniting Church as part of this years’ Resonance concert series on Friday 15th May. Running time- one hour without interval.
Concert program:-
S.Rachmaninoff Etude-tableaux in C Minor op 33 no 5
P I Tchaikovsky Meditation ( Morceaux) op72 no5
A Scriabin Etude in C #minor op2 no1
Etude in E major Op 8 No 5
S Prokofiev – Ballet Suite from Romeo and Juliet
S Rachmaninoff Prelude in G# minor op 23 no12
Etude-tableaux in Eb minor Op 39 no 5
Prelude in Eb major Op 23 no6
Prelude in Bb major op 23 no 2
For more about Russian Romantics, visit http://www.resonance.net.au/