Roland Pöntinen is one of Sweden’s most famous classical pianists. What is not as well known is that he has a younger brother, Stefan Pöntinen, who is a composer and violinist. Roland Pöntinen has played in a couple of his works on disc, and now give the world premiere of he ”Sacromonte”, a piano piece with high density.
There is music with many masterly contortions, small rhythmic breakdown, but there is edgy, hoppig and purl. A ”modern” piano piece all the rules, cumbersome in a fairly predictable way. It is difficult to hear the Spanish influence which, apparently, should be there. Maybe I’m just too sluggish to understand this music. But then, I also prefer music that should be felt in front of such as to be understood.
the first Performance may be the most unique with this pianorecital but represents a very small part of it. The romantic pianokungar Schubert, Liszt and Rachmaninov takes up the bulk of the playing time – good so. Say what you want about the classic repertoarens suffocating security, but about a lonely pianist must engage the entire audience in a large concert hall needed work that not only impresses technically, but also offer poetic beauty and entertaining drama.
a-mollsonat from 1823, composed a few years before he wrote his legendary late works, is an amazing svårmodig trip. Pöntinen plays entirely from memory, as well as the four Lisztstycken as he puts together an interesting little suite. He zigzags between the 1880’s and 1850-speech with the ”Wiegenlied”, ”Apassionata”-etyden, ”En rêve” and parafrasen in Verdi’s ”Trovatore”, but they work oddly well together. Pöntinen is entirely inside the music and play as a god.
After the break play Pöntinen the 13 preludes, which Rachmaninov composed in 1910, shortly after his massive third piano concerto. The pianist does not lift so much until it diaboliskt kallsvettiga as the well-organized attacking in this music, which creates sufficient peace of mind to get the impressionist qualities in the tenth prelude to light. Very nice – Rachmaninov earn on to not be presented with överdramatiska poses.
in Addition to Stefan Pöntinen performed another contemporary composer, canadian Kati Agócs. Her ”Nostalgia for airs unheard” is a hommage to Glenn Gould. A complicated piece that is perhaps more fun for the professional pianists (especially those who worship the Gould) than a music audience. But it’s okay. With the romantic classics makes Roland Pöntinen still the concert to a homerun.
Read also DN congratulate: Roland Pöntinen, pianist