Schumann Carnaval Op 9 Selections Rosen Rec 1963.wmv

Selections:

1 Coquette
2 Replique
3 Papillons
4 Lettres dansants
5 Chiarina (Clara Wieck)
6 Chopin
7 Estrella (Ernestine von Fricken)
8 Reconnaissance
9 Pantalon et Colombine




It is not often that one has the opportunity to hear a pianist who studied with a pupil of Franz Liszt. The artist was the eminent pianist Charles Rosen who gave a recital dedicated to Chopins late works at the Barclay Theatre in Orange County. The recital was given in commemoration of the composers 200th birthday. . Rosens teacher was, of course, the legendary Moriz Rosenthal who not only studied with Liszt but also with Karl Mikuli, a pupil of Chopin. Unfortunately, the recital was only reviewed by an Orange County critic who took the opportunity to describe the pianist as one with a deteriorating technique. He sets up this premise in the very first paragraph of his review by describing certain physical infirmities of the 83 year old pianist.. You can read the review on the internet. All you have to do is type Charles Rosen and limp. . The critic surely must have known that such a description would not be a plus for Rosen. He could have written his review without these observations. This is the same critic who, when he was writing for the LA Times, took Alicia De Larrocha to task for daring to play a recital that included Bach and Albeniz on the same program. He wrote of her playing of the Albeniz, "very pretty and pretty boring." Oh yes. He has very sharp little knives. However, some of this critics observations concerning the Rosen recital were somewhat valid. Certain sections were rushed, especially in the C section of the fourth moment Rondo of the B minor Sonata. And a little more poetry here and there would have been welcome. But the recital in total was played with extraordinary technical command.. There was "no sloppy playing." A couple of wrong notes played in the left hand of the sonata, does not justify such a description. . . . There were, however, many beautiful moments such as the gorgeous singing tone of the secondary subject of the first movement of the B minor Sonata and the shaping of phrases in the Largo of the same work. . The double notes of the coda of the fourth ballade were played with an accurate virtuosity that many pianists half Rosens age could not match. Rosen still has a formidable technique. And by the way, its not the fine muscles of the fingers that usually go first, its the arms. It was obvious to this listener that Rosen still has complete command of both.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Schumann
• Carnaval
• Op
• Rosen

[astyanax27]

The problem is that many people believe that the judgment of such critics is objective and, still worse, that the best artists unfortunately take this sort of scribbling to heart.

[astyanax27]

This critic is not only nasty, but also patronizing, which is possibly worse. He starts with the most irrelevant things - how could a limp be relevant to playing the piano, and would it not be worse if a musician hard of hearing did not wear a hearing-aid? - presumably wishing to suggest that really no more need be said and that Rosen is past it.