RECENT CONCERT REVIEWSMONTERREY, MEXICO: Llena la noche su virtuosismo
Seduce la pianista Bárbara Nissman en Festival de Sala Beethoven Apasionada y versátil, virtuosa y poética, la pianista norteamericana Bárbara Nissman se robó nuevamente el corazón del público la noche del martes, como hace cinco años, en aquella legendaria presentación en que fue proclamada "reina del piano". Calificada por sus compatriotas como "Tesoro Nacional", esta gran dama del piano se presentó en el Auditorio San Pedro elegantemente ataviada en un modelo vintage de los años 30 para dar luz a memorables interpretaciones de Rachmaninov, Liszt, Barber y Ginastera. El programa inició desde lo más alto con una obra de bravura, la "Toccata, Adagio y Fuga en Do Mayor" de Bach, en una transcripción de Ferrucio Busoni, que el italiano arregló transformándola en una obra de apasionado romanticismo. Este fue el matiz general que la rubia intérprete generó desde la "Toccata", delineada con tanto ímpetu y energía que por momentos sobrepasó las posibilidades físicas del piano. En el "Adagio" dio un momento exquisito para terminar con una "Fuga" bien trabajada. Magnífico fue el recuento del "Nocturno" (Homenaje a John Field) de Samuel Barber, en el que estuvo elevadísima e inspirada, aquí volcó toda su sensibilidad, fineza y capacidad comunicativa. Su versión de la sonata "Waldstein" de Beethoven fue esbozada con gran convicción y virtuosismo, la proyección de una gran artista que tuvo un "Rondó" final elocuente y grandioso. Lo que se escuchó en la "Sonata No. 3" de Ginastera fue una verdadera lección pianística. Durante cinco minutos fulgurantes presenciamos una interpretación dominante. Y cómo no podría serlo si el mismo compositor depositó en ella su dedicatoria hace 25 años. Para Nissman esta sonata es una ejecución emblemática, única en su repertorio. Prueba de la total comunicación del autor y el intérprete, como pocas puede admirarse en vivo. Uno de los momentos de más elevada calidad fue sin duda la confrontación con las piezas de Rachmaninov. Nissman transformó los tres Preludios y los tres Etudes-Tableaux del compositor ruso, en seis hermosísimas joyas sonoras, seis brillantes de enorme peso técnico y superior emotividad. Pero todavía faltaba concluir el recital, y qué mejor manera que con el tempestuoso virtuosismo del "Vals Mefisto" de Liszt, en el que mostró un pianismo apasionado, una voluntad de recorrer los extremos de mayor dificultad, de cautivar con un bagaje técnico poderoso y altamente calificado. Aquí como en todo su recital, pudo advertirse el gozo que la pianista experimenta frente al teclado, con el rostro lleno de satisfacción, de alegría, de entrega total por su arte. En suma, un cierre que arrancó los aplausos y el respeto del público, que le exigió volver con una pieza más. Ella correspondió con una interpretación vehemente de dos "Danzas Argentinas" de su compositor fetiche, Alberto Ginastera. El
Norte,
MONTERREY, MEXICO: AN EVENING FILLED WITH VIRTUOSITY
Pianist Barbara
Nissman seduces the audience during the Sala Beethoven Festival. Passionate and versatile, virtuosic and poetic, the North American pianist Barbara Nissman once again stole the audience’s heart on Tuesday evening, as she did five years ago during her legendary concert when she was proclaimed “the Queen of the Piano.” Declared by her compatriots to be a “National Treasure,” this great lady of the piano arrived at the San Pedro Auditorium, elegantly dressed in a Victorian vintage gown from the 1930’s, that illuminated memorable interpretations of Rachmaninov, Liszt, Barber, and Ginastera. The program opened with Bach’s great bravura Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C Major, from a transcription by the Italian Ferrucio Busoni that transformed this composition into a work of passionate romanticism. This was the general tone that the fair-haired interpreter generated with the Toccata, delineated with so much impetus and energy that some moments even surpass the physical possibilities of the piano. The Adagio was exquisite, finishing with a well-executed Gigue. Magnificent was her interpretation of the Nocturne (an homage to John Field) from Samuel Barber, inspired and played on the highest level, exposing all her sensitivity, finesse, and communicative gifts. Her version of Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata was imbued with great conviction and virtuosity, the projection of a great artist that made the final Rondo both eloquent and magnificent. What was heard in Ginastera’s Sonata No. 3 was truly a lesson in pianism. During its five brilliant minutes, we were in the presence of a masterful interpreter. And how could this not be if its very composer 25 years ago had dedicated this work to her? For Nissman, this Sonata is a spellbinding performance piece, unique in her repertoire- proof of the total communication between composer and interpreter, that few can bring to life. One of the highest moments was undoubtedly bringing the audience face to face with the works of Rachmaninov. Nissman transformed the three Preludes and the three Etudes-Tableaux from the Russian composer into six beautiful sonorous jewels, of enormous technical weight and superior emotion. What better way to conclude the recital than with the tempestuous virtuosity of the Mephisto Waltz from Liszt, in which she brought out a passionate pianism, a willingness to go through the extremes of major difficulties, captivating us with her broad, powerful and highly developed technique. Here, as in all her recital, we couldn’t help but notice the pleasure experienced by the pianist at the piano, with her face showing plenty of satisfaction, joy, and a total surrender to her art. In sum, a finale that inspired the audience’s applause and respect, and demanded one more piece. She obliged with an impetuous interpretation of two Danzas Argentinas from her favorite composer, Alberto Ginastera. El Norte, 11/8/07
Monterey Symphony/Brahms Second Concerto Sunday’s afternoon Carmel audience left the Sunset Theater glowing with enthusiasm after hearing this expansive, lush program, which was crowned by a performance of Brahms’ Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major featuring soloist Barbara Nissman. Nissman, a petite woman, dressed in a green gown, made her debut with the symphony in the concerto, giving us a polished, sophisticated account of the demanding work. The Brahms B-flat Concerto ranks among the grandest in the repertoire. It contains the breadth and spaciousness of a symphony, the dramatic arc of an opera, the tenderness of an intimate love song, and the authority of an epic masterpiece. For the pianist, Brahms No. 2 is scaling Mt. Everest, a challenging, difficult and heroic journey. For the listener, the concerto evokes deep feeling and an uplifting sense of the vastness of the human spirit. Nissman opened the mighty opus with charm and indomitable strength. Earlier this year, someone described this artist as a grandmother on a rocket ship. Her raw physical power alone is enough to earn such a phrase, but she also possesses powerful keyboard technique and poetic suppleness and fluidity. This combined with her enchanting personality for a dazzling performance. Nissman seemed undaunted by the virtuosic demands of the concerto transmitting its beauty and might with transparency and grace. She was met magnificently by Bragado and the orchestra sharing the immense musical journey as joyful partners. Throughout the concert, the orchestra displayed the brilliance and impeccability that have become its signature under Bragado’s leadership. A happy audience granted the event a robust standing ovation. The Monterey County Herald 10/16/07
Pianist Barbara Nissman joined the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra on Thursday and Friday nights for a rousing performance of Alberto Ginastera's "Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra," Op. 28. On Thursday, looking like a charming West Virginia farmwoman, Nissman tore into the concerto with the aggressive energy of a rock star and the intelligence of a chess master. Written in 1961 when Ginastera was in his mid-40s, the concerto is like a game of survival played on a terrain of crushed glass and needles. There are moments in dense forests when the piano and orchestra play hide and seek. One tries to lure the other out into the open. There are also agitated confrontations in open plains when the two forces ram into each other like bull elk in rutting season. All the while, Nissman operates like a member of the orchestra instead of a superstar on an oblivious ego trip. In the passages of playful desolation, her interpretations are light-hearted, tender and poetic, but moments later she hits with the force of a bulldozer. Throughout all these changes in topography, from the dark woods to the open vistas, Nissman held the audience spellbound until the roaring conclusion that brought a thundering ovation and roars of approval. Then, obviously delighted to be playing Ginastera, about whom she is an authority, like a grandmother on a rocket ship, she brought the adoring crowd to its feet again by roaring through an encore of "Danzas Argentinas," Op. 2, written in 1937 when Ginastera was only 21 and still a student. News Sentinel 1/27/07
Oberlin College: Stellar Pianist Performs for Oberlin AIDS Project In Franz Liszt’s Piano Sonata in b minor, pianist Barbara Nissman took my very soul out of my chest and played it back to me. She performed beautifully onstage at Warner Concert Hall last Sunday as a part of the AIDS Quilt project with several colorful but rather daunting 12” by 12” sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt hanging behind her. The concert opened with a short introduction by Robert Frascino, OC ’74 HIV-positive College Trustee…Then he gave the stage to the music, and what amazing music it was. Chopin’s Nocturne in D-flat was mesmerizing, magical, subtle and enchanting, full of shadows, colors, and emotions. Barbara Nissman possesses extraordinary pianism, which allows her to craft her interpretation to the highest level of perfection. Her hands freely floated above the keyboard and transformed mere hammers hitting strings into a transcendental experience. Nissman touched the keys lightly, tenderly, with much elegance and grace. The transparent texture was satiated with so much meaning. Such bright, crystal melody lines, such naturally placed breaths, such adorable beauty are rarely to be heard. Her musical taste, which was following the right concept of style, was a pure delight. After the last chord, there was no candy unwrapping. In her introduction to Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasy, Nissman explained that it was written in a very dark period of the composer’s life when he was physically ill and horribly depressed. The mood was set. Any printed music carries the problem regarding sincerity and spontaneity of the performance. It is hard to bring the cold text on the page to life. Obviously, not for Nissman: from the beginning she played freely, as if she were improvising it right at the moment. She grabbed the audience’s attention and guided them through every note. Diverse and fresh, each new phrase started without letting the listener take a breath after the end of the previous one. The determined, heroic passages in forte lacked the usual battering quality that Chopin often receives from a number of performers. The virtuosic runs lost the cold showiness usually associated with the term “virtuosic”- light and charmingly fluttering, they sparkled through Warner like pearls. The Polonaise’s many contrasts were achieved with almost fearsome ease. Nissman changed colors in an instant, wavering from one exuberant state to another, without tiredness, without a stop and the listener had to follow, because there was no way out of her music. An absolute splendor. Liszt’s Sonata in b minor followed. “This piece is about the spiritual journey between life and death,” said Nissman. The dark beginning, with its lonely, profound basses, was breathtaking. All the virtuosic effects-octaves, trills, parallel thirds- were powerful and triumphant without being aggressive. And there was beauty, such a supreme beauty even in the simplest scale. Even as the music was getting faster and faster and I was afraid that it might stumble over the edge, Nissman held everything in control without an effort. Liszt’s lyrical melodies are so easy to lose in the hoard of chords, arpeggios and other typical Lisztian fireworks, but Nissman didn’t allow that in her performance. It was all about layers upon layers. It was emotionally exhausting to listen to and yet, I was crying for more. After the intermission Nissman played Alberto Ginastera’s Sonata No. 3, the last work he composed. It was dedicated to Barbara Nissman and she remembers that the composer intended it as a concerto for piano, percussion and orchestra, but since he wrote it from his hospital bed days before his death, the piece turned into a short piano sonata. A stunning short piano sonata. “I’m playing this for all the pianists in the hall with the hope that they will like it and want to perform it,” Nissman said. Another powerful beginning started off. More virtuosic octaves rolled around with no difficulty, glissandos occupied the whole range of the keyboard, Nissman bravely jumped at dangerous chords. Offbeat sharp accents and repeating elements, the music was building up and down in energy level in a matter of seconds. The last piece in the program was Prokofiev’s Sixth Sonata, one of the so-called “war” sonatas.” “Prokofiev took off where Liszt ended,” said Nissman. “He is considered the Russian Liszt and actually the Russians labeled him ‘the football composer.’ Still, I consider him a Romantic composer.” She also said that she likes to program Prokofiev because she wanted to redeem him. Exact, strict chords dominated the texture, as Prokofiev loves to do. There were crossing of hands, enormous contrasts – all flawlessly delivered by Nissman. Even tenderness and lightheartedness found their way through- something that is not typical for Prokofiev, who is considered cold and ironically humorous. Various characters were brought to life, amusingly differing from one another. Nissman called the first and last movements the two pillars that hold up the sonata. The lighter second and third movement followed. Nissman demonstrated the thousand existing ways to approach and touch the piano. The jazzy third movement, she believed to be part of a common influence between Prokofiev and Gershwin, who had recently become acquainted around that time. The rapidly changing harmonies were dreamy, sometimes serious, sometimes even tipsy. The fourth movement delivered the promised virtuosity beyond belief, which Nissman presented without a notion of tiredness. It also sounded mystical in some sections. Bright and flashy statements in upper octaves burst out, some recitative-like passages sounded even distressed- all interpreted with the exceptional freedom of Barbara Nissman. The evening ended with an encore of a Liszt Consolation. Beautiful, natural, living and breathing, it was crafted like a porcelain statue, longing. I have to say beautiful at least once more. “I played with all my heart and the evening’s performance here, in Oberlin, was very special to me,” Nissman said. It was pure soul music. The Oberlin Review 3/3/06
Old School Steinway Society The Bay Area, 2/12/05, 2/13/05 Keyboard virtuoso Barbara Nissman concluded a marathon recital for the Steinway Society The Bay Area, Saturday, February 12 with two striking dances by Alberto Ginastera, offered as an encore for a program that had included music by Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov and Beethoven. An accomplished pianist trained under Hungarian wizard Gyorgy Sandor, Ms. Nissman sports a big, formidable technique that relishes knotty and intellectually demanding scores; and her penchant for the Romantic, colossal repertory makes her a throwback to the piano traditions of the old school. Utilizing the lecture-concert format, Ms. Nissman contributed a few preliminary remarks prior to each of her selections. Nissman opened with a group of three Chopin nocturnes, the E Major, Op. 62, No. 2; the D-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 2; and the C Minor, Op. 48, No. 1. Having categorized the nocturnes as “Chopin at his most vulnerable,” Nissman addressed Chopin’s iconoclastic classicism, an individualized sense of form entirely self-contained, where a fluid and plastic melodic line finds support in unruly and audacious harmonies, especially the Neapolitan modes. The E Major and C Minor entries had Nissman carefully balancing lyric and declamatory impulses, while the D-flat could show off her pearly play and brilliant fioritura. Nissman concluded the first half of the program with Franz Liszt’s monolithic B Minor Sonata, an epic one-movement work which subdivides into four sections but whose motives and syntax derive from all of the materials laid out in the exposition, a brilliant economy of means that counteracts its hectic and ecstatic sensibility. Alternately percussive and sensuously layered, Nissman took the heroic approach to Liszt’s titanic, emotive battlefield, where the forces of life and death wage ceaseless war. In its meditative episodes, Nissman might have been surveying passages from Dante or the Book of Revelations. Nissman’s Liszt is cut in the same, epic mold as that of Bolet, Arrau, and Richter, with nothing of the distaff in her digital armory. Each repetition of the stentorian, ballade-like passage had its own, affective nuance, a nod of affirmation to the infinite. The post-intermission entries, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and three of Rachmaninov’s dense Etudes-Tableaux from Op. 39, made only a momentary contrast with the bravura of the Liszt. The opening of Beethoven’s most popular sonata might have provided a brief respite from the whirlwinds, but after a dancing Allegretto, the Presto agitato from Beethoven’s C# Minor Sonata Quasi Fantasia struck us like a thunderbolt, especially as Nissman allowed no space between movements. Nissman emphasized the dramatic harmonic progressions in the third movement, aligning this moody work with Bach’s Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor. Rachmaninov’s Op. 39, claims Nissman, is merely his own D Minor Piano Concerto compressed into selective affects. Buried under tons of tremolandi one finds the inevitable intoning of the Dies Irae from the Requiem Mass, a sequence whose intimation of mortality haunted the Russian composer. What made the Rachmaninov group engaging were not only Nissman’s striding tempos and impressive stretches, but the improvisatory character with which she imbued the etudes, particularly No. 9, whose rapid staccato figures could daunt lesser talents, as could the emotional fury of No. 5, a kind of homage to Scriabin’s own D# Minor Etude. The final work of this program, which may have had more notes per square foot than most contemporary recitals, was Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody, a setting of both La Folia of Corelli fame and Glinka’s Jota aragonesa, here in Liszt’s own two-section style we know from his Hungarian rhapsodies, performed with enough panache to enlighten Rimsky-Korsakov. Liszt lets out all the stops, allowing a shimmering, orchestral palette to engage the piano, calling for Herculean parallel octaves which Nissman ran off with aplomb to spare. Eliciting roars and whistles of applause, Nissman graciously accepted the audience’s accolades, sitting down to the piano for her Ginastera encores with the quip, “If you’re not tired, neither am I.” Gary Lemco (www.calderacademy.com)
Norton Series Starts Masterfully The ninth season of the Norton Building Concert Series got off to an impressive start Sunday, featuring internationally renowned pianist Barbara Nissman in a solo concert of music by the masters of piano literature. Nissman took full advantage of the setting and not only displayed musical prowess, but intellectual insight, tempered by an unpretentious attitude. She opened with The “Appassionata” of Beethoven which Nissman described as “beyond the piano.” Her symphonic rendition of the music certainly fulfilled that description with a particularly moving second movement. Her passionate playing of two Chopin nocturnes was surpassed only by the famous Polonaise, reminiscent of Horowitz, but she replaced his version with a more sophisticated style. The second half of the program featured music of Schumann and Rachmaninoff. She captured the confused and troubled mind of Schumann as expressed in his Fantasy, Op. 17 and showed insight into the work which can be an emotional and musical quagmire. Nissman can only be described as a national treasure. The Star, Chicago 9/23/04
CONFERENCE:
Prokofiev in America
University of London 8 May 2004
Musical Pointers 5/9/04 Riveting Soloist Caps Symphony PerformanceInternationally acclaimed pianist Barbara Nissman’s riveting performance of Brahms’ 1881 "Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major" capped the Santa Cruz Symphony’s concert Saturday at the Civic Auditorium. The program was repeated at Watsonville’s Mello Center on Sunday afternoon. Pianist Barbara Nissman brought Brahms’ "Piano Concerto No.2." to vivid life with magnificent interpretive skills. She commanded immediate attention from the instant she arrived on stage resplendent in a bright red satin dress whose fitted long-sleeved bodice gave way to a flowing bouffant skirt. Her fiery playing lived up to that dramatic image. Nissman’s powerful pianism easily rose above Brahms’ densely textured orchestration. The first two movements — both speedy and forceful — displayed her commanding power, as she swooped down on the keyboard with purposeful vigor. Constant communication, aural and visual, between Nissman and Granger ensured tight piano/orchestra coordination. The third movement, "Andante," saw Nissman’s mood go from passionate to pensive. Here she shaped sweet phrases with the subtle pauses and nudges of sensitive rubato. The lively finale, "Allegretto grazioso," sparkled in orchestra and piano, alike. Nissman’s involvement — and joy — in the music were evident as she moved freely and gracefully with the rhythm while playing. At pauses in the piano’s part, she directed her attention toward Granger and the orchestra, often with hands on hips, arms akimbo, actively partaking of the music as she awaited her next pianistic onslaught. Nissman’s dramatic and illustrative style, though not note-perfect, offers a deep understanding of the music. After this physically demanding concerto, four movements rather than the usual three, Nissman responded to the audience’s standing ovation and prolonged applause with a double encore. She played without pause two of Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera’s "Danzas Argentinas." The opening "Danza," a sinuous tango with dissonant undercurrents, burst suddenly into the second, a whirlwind of jazzy riffs and full-keyboard glissandos. Saturday was not Nissman’s first time in Santa Cruz. I have been lucky enough to hear her here on four previous occasions. Three were solo recitals at Cabrillo College, Watsonville’s Mello Center and UC Santa Cruz. But the first time was in a performance of this same Brahms "Concerto" — 17 years ago! About 10 current symphony members date back to that performance in February 1987. Santa Cruz Sentinel/ April 6, 2004
Santa Cruz Symphony and Barbara Nissman at the Mello Center The Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 by Johannes Brahms featured the well-known and much anticipated Santa Cruz favorite piano soloist Barbara Nissman. I feel quite sure that Barbara Nissman simply doesn’t perform the Brahms Concerto; she lives it with artistic commitment and the melancholy bittersweet intensity that bares the undeniable Brahms DNA…. To be sure, a Barbara Nissman concert is never complete without an encore and in this case no less than three! She performed two Dances by Ginastera and a work by Liszt. The encores were performed with exuberance, rhythmic zest, harmonic poetry and melodic charm. We patiently await Barbara Nissman’s return. Register-Pajaronian / April 8, 2004
Salem College, Winston-Salem, NC By the time pianist Barbara Nissman finished her March 13 recital in Salem College's Hanes Auditorium, she had made a convincing case for her thesis that, aside from his own individual voice, Sergei Prokofiev was a natural extension of the aesthetics of Franz Liszt. In the absence of program notes, Nissman prefaced each piece on the program with brief comments that drew attention to stylistic features, relationships between composers, and her approach to the works. Prokofiev as the storyteller was a theme of the opening work, "Tales of an Old Grandmother," Op. 31, the composer's first work written on American soil, in 1918. More than once, I could liken the effect to a Mussorgsky-like Russian tale passed through the prism of Liszt's late Romantic piano technique. The overall effect was simply lovely. Nissman described the outer two movements of the first of Prokofiev's three "War Sonatas" (No. 6, Op. 82) as the columns containing the "meat" of the work, with the brief witty second and romantic third movements serving as cleansing sorbets. There was no lack of fiery pianism in the huge waves of sound and dense texture generated, nor was there any lack of poetry in the delicate quiet passages. In the most complex passages, she excelled in attending to underlying melodic lines, aspects often neglected by many pianists. Rippling arpeggios reflected Franz Liszt's tribute to Chopin's Nocturnes in his lovely and gentle "Consolation" No. 3 in D flat that followed intermission. Nissman said that Liszt had a much higher regard for Chopin than his Polish friend had for him. The performance was a fine display of her ability to weave a delicate line and paint with subtle tone color. The Triangle and Triad have not lacked for performances of Liszt's monumental Sonata in B Minor. Add Nissman's own view to this short list of wholly successful presentations. She succeeded in her stated goal to "make its form lucid on two different levels" while expressing her view that the core Romantic theme is "the Spiritual Journey... from Life to Death." Her two short encores came from Alberto Ginastera – the gentle "Dance of the Sad Maiden" and the fiery "Dance of the Clever Cowboy," a piece as taxing as any Hungarian Rhapsody by Liszt! It is too bad that the conjunction of spring break at nearby Wake Forest University and the NC School of Arts kept the audience so small for such a fine musician. North Carolina Classical Voice 3/15/04
Pianist delivers exhilarating concert ...Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B Minor remains the Holy Grail of the big pieces, a single movement sonata that embraces the multi-movement gestures of the traditional sonata. Pianist Barbara Nissman gave an exhilarating account of the piece Friday night in a benefit concert for the Clay Center in memory of John McClaugherty. Liszt’s music is anchored by a hammered bass theme that draws its vast musical cosmos toward it like the pull of a black hole. Nissman built enough energy into the episodes that spin away from that bass theme that it seemed the structure might fly apart. The central scherzo/fugato, which culminates in fortissimo hammered octaves, had the relentless thrash of a meteor storm, while the slow passages glowed with an otherworldly light. Nissman never let the listener get lost in storm or ether. The bass theme held sway in all transformations, subtle and huge, and the 28-minute piece evolved with a satisfying clarity of structure. ... In Chopin’s Nocturne in D-flat, Op. 27, No. 2 and Liszt’s “Consolation,” Nissman struck a beautiful balance of sweetly blurred harmonies and melodic grace. Chopin’s Nocturne in C Minor, Op. 55 had a poised fierceness, even in its C major center. She generated a muscular orchestral texture in the famous Polonaise in A-flat, Op. 53. Two “Argentine Dances” by Alberto Ginastera and Debussy’s “Au claire de la lune” were offered as encores. Charleston Gazette, Charleston, WV 1/17/04 Mid-Texas Symphony Barbara Nissman was the soloist in Prokofiev's exuberant Piano Concerto, No. 3, which she delivered with muscular athleticism, ample fireworks, and a clear sense of the music's underlying lyricism. Most intriguing and curiously compelling was her way of modeling tempos and shaping lines that suggested the jazz-rooted style of George Gershwin. San Antonio Express-News 9/23/03
Stanford
University, Lively Arts 1/15/03
Barbara Nissman is considered today to be one of the leading interpreters of Sergei Prokofiev and Alberto Ginastera. She has recorded all of Prokofiev's piano sonatas and is about to record all five of his piano concertos. She has also recorded Ginastera's complete piano solo and chamber works; the composer dedicated his last piano sonata (No. 3, Op. 55) to Nissman. Not surprisingly, the program of her solo recital on Wednesday in Dinkelspiel Auditorium at Stanford consisted of works by these two composers. Nissman's apparent desire was to demonstrate how much Prokofiev and Ginastera have in common. The program continually switched back and forth from one composer to the other and indeed showed that the soulfulness, unrelenting rhythmic drive, and extravert Lisztian pianism of the Russian was very much akin to the soulfulness, unrelenting rhythmic drive, and extravert Lisztian pianism of the Argentinian. The linchpins of the program were two sonatas by Prokofiev (No. 4, Op. 29, and No. 6, Op. 82) and two by Ginastera (No. 1, Op. 22, and No. 3, Op. 55). This quartet requires a formidable technical command of the keyboard, and Nissman proved once again that she could deftly work through most-demanding pianistic fireworks without breaking a sweat. That was particularly obvious in the explosive reading of Ginastera's motoric single-movement Third Sonata. In Prokofiev's Sonata No. 4, Nissman was forcefully convincing in the first movement and catchingly exuberant in the finale…Ginastera's four-movement First Sonata concluded the first half of the concert… The second movement was eerie and hypnotic. The slow movement spoke eloquently, with occasional heart-rending outbursts. The syncopated ostinato rhythms of Argentinean gaucho dances brought the sonata to a triumphant ending. Prokofiev's monumental four-movement Sixth Sonata concluded the program, rhyming nicely with the ending of the first half (what a well thought-out program!). Here Nissman showed an astonishing range of moods and colors: from brutally fierce to sinister and outright frightening, from ironic and naughty to tender and nostalgic, from apocalyptic to light-hearted to macabre. The rest of the program consisted of miniatures that preceded the sonatas in each half of the program. Prokofiev's four Visions fugitives from Op. 22 (Nos.1, 3, 8, and 9) were alluringly shaded…Ginastera's Rondo sobre temas infantiles argentinos, Op. 19, written for the composer's children and based on popular nursery tunes, was utterly charming. Nissman's wit was especially evident in the Rondo's sudden and humorous transitions. Prokofiev's Etude Op. 2, No. 1, an extremely difficult scherzo laden with double notes and octaves at a finger-breaking speed, was dazzling.
San Francisco Classical Voice 1/21/03
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