Gilmore Rising Star executes classics with brilliance, clarity
Gilmore Rising Star executes classics with brilliance, clarity
Kalamazoo Gazette
September 10th, 2007
C.J. Gianakaris
An arm of the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival is its Rising Stars Recital Series, whereby six to eight top-flight younger pianists offer solo programs each year, spread across the Gilmore's music season. On Sunday evening, the first of four performances in the 2007-08 series that will be held once a month through December, was launched in impressive fashion at the Wellspring Theater. Spotlighted was American-born Naomi Kudo in a demanding and warmly received program displaying her amazing technique and superior interpretative ability. Kudo also happens to be a 2008 Gilmore Young Artist and will perform again at next spring's Gilmore Festival.
With her parents in the audience, Kudo offered a splendid display of piano artistry. No matter what volume, the evenness of notes in passages was uncanny, with melody always crystal clear. Joined with superlative technical prowess was an intelligent caressing of melodic line in which every note played had significance. An audience favorite was Kudo's crystalline playing of Mozart's Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332. Always true with Mozart's piano music is the need for absolute clarity, and Kudo passed with flying colors. She played its three movements with considered, subdued restraint, fast and forte passages carefully meted out as called for. Cleanly articulated lines were the norm.
Kudo next turned to Chopin's Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 39. Its opening demanded assertive forte octave runs alternating with gossamer sounds created through tinkling notes in the upper treble. Virtuosity dominated in highly dramatic bars, though Kudo could still exhibit sensitivity without eviscerating the music's substance.
For many the apex of the recital was Kudo's amazing rendition of Chopin's ``Andante Spianato'' and``Grand Polonaise Brilliante'' in E-flat Major, Op.22. Kudo has won numerous Chopin competitions. Now we know why. Every feature of this work was expressed and projected with incredible clarity and nuance. The profusion of chromatic runs and passages were pearly smooth, each note sounding, no matter what tempo.
She made sense of every passage, regardless of how complex. Hers was, simply, a brilliant performance.
Carl Vine's 1990 work, Piano Sonata No. 1, offered interesting rhythmic effects. Almost continuous use of sustaining pedal created much of the work's overall aura, though dissonance dominated. The pervasive clatter-bang of the piece shortened audience patience. Kudo prevailed to make some musical sense from the exciting but loud score.
Closing was Kudo's able playing of Liszt's ``Reminiscences de Don Juan (Mozart), S. 418.'' Obviously Liszt's prime objective was to spotlight the pianist (him), and not the music. Kudo followed Liszt's instructions in a splurge of bombastic runs and trills, picking clean Mozart's bones. Many might have preferred Mozart's music straight.