Jinjoo Cho
Jinjoo Cho’s first Beethoven Sonata pleased by its smiling
and tender sensitivity, never forced, whose personable thoughtfulness enthralled
the audience. Her Zwilich was warm with thrilling sound, only very occasionally
over-impassioned.
In the Prokofiev F minor, her first movement had a
compelling and atmospheric sound, appropriately morose. Her second and last
movements, however, suffered from a kindness, smoothness even, that was lacking
in the violent authority needed for these pillars of wartime writing.
Waxman’s Carmen, curiously, did not quite match the quality
of the opening of her recital.
Stephen Kim
A confident player, one cannot fault Mr. Kim for tending towards
the overly so in his Beethoven Sonata No. 7. To his disadvantage, every forte
down bow was begun from above the string - Beethoven occasionally writes ‘marcato’, but not constantly. In Mr.
Kim’s accompanying figures, he was not as attuned as he could have been to his
partner.
His Zwilich was approached with flair.
In Prokofiev’s first sonata he seemed rather bored whenever
he wasn’t playing, as though for him the music stopped when he did. We must
thank him for some exciting moments in this sonata, however, and his energetic
Rondo Capriccioso.
Steven Waarts
As prodigiously talented as this tall young man is, he
doesn’t quite seem comfortable in his likely recent height and breadth of arm
and hand. If the Beethoven No. 8 seemed a bit ill at ease, his Bartok Solo
Sonata, as he progressed, gained quickly in mastery, no easy task! The
commissioned piece was in every way gutsy and truly lyrical, and for once,
effective.
As sweet as his Ravel Sonata was, his first two movements
were a bit colorless, yet the last was played with assurance and aplomb.
Ji Yoon Lee
Ji Yoon Lee began with the Zwilich Fantasy, which seemed to
take care of her nerves. Her Beethoven No. 6 was sweet and demure, though she
might consider not swelling in both hands in either direction on nearly every
longer note. Her Prokofiev F minor lacked an engaging personal profile, though
many would consider her rendition professional.
As an ender, she played Wieniawski Polonaise No. 2, often immaculate,
but not robust enough to close this recital.
~CrackCritic
~CrackCritic
It certainly seems like you're pulling your punches here. Which is appropriate for these young folks.
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