Jonathan Biss in recital

[Todd]

I attended a recital by Jonathan Biss this evening, and came away with mixed feelings.  The program opened with a big slug of Mendelssohn: the Prelude and Fugue in E minor, three of the Lieder Ohne Worte, and the Variations sérieuses.  Only the variations proved interesting, and then because Biss played with great energy and, at times, force.  Next up were five selections from Gyorgy Kurtag's Játékok, which Biss took time to explain before he played.  He also played using scores, having not committed the pieces to memory yet.  They were generally quite successful, especially the piece inspired by Debussy's The girl with the flaxen hair, which Biss described as being a bit 'psychotic'.  He segued into Mozart's Adagio in B Minor, which proved to be the highlight of the recital.  He played with poise and a nice mix of gracefulness and tautness. 

The big work, and the reason I went, was Schubert's D959.  This was a mixed bag.  Biss performed best in the faster, more intense passages, though he made a few slips, most notably in the first movement.  He also played in a quite animated, that is to say, over-exaggerated physical fashion in the more intense passages.  The slow movement was a bit dull in the quieter and slower parts, but again, in the more intense sections, he did well.  The final movement was bit too over the top with the physical aspect.  A nice little Mozart encore finished the evening, and it showed that he has a greater affinity with the composer.

Sound-wise, I have to admit that I didn't find his playing as tonally attractive as on disc.  His sound was largely thin and tart, though in the Lieder Ohne Worte he managed some moments of beauty.

I enjoyed the recital, but I was also a bit disappointed.  I thoroughly enjoy Biss' studio recordings, but he didn't play at the same level in person.  Was the recital a fluke, or are the recordings not a real indication of his talent?  Of course, the repertoire is different in his recordings, so that has some impact.  I'll have to hear him in person again to find out.  I'm hoping the next recital I attend is more up my alley – Anton Kuerti is coming to give an all LvB recital in February, with the 31/1 (his recording is one of the best ever) and the mighty Diabellis on the program.  Nice and meaty.  I also hope I don't get stuck next to another octogenarian with a failing hearing aid emitting intermittent noises.

[val]

I never heard Biss in concert. But I was very impressed by his recordings of Schumann and Mozart.

[Brian]

Anton Kuerti is coming to give an all LvB recital in February, with the 31/1 (his recording is one of the best ever) and the mighty Diabellis on the program.  Nice and meaty.  I also hope I don't get stuck next to another octogenarian with a failing hearing aid emitting intermittent noises.

That sounds like a recital worth planning one's calendar around.

Interesting that Biss' sound would be so different in concert. I have yet to encounter this pianist live or on disc, but my curiosity is piqued, if only somewhat.