According to acclaimed pianist Garrick Ohlsson, who played a May 16 recital largely devoted to the composer’s work, Alexander Scriabin wrote hundreds of pieces in a musical language that ranges from the very romantic to the more forward-looking. That he did, that he did; as demonstrated by Ohlsson on La Jolla Music Society’s new Belanich Steinway at Sherwood Auditorium.
In fact, Ohlsson provided a veritable surfeit of Scriabin, happily relieved by Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Variations on a Theme of Corelli,” Opus 42, and Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Opus 14 as well as two 11th hour ” actually 10:15 ” encores by Frederic Chopin, the Etude in E, Opus 10, No. 3, and the fastest, most facile Waltz in C-Sharp Minor in this listener’s experience. One had the feeling that by then, Ohlsson was truly enjoying and showing off the topmost range of the Belanich, having explored its deeper sonorous capabilities all evening.
It’s a rare concert when the most meditative pieces on the program are by Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev, who ended his sonata Vivace that’s at first dreamy, then evolves into a playful conclusion. Twice during the program, Ohlsson seized the microphone to talk of Scriabin (1872-1915) the man, whose life was as crazy making as his music. Ohlsson called him “feverish and excitable.” Sounds like a fit subject for Hershey Felder, doesn’t it? But Felder could never play Scriabin’s frenzy of notes, including the trills that embellish Piano Sonata No. 10, Opus 70, or the Piano Sonata No. 5 in F-sharp Major, Opus 53, which sounds like the entire orchestration of a Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim, who must surely have been influenced by Scriabin.
It was a rare privilege to hear this challenging music indefatigably played by a pianist so personable, ripe and at the top of his form. Like he said, the music is “blisteringly difficult” and should not be tried at home, especially by children, and never unsupervised by an adult.
Ultimately, Ohlsson went out on more Scriabin, as if we weren’t totally sated already.
His remarkable recital ended La Jolla Music Society’s 2008 season. Look for SummerFest 2008 Aug. 1 through 24 at Sherwood Auditorium. In addition, you may enjoy a free Festival Under the Stars concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, at La Jolla Cove and the return of Jacques Lousier Trio in Jazz at SummerFest Friday, Aug. 15, at Birch North Park Theatre. Opening night, Ohlsson and Carter Brey perform Astor Piazzolla’s “Le Grand Tango” for Cello and Piano.
For additional programming, visit www.ljcms.org or call (858) 459-3728.