One of the true pleasures of the Evelyn Miller Young Pianist Series is that it offers a listener, short of attending a piano competition, the opportunity to hear pianists that probably would not come before them otherwise. And those pianists vary widely in terms of age, sensibilities, and repertoire. In Sunday's YPS recital, the pianist was Chetan Tierra, a 27 year-old pianist who has made the rounds of competitions, placing well in some, but perhaps still searching for his niche that will separate him from the constantly refilling pool of competition. Based on his Sunday's program, he may have found it in at least two of the works: Ginastera's Piano Sonata No. 1, op. 22, and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.
Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera's (d. 1983) sonata seems a reflection of a 1950s nervous, yet heavy, energetic optimism...all the while a study in contrasts, perhaps a textbook definition of musical abstract expressionism. Tierra quite brilliantly displayed this energy and dynamism using contrasts of "relative" softness with forceful percussiveness that repeatedly pushed and tugged. In the second movement, "Presto misterioso," Tierra managed to offer up textures that some might even call weirdly luscious-- uncommonly lyrical and enticing despite their moments of angst and harsh abstractions.
In Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Tierra was equally at ease with a bit of lyrical impressionism in what was a first-rate interpretation. On the downside, I must admit I felt that Tierra's Promenades were perhaps describing the viewer as simplistic, even naïve, although this may not have been his intention at all. The "Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks" was a delightful display of intricacies. On the other hand, the final "The Great Gate of Kiev" was beautifully pictorial--an illustration of nicely articulated dynamics.
Tierra opened the recital with Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C Major from the Well-Tempered Clavier followed by Brahms' Variations on a Theme of Paganini, op. 35, Book 1.
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