Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Ayako Uehara :: Prokofiev: Sonata No. 7; Visions Fugitives; 10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet

Beyond Brilliant.......

Todd Krieger | United States | 05/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I first listened to Japanese pianist Ayako Uehara's newly-released Prokofiev Piano Works CD, I did so apprehensively. At the time, I was not overly familiar with the composer's piano compositions. I initially had to lean on recs for "Romeo and Juliet" and the composer's popular Sonata No. 7 Op. 83. I was, however, familiar with Prok's orchestral works, so I was able to start from there as a musical benchmark. At first listen, the musical tapestry of "Romeo" was portrayed with a delicacy and sense of timing that I'd associate with great orchestral readings of this work. Too often, these pieces are played with a heavy hand, and shows off the performer more than the composer. But with Ayako, the composer is front and center, and this is the type of performance that one will notice new elements of Prokofiev's brilliant score with each subsequent listen.



Outside the "Romeo" and Sonata, Ayako exhibits some of the most incredible "pianissimos" I've heard. The "dynamic layering" and melodic phrasing breathes life into some of Prok's lesser-known compositions. (One might think the recording is lacking in volume and turn it up, only to get startled by the loud stuff.)



The Sonata No. 7. I had to go through a "learning curve" to appreciate this piece, and particularly Ayako's performance. The Sonata was recorded by quite a few heavyweights over the years, including Sviatoslav Richter, Martha Argerich, and my benchmark- Vladimir Horowitz. When I heard the opening movement of the Sonata, I thought Ayako might pull off the unthinkable- Eclipse Horowitz's performance.... Her opening movement, in my humble opinion, is the best to make recording. The animated legatos contrasting with the articulate "bombastic" fortes really cast a mood for the remainder of the work, and Ayako captures its character to the hilt. The second movement too has a depth that I think both Argerich and Richter miss.



But the final movement was where the learning experience took place. When I first heard Ayako's performance of it, I was disappointed. It sounded tentative to me. Horowitz had a rhythmic pulse to this movement that I think is unequaled, and Argerich simply goes pedal to the metal. Although after that learning curve, I'm not as impressed with Argerich's final movement as I was when I first heard it. But with Ayako, I later realized that the "tentativeness" was actually restraint. The first thing that hit me was the "Prokovievian" character to the music, with the unique and interwoven melodic and harmonic lines. The rhythmic element reinforces the melodies, rather than dominates them. And in time, I started to appreciate the tonal color and the dynamic ebb and flow of the final movement. Once again, the composer is front and center. And where Argerich's finale became an out-of-control puree of sound and Horowitz's became somewhat "busy", Ayako's finale came to a rousing crescendo. The cleanly-articulated main melody was sustained, to the very end. But this leads to my one complaint: Ayako tended to vary the tempos in the final movement, and slowed down a bit in that finale. Overall, I give a slight edge to Horowitz only because he sustained the pace in the final movement, which I think is an important element of this great work. But Ayako's performance is still phenomenal.



If I could give this CD six stars, I would.



Once again, another incredible recording by Ayako Uehara, who I think may already be one of the most underrated and under-appreciated pianists of all time."

Playing that Produces Various Coloring, Drama and Agility!

Raymond Vacchino | Toronto, ON. Canada | 06/22/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The sonata, No.7,is the second of the so-called "War Sonatas." Richter was the first performer of the work, thus making its premiere a huge success. This is one of the most successful of Prokofiev's works, distinguished by its tight structure and careful, complex development of material. The first movement is the most complex of the three in this sonata.

Pianist Ayako Uehara's hands frequently explore the opposite ends of the keyboard quite dramatically, despite the occasional quibbles. For the most part, she conveys the dry musical texture which remains transparent and even austere. Uehara conveys the rich and diverse thematic material intelligently, and clearly defines the short melodic and rhythmic statements composing the first group of themes. She also plays the opening with the essential angular design and energetic presence needed. The second movement presents an entirely different emotional picture. Here, Uehara conveys its deeply felt expressivity which projects the grandeur and drama of a national tragedy. It is conceived as a monumental symphonic movement, and Uehara conjures the many allusions to orchestral sonorities. Harlow Robinson remarks that this movement,"like the third movement of the Sixth Sonata...is in a waltz time." Pianist Boris Berman says in his recent book on the sonatas, that "personally, I find no similarity between the lush waltz of the Sixth, and the movement in question." Uehara allows the broad first theme to unfold unhurriedly, like the flow of a mighty river, setting the tone of an epic narrative. In a reserved and noble way, Uehara soars, encompassing an even greater range, before calming down to allow a new theme to ominously start in the low register. In one of the phrases, Uehara shifts her attention to embellishing the theme before starting a torturous, stubborn ascent, leading us to a display of growing virtuosity, heightened with full orchestral sonority, then breaking into a passionate lament. The finale is a toccata, harking back to the famous Toccata Op.11, and other works in a similar vein, such as 'Suggestion diabolique, Op.4'.

Like the other earlier pieces, the movement is filled with perpetual motion and a constantly repeated short motive. It is sometimes described as jazzy, and its ostinato motive has been said to reflect the influence of American blues. Whatever the comparisons, they miss the point entirely. The unyielding force with which Uehara performs with, is miles away from the casual ease of the blues. Uehara respects the three conditions crucial for unleashing the full power of this movement. Do not play it too fast; the 'Precipitato' should be created by a relentlessly steady rhythm, rather than sheer speed. Play the three-note ostinato figure in the bass the same way whenever it appears, and play the right hand with a keen sense of voice leading in all three voices of the chords, rather than paying attention only to the upper line. Uehara observes the dynamic indications, and doesn't play too loud too soon, however, the dynamic scope could be expanded even more. She is prudent, and saves the imposing crescendo and crushing 'fortissimo' sound for those few spots that are indicated. Uehara beautifully shapes the E minor section, and plays with the tone that should sound more melodic than everything that preceded it, but certainly not lyrical. In the ten pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Uehara's playing is imaginative and filled with beautiful voice leading. Her technical facility in the 'Visions fugitives', is quite effortless, and conveys her growing confidence at the keyboard. There is a need for greater in depth attention pertaining to pedalling, dynamics and overall stability. The Prokofiev Sonata's have unique and meticulous challenges that require complete observation. They are indeed an ongoing, life learning exploration, and as Uehara performs more of his music, she will become even more imaginative in creating full characterizations of individual themes and passages. Prokofiev had a particular talent for creating a fully identifiable mood within the first notes of a piece, passage, or theme. Establishing this ability is a challenge for every pianist, and Uehara is well on the way to becoming an exceptionally impressive "Prokofiev Pianist!"



Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus. A.Mus. L.R.S.M. Licentiate (hon.)"