Zimerman hits all the right notes

Author: Sara Jameson

It is not often that a musician with such international renown as pianist Krystian Zimerman comes to Middlebury. Last Wednesday evening, however, the College's Center for the Arts Concert Hall was graced by one of the most talented pianists of our generation. In this concert, Zimerman demonstrated his musical expertise not only through his physical grace and control of the piano, but also through the wide range of pieces he performed. Usually a professional composer like Zimerman tends to specialize in one area of music, but by performing pieces ranging from Mozart to the contemporary Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz, he proved his ability to sensitively interpret and perform a wide variety of musical compositions.

Zimerman's performance consisted of five pieces, covering about two centuries of music - Mozart's Sonata in C Major, K. 330, Beethoven's Sonata in C Major, Op. 53 'Waldstein,' Maurice Ravel's Valse Nobles et Sentimentales, Three Preludes by George Gershwin and Grazyna Bacewicz's Piano Sonata No. 2.

"Most pianists, even the greatest among them, excel in a certain style or period, to which their own brand of pianism is most appropriate: one thinks of Rubenstein and Chopin, Horowitz and Rachmaninoff, Glen Gould and Bach. However, this past Wednesday evening we heard a pianist who can switch styles at will and be utterly convincing. The Mozart C major (K. 330) sonata was lilting in its grace and elegance; unexpected rubatos punctuated flights of fancy. The Gershwin preludes reverberated with the flavor of 1920's jazz," said Assistant Professor of French Robert Doran, commenting on Zimerman's outstanding versatility.

"I especially enjoyed the selections [Zimerman] played. Since it was a 200 year span, it was incredibly interesting to hear the different styles," said Dawn Loveland '09, also quite aware of the varying selections.

Beginning his musical career at the age of seven, Polish-born Zimerman has devoted his life to the study and performance of music. He studied at the Katowice conservatory under Andrzej Jasinski and his career was launched when he won the prestigious Warsaw International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in 1975. He performed with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1976 and made his American debut with the New York Philharmonic in 1979. He has toured widely and made several recordings. During the last 12 seasons of his touring, Zimerman has resolved to travel with his own concert piano to every performance. The confidence afforded by playing on his familiar instrument, combined with his piano-building expertise - first acquired in Katowice and developed through his dedicated collaboration with the Steinway Company in Hamburg - allows him to focus exclusively on music issues instead of technical distractions.

The crowning moment of the concert was Zimerman's performance of the 'Waldstein' Sonata by Beethoven. The piece itself is extremely demanding, requiring the performer to exercise tremendous range, speed, emotion and physical agility. The sonata opens memorably with staccato chords, played pianissimo, which turn into an 11-minute movement full of energy and always hinting back to that teasing rhythm. Zimerman's performance was nothing short of miraculous. He manipulated the sound deftly, playing his pianissimo chords so softly and with such finesse that the contrast with the loud, energetic chords became much more powerful. After the energetic first movement came the surprising, yet refreshing, slow and tranquil second movement. He sped up again in the third and final movement, playing the many daringly fast scales and extremely difficult staccato octaves with ease. The grace and swiftness of his fingers made the piano keys look like water. In this movement, Zimerman's passionate performance proved especially affecting.

"For most audience members, Beethoven's Waldstein sonata was the highlight of the evening. Particularly stunning was the combination of drama and lyricism in the final movement, which brought the audience to their feet," said Doran.

Garnering a standing ovation even at intermission, Zimerman's performance was well received and cherished by all who listened. His musicality, agility and grace, as well as his outstanding sensitivity to the wide range of works, proved him worthy of his lofty reputation.

"[He] has a unique way of containing the tensions of modern pianism - both flamboyant and a purist, a showman and a consummate artist, Zimerman refuses to compromise. Thus he could toss off the Gershwin with the panache and mannerism of a true entertainer, and yet would play no encores, preferring to let his program stand as an inviolable totality," said Doran. Without any exhibitionism, Zimerman simply performed his pieces with the true expression, precision and sensitivity that exposed the extreme beauty and innate brilliance inherent in the performance of music.