Queen Elisabeth Contest (Belgium)...

[alessandro]

Just thought that I could clear the path for some chit-chat about the competition.   It just started yesterday with preliminaries (about 80 selected, 40 of them Korean).  Saturday, 24 half-finalists will be known, Saturday there-after the twelve finalists.   Most chosen concerto for final is this year (gone for some time, but apparently back again) Tschaikowsky 1.  Good luck to all of the contestants.   I hope I can pick one of the recitals next week, but I will definitely listen a lot the national radio and national television.
Kind greetings and a hug to you all.

[clicquot]

Great! If you're interested in the program and podcasts of the first round, you can check my site here..trying to update as much as possible (but of course in dutch :-/)

My fav at this moment Sofia VASHERUK!

[clicquot]

Live streams as of today here

[finger_yogi]

Are the candidates' repertoire lists available on their website?

[clicquot]

well the program is available in a hard copy book of course, but they release the actual program of the recital (the jury selects one out of 2 proposals) to the press just one day before the actual performance, i'm keeping a list up to date on the semi-final page if you're interested... concerto's are already listed though

On their website you can find the info here, select a concert day, press [more info] and it'll show you the program (updated per day)

[alessandro]

Dear Forumeers,
First, I would like to say to Cliquot that, despite that the site looks as if it is not often visited, I really was pleasantly surprised by your 'Belgian pianoforum'-website.   And I like your enthusiasm and the way you update it, especially now with the QE-contest.  I listened to twelve contestants till today, not their whole recital but a least one work of each.   And I can not resist to give my impressions.   I enjoyed a lot the darkness of the Bulgarian Anna Petrova in het Prokofiev sonata n° 6, a not too spectacular choice of sonate and played hauntingly beautifully.   I was absolutely flabbergasted by the spectular interpretation of Sunwoo Yekwon of Igor Stravinsky 3 movements of Petrushka (Danse Russe, chez Petrouchka, la Semaine Grasse).   I never heard that piece, what a wildness, and how spectacularly played by that Yekwon, real fireworks, awesome technique. That piece sounds so difficult to play.  I also have a weakness for the American (Santa Cruz, CA) Chetan Tierra, he played Clementi's sonata in fis 25/5.   Again a very personal, original choice and an intimate, heartwarming sound and rendition of the piece.   But... finally, I think, I've heard and seen if not the winner, than probably top three... Evgeni Bozhanov, Bulgarian.  And he only played Mozart yet.  But what a Mozart, every single note was music.  An artist, talent, charisma, and already shining like a winner.
Kind kind greetings and a hug to you all.

[finger_yogi]

and then there were 12 ...

A spectacular semi-final round has come to a close. I'm exhausted and my nerves frayed - and I'm not even close to being a contestant!

Quite interesting how the numbers came out for the choice of finalists. Of the 10 female semi-finalists, 2 made the cut to the finals. Of the 14 male semi-finalists, 10 are going to the finals. The female/male percentages for the semis 42% vs 58%; for the finals 17% vs 83%. Were the male candidates generally better than the female candidates?

[pianisten1989]

What?! How could Denis KOZHUKHIN make it to the final?! someone plzz explain it to me :/

[franz_]

What?! How could Denis KOZHUKHIN make it to the final?! someone plzz explain it to me :/

Cause he's great
I sat in the hall for his recital, typical Russian school, but superb playing.

[pianisten1989]

He screwed up the rhythm big time in Schumann. And the tarantella was just really fast... Oh well, it's all about taste I guess...

[alessandro]

Hello everybody,
It is maybe normal that there is not much life in this topic since the finals started last Monday.  Nothing exceptionnaly moving happened except the Hammerklavier of Yury Favorin and his Liszt concerto.   The three other candidates (Kim Da Sol, Park Jong Hai and Sunwoo Yekwon) were disappointing.   Maybe being twenty-agers is too young too play this tough, heavy and complex concertos like Prokofiev 3, Rachmaninov 3 and Brahms.  They all have amazing technique, but the sound of Kim Da Sol is too elegant, too brilliant for me (not enough harshness, nothing edgy, no guts).  I had a little bit the same bored feeling with Park Jong-Hai in his Prokofiev 3, I wasn't moved at all and this 3rd concerto needs really a lot of originality from the performer (more than the 2nd) to be captivating...  And finally, Sunwoo Yekwon is a wonderful technician, absolutely brilliant, but a lack of blackness and depth, it almost felt more like a patchwork of tricks than a concerto.  I'm really looking forward to hear Saint-Saëns' concerto n° 5 tonight and, of course, waiting for Bozhanov on Friday.
Kind greetings to you all.

[carrot_cake]

Has anyone else has problems getting the Minnaar cast to play. i too was looking forward to the saint saens but doesn't seem to load up for me. all the others are fine. Oh, and i'll also agree with Alessandro i really enjoyed Favorins performance, particularly the liszt concerto. Felt there was a few occassions in the hammerklavier first movement where it ddin't feel controlled, but loved the slow movement.

[rapman]

For me Yekwon Sunwoo's final performance was enthralling...Balanced and brilliantly played in all three pieces...The interpretation of "Target" was beautiful and his Rach 3 was performed with a skill and ease which was amazing to see....

[franz_]

And we heard two great performances yesterday too. I like Osokins very much, and the Asian candidate played an incredible Brahms Concerto No 1.

[alessandro]

Has anyone else has problems getting the Minnaar cast to play. i too was looking forward to the saint saens but doesn't seem to load up for me. all the others are fine.

You missed something man.  What a beautiful, dancing concerto, what a wonderful performance, what a guy ! He's is full of sympathie.   And then yesterday...  Bozghanov Rach 2, again what a original performance.   Really outstanding, original-original, unique.   Heavy thumping, heavy playing but never dull, really exciting.  He is my favourite yet.  Still two candidates to go tonight.  Can't resist having a guess for the proclamation.   For me yet, the winner, Bozghanov and then from two to four in no particular order Minnaar, Kim Tae-Hyung and Yury Favorin.

Kindly.

[clicquot]

Finale Ranking here

Pitty that Sato was not in the top 6

[pianisten1989]

Pitty that Denis Kozhukhin won... =/

[clicquot]

Pitty that Denis Kozhukhin won... =/

I've his Proko performance on cd now and well... i'm happy I have it, goosebumps! Although you have to live/deal with some coughing during the cadenzas, grrrrrr !!