14th Van Cliburn Competition!

[silyaznfoo]

Here's the schedule: https://www.cliburn.org/cliburn-competition/preliminary-round-schedule/

Here are the videos: https://www.cliburn.org/ondemand.html

Who are your favorite performers and what are your favorite performances so far?? Discuss!

[j_menz]

Jayson Gillham.

I do note that a masters at RAM now apparently allows the poms to claim you as half one of their own. 

His Bach Toccata was tremendous.  Not a huge fan of his Chopin.  The three Ligeti etudes were very good indeed, though in number 10 I'm not sure he was nearly close enough to near continuum (whatever that means) as needed.

[lighthand045]

Jayson Gillham

True, he is one of my favorites along with Alessandro Taverna, his Beethoven was very good, I think his Busoni could had used more, but his Petroushka was very good to compensate(at least for me )

PS. He is also going to play Kapustin and Scriabin 10th... if he gets through the Preliminary.

[j_menz]

BTW, was the Theofanidis Birichino commissioned especially for the competition - it's not a work I know at all?

[lighthand045]

Yep. Apparently everyone who passes to Semifinals, is going to play Birichino. I don't know the work either. The composer's page:

https://www.theofanidismusic.com/

It doesn't say anything about the piece.

I'm intrigued. We'll know later.

[j_menz]

I'm intrigued. We'll know later.

Interesting. He's not really a piano composer, working more with orchestral/chamber type arrangements.  I only recently discovered him, and I do like the two piano works he's published (Statues and All Dreams Begin With the Horizon) - so much that I've got them on order.

For anyone interested in what they may be in for:

Statues:

All Dreams Begin With the Horizon:

[virtuoso80]

I just got done listening to the first 9 performances in the video section, and rearranged my thoughts in performance order:

Claire Huangci: Had many moments I thought, "well done, that was just right", but very deliberate and I never really got emotionally involved.

Scipione Sangiovanni: Honestly, it felt a little dull. I can't say it was bad, it just felt like background music.

Beatrice Rana: Am I biased in favor of Italian playing? Some of them play with such wonderful heart, they make me want to shout 'Viva l'Italia!' She may not be the technical firecracker some of the other players are, but I really enjoyed her playing. She gave humanity to music I don't always see as particularly special. For me, that trumps technical fireworks. Phase 2: Oh, Beatrice, my darling, it's not that your technics were below the others, it's that you make everything sound so damn easy! Gaspard cemented that point, although Scarbo may have given you a bit more than an understated technique can handle. Still one of my favs, though.


Steven Lin: A deliberate player, but not to bad effect. I felt like his precision was overall more musically coherent than Ms. Huanhci. I also thought he made interesting and really smart piece selections. Very solid and competition-friendly. He might go far. Phase 2: Ditto phase 1. He's not the best player to bring out Haydn, but he's got fire and is an exciting player.


Marcin Koziak: Hmm...I have some strong feelings for the Chopin Scherzo No. 2, to the extent that it made me angry to hear without the passion I feel is required to do it justice. The Szymanowski Mazurkas I'd never heard before, and they were interesting, but I didn't find anything about this pianist that made me want to hear more.

Alex McDonald: Played up a storm, but never grabbed me. Some might find him exciting, though.

Nikita Mndoyants: WAY too calculated and mild-mannered for late period Beethoven, IMO. I want to hear the mysterious insanity of Beethoven at work in No. 32. It's definitely not the piece I would have chosen for him. There's a certain solidness to his playing which some may like. It's not my thing, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him get far in a competition.

Luca Buratto: His Haydn didn't capture the spirit of Haydn to me. His Schumann was more successful, but I think there is much more that can be done with this piece (not that's it's easy to do, but hey, this is the Van Cliburn).

Giuseppe Greco: His playing made me slime immensely. Joy, spirit, and an ease that made me forget about the technical stuff, and concentrate on the music. It wasn't perfect, but it was enjoyable, which is better than perfect. I'd love to see him progress, but I've been jaded enough by competition judging to worry he won't. Phase 2: Yep, there's that smile again (or slime, if you preferred my typo), along with some dangerously watery eyes this time. Damn, do I love the sound he gets out of a piano. From the second he starts playing, the sublime tone is evident. Rising up the charts to #1, with a bullet.
 


So, thus far, I'd say Steven Lin is a shoe-in for the semis, ultimately I think the judges will respond to Giuseppe Greco (my personal favorite), and Beatrice Rana would be the dark horse I would advocate for.

Edit: 9 more-

Oleksandr Poliykov: Hate to say it, but didn't sound like he belonged at this level. Mistakes, hesitations, inaccuracies, and it doesn't sound like he has total mastery over the pieces. In other words, he sounds too much like me. :-)

Kuan-Ting Lin: He's good. He inspired appreciation more than adoration, but he's good.

Nikita Abrosimov: Beautiful, elegant playing. Not my very favorite, but he's on my short list. Phase 2: Still a really strong player, still struggling to come up with something extraordinary about him.


Tomoki Sakata: A solid, if not inspired, Beethoven. Solid, if not inspired, Liszt. Solid, if not inspired, Scriabin. I don't mean to belittle the technical accomplishments of players like this, as they are pretty darn impressive, but there's just something missing to me.

Lindsay Garriston: She was good, but not top-teir to me. Maybe I'm picky about my Prokofiev, but that 7th Sonata needs more angst.

Vadym Kholodenko: China Gates...interesting. I've performed that myself, but I haven't heart it in competition repertoire before. He strikes the right mood, and it's a nice prelude piece. At first his Rach Sonata wasn't impressing me, but thankfully I listened to the whole thing, because it wound up having a wonderful emotional arc. I still don't think he brought out the full potential of this one, but few do. I'd like to hear more from this guy. Phase 2: Well, I heard more, and had the same experience. At first: eh. Then: Oh, this is actually pretty nice. Another good Petrouchka, but not up to Jie Yuan's.


Alessandro Traverna: Another winner form Italy! Wonderful Beethoven and Stravinsky. One of my favorites. Phase 2: Since last visiting Mr. Traverna, I've had second thoughts about how highly I've placed him. Still good, but I think he's outshined by several others. Also, here's another guy with undercharged Ligeti...what part of 'fffffff' did you not understand!?


Nikolay Khozyainov: Not sure if he had the best choice of repertoire. Very virtuoso-minded, but in this sea of virtuosity, he doesn't stand out, so that leaves little else to recommend him. Again, it would be a joke to call him bad, just not stand-out to me.

Alessandro Deljavan: Uh oh, he whipped out Op. 25! I think I liked his facial expressions more than his playing. He didn't give me anything special or add anything new to these oft-played pieces.

Traverna was tops in this group. Also want to hear more from Kholodenko and Abrosimov. This group also had two chops-heavy Asians (Taiwanese and Japanese) who could be contenders.

Edit: finishing Phase 1 off:

Jayson Gillham: A very soulful and human-sounding Bach. I'm not sure about his Ligeti interpretation, but making these pieces sound so musical, consonant, and effortless is pretty amazing. His Chopin was also wonderfully effortless, but somehow not Chopin-y to my ears. Could be one to watch, though. Phase 2: Again, almost absurdly effortless at the keyboard, but this is the Waldstein! Give it something! Still, it's almost magical the way he floats over the keys.  


Eric Zuber: I noticed a couple of hiccups, but much worse, a disturbing lack of passion. Almost like it was his job to be there, not his desire.

Alexey Chernov: Not sure how I feel about him. There were times where I felt like I lost the line, and I'm not sure if it was a weakness or an intentional phrasing thing. I don't think he'll be one of the semis.

Yekwon Sunwoo: 'Pleasant' was the word that kept coming to mind, and I don't mean that in a limiting way. His Beethoven  and Schubert were lovely, light and musical, if lacking the a sense of "fantasy" called to mind their respective titles. I feel he needs another layer to his playing, but overall strong. Phase 2: Still pleasant, and showing quite good technique, but I'm starting to feel like I ranked him too high.


Sean Chen: I found his Bach uninspired and mediocre. Bartok Etudes decent, but I've certainly heard better. Given that, I was all ready to hate his Chopin Mazurkas, but they weren't bad (but still not great). Scriban not bad, but could have done more. Overall not a contender in my book. Phase 2: Throwin' the Hammer(klavier) down! Unfortunately, in a competition where everyone is amazing and playing ridiculously hard pieces, a 'pretty good' Hammerklavier with clear mistakes, hesitations, and technical insecurities will not win it for you. He loosened up by the time he hit the fugue, but overall not a free enough performance to have a chance at top billing.


Fei-Fei Dong: At first I wasn't impressed, but she grew on me. I enjoyed her Chopin Rondo very much. By the end, I was hoping to see her through to them semis. Phase 2: More lovely and involved playing from Fei-Fei. She's becoming one of my favorites.


Sara Daneshpour: Undercharged Chopin Scherzo and Rach Etudes. Again, technique goes without saying here, but not compelling to me at all.

Jie Yuan: At first I was going to say "He's not my kind of player, but I recognize there's something there." But then his Haydn won me over, and his Stravinsky...he hit it out of the park! The first time thus far I've gone back to listen to a performance over again. My gut tells me we'll be seeing much more of him in this competition. Phase 2(post-non-choosing): It's very interesting to compare his Chopin Preludes to the other competitor who played them in Phase 1(Huang). Very different styles, and I feel like 9 out of 10 people who might call themselves a 'musical authority' would prefer Huang. But I disagree. This is more how I like to hear them, and more how I play them myself. Part of me also knows that my preference is not one that wins piano competitions. Yuan plays heavy-handed in a way I suppose is not looked upon favorably in this setting. I find his playing highly compelling and extremely listenable, though. (Side note: Yuan is officially the first person to play a piece I'm working on with one of my students (Musicia Ricercata). He did them well, but was this the best choice? They're too easy IMO. A Ligeti etude would have been better.)

Gustavo Miranda-Bernales: I like the way he removed every ounce of cheap flash from the Schubert and went for depth and musicality. The kind of player who makes you a better player for listening to him (IOW, he makes me feel like a pretentious ass for playing shallow and flashy somethines). Definitely want to hear more.

Francois Dumont: Good Gaspard. Good Chopin Scherzo. In another competition, he'd be a surefire contender, but here I'm struggling to find what's special about him that I can put him in my top 12.

Ruoyu Huang: First one to break out the Chopin Preludes (others have it scheduled for Phase 2). Many of them were quite good. Not sure how I feel about him...the turnoff is that he feels very 'trained' to me; well-trained, but textbook nonetheless.

Yury Favorin: Nice Schubert Sonata. Good chops, but doesn't make things sound easy like some other competitors. Interesting modern piece by Boucourechliev, and well played. I would mind seeing him in the semis, but will there be a spot left for him?

So...I will try to get a much Phase 2 listening done before semi-finalists are announced, but right now this is my final twelve, in somewhat order of preference:


    Giuseppe Greco
    Jie Yuan
    Beatrice Rana
    Fei-Fei Dong
    Jayson Gillham
    Gustavo Miranda-Bernales
    Vadym Kholodenko
    Steven Lin
    Yekwan Sunwoo
    Alessandro Traverna
    Nikita Abrosimiv
    Yury Favorin


   Edit: We have our final 12! Let's see how I (and they) did. -

(In no particular order)

    Claire Huangci - Not surprised, even though I felt she was too calculated
    Beatrice Rana - Excellent
    Nikita Mndoyants - "It's not my thing, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him get far in a competition." I guess that counts as calling it?
    Vadym Kholodenko - Look forward to hearing more
    Tomoki Sakata - Dull to me, but understand
    Nikita Abrosimov - 3 for 6 so far
    Nikolay Khozyainov - Another 'good but dull' one for me
    Allesandro Deljavan - Meh
    Jason Gillham - Not remotely surprised
    Alexy Chernov - Want to win the Van Cliburn? Study in Russia
    Sean Chen - Really? His Hammerklavier was not anything amazing to me, and there were clear mistakes in the 1st movement
    Fei-Fei Dong - At least we end the list on a positive note. She sees to have captured many hearts besides my own. I predict a good career for her.

1st thought: NO GIUSEPPE GRECO!? That's shocking to me. I'm going to remember his name for a long time. 2nd thought: Panel, did you go on break during Jie Yuan's performance? He was friggin' amazing! (unless he screwed up his yet-unseen Phase 2) 3rd though: 5 of 12. Thought I would do a bit better. At least my 3, 4, and 5 got through. 4th thought: I need to study in Russia

[birba]

A lot of talented kids out there, that's for sure.  Their technical dexterity is amazing.

[awesom_o]

Do you think any of them are up there on par with Gould in terms of technical dexterity?

[silyaznfoo]

Who are your picks for semifinalists before they come out in an hour??

Also, interesting to think of Gould as a "technician". I think of him much more as a musician.

[virtuoso80]

Who are your picks for semifinalists before they come out in an hour??

Also, interesting to think of Gould as a "technician". I think of him much more as a musician.

I updated my post with the Phase 2 performances I got a chance to listen to (mostly the ones who were my favorites from Phase 1), moved my list around a bit, and responded to the judge's picks.

[j_menz]

I updated my post with the Phase 2 performances I got a chance to listen to (mostly the ones who were my favorites from Phase 1), moved my list around a bit, and responded to the judge's picks.

You clearly have more time than me - I'm still on Phase 1. 

[virtuoso80]

You clearly have more time than me - I'm still on Phase 1. 

I squandered my day off doing it. Well, not squandered, but other plans I had didn't materialize. 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I could never be a judge at a competition like that.

[j_menz]

I could never be a judge at a competition like that.

If you look at the jury, you might decide that you could. 

[j_menz]

my day off

I need to get me one of them. Or several!!!

[chopin2015]

How can I watch the videos right now, and where? I am having trouble loading video

[j_menz]

Jayson Gillham:
Phase 2: Again, almost absurdly effortless at the keyboard, but this is the Waldstein! Give it something! Still, it's almost magical the way he floats over the keys. 

I just got to listen to this. It's the most intelligent Waldstein I've heard for quite some time, I mus say, and watching him play it is astonishing in how easy he makes it look. I thought it lacked passion, but then I closed my eyes. Try it!  Same with the Liszt. It's almost as if how effortless he makes it all look saps it of some of the power!

[j_menz]

How can I watch the videos right now, and where? I am having trouble loading video

Follow the  link for the videos at the top, then check the box next to the date or competitor you want to see on the bit at the left, then clock on the small image under the main video box of the performance/interview you want.

[chopin2015]

Follow the  link for the videos at the top, then check the box next to the date or competitor you want to see on the bit at the left, then clock on the small image under the main video box of the performance/interview you want.

Its probably my flash player...

Did you mean click or "clock"? Because, if you meant clock-I don't know how to do that...

<3

[sonata58]

My favs of the prelims were:

Huangci
Rana
McDonald
Mndoyants
Lin, Kuan Ting
Taverna
Khozyainov
Gillham
Buratto
Chernov
Sunwoo
Sakata

I picked 7 of the 12 semifinalists -- not too bad. Overall, I'm quite happy with the judges' picks. There are one or two questionable picks, but overall, I'm looking forward to seeing these 12.

[silyaznfoo]

Just finishing watching all of the prelims.

Hmm favorite performances so far

Huangci - Beethoven 101
Chernov - Beethoven 111
Rana - everything. She's been the only one so far that has compelled me with music I am unfamiliar with
Gillham - Waldstein

Dong's soft playing was phenomenal, but it really bugged me that she cried during a good third of the piece. I can understand tearing up due to emotions, but I felt that she took it to an extreme and it was distracting.

I'd also like to hear some finalist picks! I'll have mine up if I get to watching at least one full concert of each pianist.


Overall ranking after prelims (haven't watched anything else yet)

1. Chernov - phenomenal artistry, thought-provoking
2. Gillham - pure simplicity and perfection
3. Rana - ability to be musical and engaging all the time
4. Khozyainov - most virtuosic
5. Huangci - most deliberate
6. Mndoyants
7. Kholodenkko
8. Deljavan - really fun 2nd movement of Schumann Fantasy
9. Chen - really like his Hammerklavier tempos
10. Dong - great touch, I just didn't like the crying, should probably be ranked higher
11. Abrosimov
12. Sakata - clear mistakes, doesn't belong at this level imho

[virtuoso80]

Semi time! I'm planning to listen to the solo recitals, and then go back and listen to the quintets. It may not work out perfectly, but it's a plan.

Claire Huangci: A similar feeling to her other performances: Lots of smart decisions, carefully considered, and precisely executed. But is this an artist at work, or just someone who follows direction really, really well? I'm feeling the latter, and the simple fact is, except as an appreciation of skill, I just don't enjoy listening to her play.

Nikita Mndoyants: I found his Birichino (the commission piece) far more musically compelling than Huangci. When she played it, I didn't care for it as music. Here I enjoyed it. Mr. Mndoyants must have really rubbed me the wrong way with his Phase 1 Beethoven, because I'm really starting to like him now. His Debussy had some magic to it, and his Pictures is among the best I've heard; definitely worth checking out.

Tomoki Sakata: Anyone know how long they get to learn the commissioned work? I'm curious, because Mr. Sakata didn't have in comfortably memorized and needed the music. As if in accordance with that, his interpretation was very basic and direct, like he hasn't really spent a lot of time with the piece. Even though I generally like directness, it really tests my sensibilities to rate this over Huangci, who, despite not being my thing, had a much more complete and refined vision. Mr. Sakata continued to make me question myself by giving me the direct and intuitive playing I was asking for, but being incredibly un-Debussy in the process. Liszt and Rach bring up the same words I used for him previously: Uninspired. Sure, he's got the 'oomph' I've been looking for, but that can't compensate for what he's missing. I'm frankly surprised he's in the semis.

Jayson Gillham: Damn Jayson...you scary. Incredible crispness and light tone in the Birichino; the best yet. The only negative thing I could say about the Chopin is that he doesn't yet have the depth and profundity of the best Chopin interpreters. Other than that, it was about as perfect as can be done. His Brahms didn't meet quite the same standard of perfection, but I don't feel much desire to nit-pick. This man was born to play the piano.

Nikolay Khozyainov: One hell of a program here - Beethoven 31 into Prokofiev 7. How did he do? Pretty well...if I have issue with this playing, it's partially philosophical - here we have a 20-year-old who doesn't yet have the maturity to play from a deep, experienced place. I am of the opinion that young people should play what they know; play like they're the age that they are, instead of having the positive qualities of youth tempered by being instructed to imitate a more mature expressive manner that they cannot yet fully understand, and thus not truly express. Nikolay has been a good student, but to what result? Such restraint in the Beethoven. It's impressive, but I'm not quite buying it. On the other side of things, Khozyainov seemed truly at home in the more intense sections of the Prokofiev...but paid the price when he let the pricipitato get a bit out of control, and there was a feeling at the end that he might have messed up. The Birichino was not near the level of Gillham or Mndoyants, but the Figaro ended on a strong note. I'd like to see him a few years form now, but at this point he's not one of the top competitors.

Sean Chen: Nice Ligeti. First time in this competition I felt someone was at least coming close to the composer's intentions. The Brahms felt somewhat lacking. Ravel more convincing; perhaps could have done with a bit more atmosphere. Nice job with the Birichino (It's fascinating to experience how much the performer has to do with my appreciation of the composer. Huangci made it sound like a frivolous exercise written for the competition. Chen makes it sound like music.) Intensely musical Petrouchka. I'm sold.

Beatrice Rana: Caught this on stream. Continues to play like music is the most natural thing in the world. After her Birichino, I went back and listened to Mndoaynts and Gillham, cross-faded different sections, and became convinced: Hers is the best so far. She makes the musicality, phrasing, and structure sound so simple and obvious. The Chopin Preludes continued to exemplify what I love about intuitive players like this - it doesn't sound like someone had to tell her 'do less here', 'accent there', etc. Those things just happen as a natural consequence of an intuitive understanding of music. For my money, no deliberate approach can top it. The only thing holding her back is she doesn't have effortless technical abilities of some of the other performers, but there's not an ounce of contrivance. Still the best.

Nikita Abrosimov: Continues to make me struggle for what to say. It's not bad playing in the slightest, and I can't point to any specific things wrong with it. It's not quite right to say it's mechanical, or robotic, but it is missing some emotional component. The second player to bring out sheet music for the Birichino, I didn't feel like he brought much of anything to the piece worth noting. Being so totally devoid of any flavor, I think I'd even have to rank it as the worst so far, despite being really technically sound. Petrouchka was technically superlative, but I've been more emotionally moved by a MIDI file. Maybe that's a bit harsh, but the reality is I'm not remotely looking forward to hearing more from this guy.

Vadym Kholodenko: Birichino interpretation entirely different from anyone else. Very loose and jazzy. I'm becoming consistently excited to hear what Kholodenko is going to do with any particular piece. Chances are, it's going to be interesting and unique to his own particular viewpoint. Having said that, the Liszt transcendental etudes were not the first pick I would have made. Sure, Kholodenko has great technique, but that's not his strongest feature. Having said that, wow did he tear through those. This is getting kind of absurd when I'm thinking to put a performance like that at 4th...in fact I just can't do it. Tied for 3rd for now.

Alessandro Deljavan: Okay, Alessandro, I see you have the Appassionata coming up, so that's a perfect oppourtunity to show me I was wrong about you. Nice late baroque sonatas - he was able to get a really evocative 'shallow' baroque sound out of the big Steinway. Birichino was unique, but not appealing to me. And the Appassionata...okay, there are people who are going to think it was GREAT. Stupendous. You might be one of them, and if so I urge you to check it out. But I'm not. It's just not my flavor. The simple fact is I would never have fallen in love with this piece if everyone played it like this. I think we must conclude that Deljavan is just not for me and leave it at that.

Fei-Fei Dong: She sure seems to be having fun at that piano, but purely on sound I didn't think her Mozart was anything special. I thought similarly of her Birichino. Some of the more 'minature' Chopin Preludes worked really well, but the heavier, more dramatic ones fell short (particularly ones like no. 12 & 18). She's still highly charismatic and a crowd-pleaser, though, so we'll see.

Alexey Chernov: Birichino was OK, but not remarkable in any way. This is another one where I struggle - everything was quite good, I just don't feel like he hits the heights of some of the other competitors.

Chamber:

Dvořák-off:

1. Huangci: Her crystal clear playing and smart choices made her a winner here. She also seems to have the best sense of overall sonata structure.

2. Abrosimov: Solid, stoic playing actually worked amazingly well here, giving firm grounding to the whole endeavor, hitting every cue, and striking balances exactly right. Always present, but never obtrusive. Close to Huangci. Looks like I have to re-think him a bit.

3. Chernov: Successful, mature, balanced, and understanding of his job. Not as good as the top two, though.

4. Deljavan: Went for emotion, but lacked the that tight rhythmic base and wound up gumming the works, and he doesn't sound like he knows how to be a team player in a chamber setting. I kept waiting for sections to be over, hoping the next would be more exciting, but to no avail. Again, we see his face twist and emote intensely while he plays, but I'm finding little evidence that all that passion is making it's way to the piano strings. Still not getting this guy at all.

Franck-less:

1. Kholodenko: Going his own way, very appropriate. He made a great choice; the Franck suited his playing perfectly (or his playing suited the Frank perfectly). To my mind, his spot in the final is sealed.

Schumarathon:

1. Rana: I was so worried her talents wouldn't fully translate to chamber discipline, but I had nothing to fear. Natural and elegant, just like her solo playing. Makes it sound so very easy to create beautiful music.

2. Gillham: The magic man had some magic moments, and given Rana a run for her money, but overall I feel it was slightly edged out, although I had to go back and compare to decide. Either way, looks like my top two have been solidified.

3. Sakata: Really good. I can't really complain at all, it just wasn't up to the level of the first two.

4. Khozyainov: Also quite good. We're talking mini-steps down in quality from 1-4 in this group.

Brahmsolympics: (Here's the thing - Brahms rarely has simple thoughts. They're always complex, brainy, extended phrases. Even very good Brahms performances can be incredibly boring if your mind doesn't grasp what he's up to. Given that I've never heard this piece before, and I only had so much time to listen, I'm feeling that I need to reserve judgement a bit.) I will say that I preferred Dong to Chen, and both to Mndoyants, who seems to have veered back into dullness.

Okay, so I abstained from looking at the final picks to finish this off (sorry, but I just couldn't stay awake), but now I'm ready to make a complete fool of myself and make my picks:

Top tier:
Rana
Gillham - really hope they both get in

The fascinating artist:
Kholodenko - can't imagine not hearing his Prokofiev

My two favorite Russians:
Mndoyants
Abrosimov - His chamber recital swayed me into thinking he's just too solid not to pick.

#6:
Chen, Huangci, or Dong...Ugh, this is hard. I guess I have to go with Chen though

As for the other 4, I thought Sakata and Khozyainov were a step below, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Deljavan or Chernov in the finals.
 

[sonata58]

I liked Haungci's prelim performances better than her semis. The variety of colors and nuances she was able to achieve in Sleeping Beauty was amazing. Somehow, I didn't quite sense that in her semi-final recital.

Mndoyants' semi performance was absolutely compelling! I really listened to every note, even in Birichino (I missed Huangci's performance, so it was my first time to hear it). His Pictures was amazing -- wonderful interpretation! (Since I watch the webcast, I normally browse the internet as I listen, but when Mndoyants was playing my whole attention was glued to his performance). He is definitely one of my picks for the finals.

As to Sakata, I don't feel anything special. Though I think the judges will advance him because he does have great fingerwork and he is the youngest.

[virtuoso80]

Why would they advance him because he is the youngest? My logic is that being young gives him more chances to win in the future, and that they would give more charity to a 30-year-old competitor, since this is their last chance.

[chopin2015]

Does anybody know how long these videos will be up?

[sonata58]

Why would they advance him because he is the youngest? My logic is that being young gives him more chances to win in the future, and that they would give more charity to a 30-year-old competitor, since this is their last chance.

Because that just seems to be what the Cliburn jury does, at least in the last 2 competitions I have seen. Joyce Yang won Silver in 2005 at 19. Haochen Zhang tied for gold in 2009 at 19. Both were one of the youngest (if not the youngest) competitor of their years.

[sonata58]

I've missed the past few days of semifinals. But I've been watching bits of the performances on replay. My thoughts on some of the performers, so far:

Khozainov: surprising maturity for young age; but for some reason his performances do not "grab" me
Gillham: clear, clean touch; everything is well-done
Chen: a colorful, imaginative performance of Petrushka (what was that extra bit in-between the first two movements?)
Kholodenko: kudos to any pianist who can play 11/12 of the Transcendental Etudes in one recital; he obviously has great technical skill, but does he have more than that?
Rana: wonderful musicality and depth of playing
Chernov: watching his prelims recital, I have to say that he is quite adventurous in his interpretation; his performance of Mephisto Waltz had some unique touches
Deljavan: I really can't get past the facial expressions; some seem way too overdone that it distracts from my enjoyment of his playing

So, heading into tonight, my picks for the finals are:
Mndoyants
Rana
Chen
Huangci
Gillham
Chernov

Although, I'm guessing that the jury will pick Deljavan and Dong/Sakata instead of Gillham and Huangci or Chernov.

[silyaznfoo]

Predictions for finals: (note I have not seen any of the semi recitals yet, just all of the prelims and most of the chambers)

Definitely Kholodenko

Likely Dong and Gillham

Hopefully Rana, Chernov and Deljavan (this guy cracks me up). Those would be my 6 that I pick as likely to advance and also in line with my own tastes.

[virtuoso80]

Chen: a colorful, imaginative performance of Petrushka (what was that extra bit in-between the first two movements?)
Kholodenko: kudos to any pianist who can play 11/12 of the Transcendental Etudes in one recital; he obviously has great technical skill, but does he have more than that?

I wondered that myself about the Petrushka. I figured is was some revision or edition I didn't know about.

As for Kholodenko, I definitely recommend going back to phase 1 and listening to his Rach Sonata No. 1. It's one of the performances that has stuck with me through all my listening.

[sonata58]

And the finalists are...

Sean Chen, 24, United States
Fei-Fei Dong, 22, China
Vadym Kholodenko, 26, Ukraine
Nikita Mndoyants, 24, Russia
Beatrice Rana, 20, Italy
Tomoki Sakata, 19, Japan

I picked 3/6, but predicted that Dong and Sakata would make the cut.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Whohoo Beatrice Rana made it!!!

I am in love with her!!!

Sorry Val...  We both knew it wasn't gonna work out.

EDIT:

SIKE!!!!!

Valentina Lisitsa is the only one for me!!!


No but for real though, I really want Beatrice to win.

[j_menz]

Whohoo Beatrice Rana made it!!!

I am in love with her!!!

Sorry Val...  We both knew it wasn't gonna work out.

EDIT:

SIKE!!!!!

Valentina Lisitsa is the only one for me!!!


No but for real though, I really want Beatrice to win.

Methinks it's time you stopped popping pills for your thumb! 

Good lick to all of the finalists, but the selection is  not persuading me my view of these horse and pony shows is too harsh.

[unholeee]

trying to watch at work, damn it's quiet. the volume is up full.. could of given it a bit of amplification before uploading ;[\\:[

[virtuoso80]

And the finalists are...

Sean Chen, 24, United States
Fei-Fei Dong, 22, China
Vadym Kholodenko, 26, Ukraine
Nikita Mndoyants, 24, Russia
Beatrice Rana, 20, Italy
Tomoki Sakata, 19, Japan

I picked 3/6, but predicted that Dong and Sakata would make the cut.

4/6.  I knew Fei-Fei would get the pick, even though I didn't pick her in my personal top 6. The huge '?' to me is Tomoki Sakata in place of Jason Gillham. Other than that, my cynicism is getting worn away by the judging. I'm always thinking "yeah, I liked/disliked it, but they'll think differently," but we're amazingly in sync.

[virtuoso80]

Interesting fact: None of the 4 who did the Dvorak quintet made it through, and all 3 who did the Brahms quintet made it through.

[sonata58]

Just realized that it is the first time since 1997 than an American has been in the finals!

[silyaznfoo]

Why aren't the finals up yet? 

I've seen all the concerts of the finalists (other than the concerti last night)

Here are my thoughts:

Sean Chen - incredible technique and great musicality for the ultra contemporary stuff. Since he picks such difficult pieces, there are a few mistakes

Fei Fei Dong - fantastic soft touch and great musicality. Dislike the tears and overly emotive face a lot, detracts from my experience

Vadym Kholodenko - ridiculous technique, bold

Nikita Mndoyants - a lot of people like him and he does everything well, just doesn't stand out to me

Beatrice Rana - everything I hear by her is just a joy. She gets music. Period.

Sakata - Surprisingly better than people give him credit for. However, still not as good as the rest.

The order that I would most want to see people in concert if the competition were over today:

1. Rana
2. Kholodenko
3. Dong
4. Chen
5. Mndoyants
6. Sakata

[chopin2015]

Whohoo Beatrice Rana made it!!!

I am in love with her!!!

Sorry Val...  We both knew it wasn't gonna work out.

EDIT:

SIKE!!!!!

Valentina Lisitsa is the only one for me!!!


No but for real though, I really want Beatrice to win.

dude...her Ondine was sooo nice. And, she not bad looking either. 

[virtuoso80]

Sorry for the lack of finals post, I've been busy. But I'm almost caught up and here are my thoughts so far:

In general, I feel like this has confused my preferences a bit. No one was bad, and no one was an authoritative master of their concertos. But here's how I see it -

Beatrice Rana: Her Beethoven didn't feel connected with the orchestra to me. Also, was it the best choice of piece? I just feel like this can't compete with Beethoven 4 or 5. The Prokofiev 2, on the other hand, I thought was very musically successful, but some of the harder moments in the 1st and last movements felt like they hit the limit of her technical ability. The scherzo sounded solid, though.

Nikita Mndoyants: His Prokofiev 2 was the lesser of the two, but not by much. However I really liked his Mozart. I definitely preferred Mndoyants dynamic and emotional Mozart 20 to Sakatas period precision. Both were good in there own way, but Mndoyants is the one I'd want to listen to over again. I also though Mndoyants had excellent feel for the orchestra in both his performances.

Fei-Fei: Unfortunately, I feel the Rach 3 was just too big for her. There was a feeling of, "she made it through" at the end. Her Beethoven 4 was good, but not as good as Chen's Beethoven 5. She's still adorable and charismatic, and makes you want to root for her (and call her affectionately by her first name), but I don't feel she's at the top.

Kholodenko: It still strikes me how effectively Kholodenko plays the 'long game'. Individual moments in the Prokofiev where not as flashy or impressive as many performances I've heard, but he always manages to win me over with his overall interpretation. I wish he had removed the brakes in the 3rd movement though, which sounded undercharged and overly pensive to me. I think that last movement needs to ditch thoughtful and reflective and go for the jugular, but Kholodenko apparently disagrees. His Mozart 21 was fun, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Mndoyants' Mozart 20. Still, I come away with tremendous respect for Kholodenko as an artist.

Chen: Really good Beethoven 5. Rach was very in control, great cadenza! I love how he approaches things with a fire that many of the other competitors lacked, and yet keeps it in control. Very successful performance.

Sakata: Mozart very solid, but a little cold for me. I thought he was really off at the beginning of the Tchaikovsky; not keeping his temps solid or listening to the orchestra. He warmed up a bit, but the whole thing felt a little rough. Some individual sections were nice, but others weren't, and the whole thing didn't cohere. With all due respect to Mr. Sakata, who by most or all standards plays better than I do, we could have heard Jason Gillham play this piece instead...just sayin'.

Okay, so I'm sold on my top 3 picks...I just have no idea what order to put them in. Chen nailed that Rach 3, but did it have the depth of Rana's Prokofiev? Than again, Rana's classical-era concerto was not as good as Chen's Beethoven. And then there's consistently interesting Kholodenko...

Alright, here we go:

Gold: Chen
Silver: Rana
Bronze: Kholodenko

[sonata58]

As for Kholodenko, I definitely recommend going back to phase 1 and listening to his Rach Sonata No. 1. It's one of the performances that has stuck with me through all my listening.

I went back and listened to Kholodenko's prelim performances. His Beethoven Op. 109 was very interesting interpretation. I didn't really agree with it, but I am glad that he is willing to put his personal stamp upon his performances. His Petrushka was also quite unique -- unlike most that I have heard.

[sonata58]

In general, I feel like this has confused my preferences a bit. No one was bad, and no one was an authoritative master of their concertos.

I agree with you. Typically, the concerto round is the most thrilling round of the competition. But for some reason, I'm not feeling any excitement from any of the contestants. Maybe they are worn out? Or maybe it's the orchestra? I don't know...

But, at this point, judging from my overall impression of the competitors, I am rooting for Mndoyants. There is just something about his unassuming, thoughtful way of performing that really compels me to listen to the music. However, if not Mndoyants,  I would be happy with Rana, Chen, or Kholodenko taking home the gold. They are all deserving.

Although, something tells me that Chen may win this whole thing. He seems like the "dark horse" that just came out of nowhere and made it into the finals. We've been hearing about Rana and Kholodenko since the prelims (I've been keeping up with Star Telegram). But, not that this is the Olympics, but I wonder if Chen is peaking at the right moment and has the momentum going for him to propel himself onto the podium, if not the gold.

[virtuoso80]

I agree with you. Typically, the concerto round is the most thrilling round of the competition. But for some reason, I'm not feeling any excitement from any of the contestants. Maybe they are worn out? Or maybe it's the orchestra? I don't know...

But, at this point, judging from my overall impression of the competitors, I am rooting for Mndoyants. There is just something about his unassuming, thoughtful way of performing that really compels me to listen to the music. However, if not Mndoyants,  I would be happy with Rana, Chen, or Kholodenko taking home the gold. They are all deserving.

Although, something tells me that Chen may win this whole thing. He seems like the "dark horse" that just came out of nowhere and made it into the finals. We've been hearing about Rana and Kholodenko since the prelims (I've been keeping up with Star Telegram). But, not that this is the Olympics, but I wonder if Chen is peaking at the right moment and has the momentum going for him to propel himself onto the podium, if not the gold.

Yep, I just had to give Chen my gold, even though I wasn't expecting to be doing that earlier in the competition.

[sonata58]

OK. Here are my picks:

Gold: Mndoyants
Silver: Chen
Crystal: Kholodenko

My prediction:

Gold: Chen
Silver: Rana
Crystal: Kholodenko

[silyaznfoo]

Gold: Rana
Silver: Kholodenko
Crystal: Chen

Hopefully I'm right!

[sonata58]

Yep, I just had to give Chen my gold, even though I wasn't expecting to be doing that earlier in the competition.

Well, stranger things have happened. In 1985, Jose Feghali came out of nowhere, beating Barry Douglas and Philippe Bianconi (both were favorites to win, and some have argued, more deserving). I wonder if we are going to see something similar happen this year....

[virtuoso80]

Discretionary awards, AKA 'almost good enough, so we felt bad' award go to Steven Lin (one of my early picks, nice to know he was noticed), Deljavan, and Huangci, who I guess were kind of like #7 and 8 for the finals.

Bronze: Chen
Silver: Rana
Gold: Kholodenko

Nice. I'm totally happy with that placement. Congrats to Vadym!

[sonata58]

Congratulations to the three very-deserving medalists!

I predicted the top three, just in reverse order.

Very happy with the jury's choice this year. So glad that they were willing to award someone as adventurous and daring in his interpretations as Kholodenko. I was afraid that would go more traditional as they had in previous competitions. Good job, jury!

[pytheamateur]

What's so interesting about these competitions? I used to follow them closely but then failed to see the point after seeing the candidates' names, which are all too familiar, from other competitions which they failed to win.  With all due respect, they are all good pianists, but if you didn't win the Chopin or the Leeds, is your career really going to be transformed if you happen to win the Van Cliburn now?

[austinarg]

The lack of Alkan and Medtner disturbs me.