Word: ohlsson
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Liszt sonata was another matter. Though not obvious at first, Ohlsson's approach to its many challenges was informed by a tight sense of musical architecture: emerging from all the kleptomaniacal rubati and enigmatic autofermatas was a storyteller's confidence. His fingerings were uncommon, his attack was lively bordering on sadistic, and he seemed to be thinking orchestrally all the way. Here if anywhere, "large and in charge" was the apt phrase--the big man put a whole register in the bass out of tune. Blending the bombastic and the priestly, Ohlsson made the 1854 warhorse sound fresh...
...second half of the recital was all Chopin, a calculation made no doubt in part on the success of Ohlsson's recordings for the Arabesque label. The Op. 46 Allegro de Concert in A is an exceedingly unpianistic work, and Ohlssonis performance was less than motivated, but at least he was about to make some sense of it. His ferocity in the chromatic runs recalled his excellent performance of the finale of the Second Piano Concerto...
...Waltzes are basically failsafe for any equipped pianist, but one might have hoped for a bit more gusto from Ohlsson, whose suavity in these three miniatures was at times offputting. The Minute Waltz (at 1:53, mind you) sounded tossed-off, although with a hilarious ending, and the third of the set had nothing to recommend it. Only the ravishing C-sharp minor, trademark of Rachmaninoff and Rubinstein, demanded close listening. Ohlsson privileged the left hand at times when other pianists wouldn't, and sculpted a middle voice between the melodies...
...Ohlsson did well to close the programmed portion of his recital with the B-flat minor Scherzo. This playing was feverish, addictive, note-perfect and luscious at once. An especially fine cantabile reminiscent of a well-played B major nocturne (Op. 9 No. 3) and a successful barrage of blind leaps made for a triumphant exit...
...Celebrity Series artists are generous this year--Ohlsson gave four well-chosen encores, beginning with a sansculottes Revolutionary etude, and continuing with a glib. graceful Mazurka (Op. 30 No. 4), an ostentatiously fast and harrowing C-sharp Etude (Op. 10 No. 4), and a morsel of Scriabine farfallonery, the Etude Op. 49 No. 3. In effect these encores were four excellent piano lessons...