by Melanie Wong
Photo credit: Michelle V. Agins, The New York Times
Earlier last month, Nikolay Khozyainov (Russian winner of
the 2012 Dublin International Piano Competition) gave his Carnegie Hall debut.
Boasting a meaty program of Beethoven, Chopin, Prokofiev, and Liszt,
20-year-old Khozyainov proved himself a technical wizard, despite his
musicality often showing some need for maturity.
The young pianist definitely understood the
diabolical, a theme that was woven throughout the program: Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 7 is one of the composer’s three “war
sonatas” based on World War II, and Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz (which Khozyainov
performed as an encore) depicts the story of the devil Mephistopheles as seen
in the legend of Faust.
Dissonant and often angry, Khozyainov gave a vigorous
and expressive performance of the Prokofiev, displaying excellent rhythmic
skills throughout the third movement's relentless 7/8 section, as well as
excellent finger control through the tricky technical passages. His extreme
precision was even more impressive given his lightning-fast tempo. The Liszt
encore was another example of Khozyainov’s unbelievable technique, as he
meticulously sped through the piece’s countless octaves and giant leaps. Beyond
his technical accomplishments, Khozyainov kept great energy and played with his
own voice. Both the Prokofiev and the Liszt were exhilarating and undoubtedly
the highlights of the evening.
Also notable on the program was the Mozart/Liszt/Busoni Fantasy on Themes from The Marriage of Figaro, a flashy showpiece for showcasing the pianist’s bouncy
and accurate technique.
The other pieces on the program were less stellar in their
delivery. Throughout Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31 and Chopin's Berceuse in D-flat Major, Khozyainov maintained technical perfection without exhibiting much else—his inner voices could have used much more support, his pianissimos lacked substance, and his
phrasing was unsophisticated. During the Liszt Sonata in B minor, the youngster
had a great full sound, but often fell short in the way of musical direction
and development; while there were many great moments, it was less than cohesive
overall.
All in all, Khozyainov is a fabulous young performer with
the potential to become one of the great pianists of our generation. His huge
program was a true challenge and quite well done for a musician his age. His
areas of inexperience will hopefully grow with time, and both his relaxed nature and
technical expertise will only help him on his way.
I saw this performance and feel that while Nikolay gave showed some great skill and speed he still has lots of room to grow. Other pianist this age couldn’t hold a candle to him, but we will see how he continues to improve. Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31 definitely showed some skill, but it also lacked energy that the piece requires.
I saw this performance and feel that while Nikolay gave showed some great skill and speed he still has lots of room to grow. Other pianist this age couldn’t hold a candle to him, but we will see how he continues to improve. Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31 definitely showed some skill, but it also lacked energy that the piece requires.
I saw this performance and feel that while Nikolay gave showed some great skill and speed he still has lots of room to grow. Other pianist this age couldn’t hold a candle to him, but we will see how he continues to improve. Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31 definitely showed some skill, but it also lacked energy that the piece requires.
I saw this performance and feel that while Nikolay gave showed some great skill and speed he still has lots of room to grow. Other pianist this age couldn’t hold a candle to him, but we will see how he continues to improve. Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31 definitely showed some skill, but it also lacked energy that the piece requires.
I saw this performance and feel that while Nikolay gave showed some great skill and speed he still has lots of room to grow. Other pianist this age couldn’t hold a candle to him, but we will see how he continues to improve. Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31 definitely showed some skill, but it also lacked energy that the piece requires.
I saw this performance and feel that while Nikolay gave showed some great skill and speed he still has lots of room to grow. Other pianist this age couldn’t hold a candle to him, but we will see how he continues to improve. Beethoven’s Sonata No. 31 definitely showed some skill, but it also lacked energy that the piece requires.