At the competition finals this Thursday, June 4, at the Maison symphonique, it should come as no surprise that the results were a surprise! One thing is certain: our three finalists are all winners, and they treated us to a wonderful evening of music. The Grand Prize went to Koshiro Takeuchi of Japan, followed by his compatriot Sara Watanabe and Laurel Gagnon of the United States.
The grand finale began with Tchaikovsky’s concerto performed by the Japanese pianist Koshiro Takeuchi, who didn’t seem to be the same musician as the day before in the Mozart…
A virtuoso and spirited performance, to be sure, but as with the Mozart, the rhythmic anchor points—so crucial in these densely notated passages—weren’t always clear, which made the cohesion with the orchestra a bit less intelligible. Romantic music incorporates tempo fluctuations to express emotional content, but this rhythmic approach might have benefited from a little more breathing room—or “oxygen,” as Diane Dufresne would say. The slow movement deserved a stronger presence in its very timid opening alongside this large orchestra…The audience still thoroughly enjoyed the performance!
Crédit: Tam Photography
Sara Watanabe then treated us to a solid performance of Bartók’s Second Concerto, perhaps less crowd-pleasing than Tchaikovsky in this context… As in Bach’s Chaconne in the first half, she demonstrated a keen sense of structure and direction, to the benefit of the narrative arc. She masterfully embodies the demonic rhythmic episodes, as well as the mysterious and abstract atmospheres of the second movement. She perfectly occupies the space she needs to in relation to the orchestra, as if she herself were at the controls of the mix!
Unfortunately, the American Laurel Gagnon (some of whose ancestors are from Sherbrooke!) seemed to be affected by fatigue or nerves… and was unable to deliver the performance we had hoped for. Nevertheless, she moved us with her expressiveness, particularly in the highest registers!! If the Mozart competition is meant to demonstrate stylistic versatility, she should win the grand prize… Her Mozart from the previous evening, refined and playful, stood in stark contrast to her hyper-romantic and expressive Brahms. She offered a gift with every note!
Competitions stir up a lot of emotions in everyone who witnesses them—the contestants, the judges, and the audience. That may be the one thing everyone agrees on.
It will be interesting to follow the careers of these incredibly talented young people (and not just the three finalists) as they venture into the jungle!
Photo Credit: Tam Photography
Photo Credit: Tam Photograpy
