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In This Section
Akron home prices rank best in college-town poll
Retired Green officer finally gets Bronze Star
Indians and Reds to share ballpark
Lawyer asks investigators not to question Hasan
Stocks jump after G-20 pledge to aid economies
Murder suspect Sowell indicted on further charges
Most Read Stories
Unusual sports bar to be sold at auction
Motorcyclist killed, wife injured in Stark County crash
Family found dead in Ohio home
Man says he was punched, robbed by 3 people in parking lot
Man gets 3 years in prison for having sex with horse
Bank helps more save their homes
Circle K on Brown Street robbed
Woman says clinic refused to help her get pregnant because she's not married
Brown still testing Cavs' lineup
Humane Society telethon short of goal
'Docs Who Rock' delivers excitement
Letters to the editor - Nov. 9
Blogs:
Pets:
Cats are trainable — and that's not a punchline
The Heldenfiles:
Monday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
Time for Kokinis, Browns to agree and part ways
Akron Zips:
Zips tip off tomorrow
Tribe Matters:
Indians announce spring dates
Cleveland Browns:
Mangini doesn't name a quarterback
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – November 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Shaq: It’s All About Winning Championships
Buckeye Blogging:
Weekly ‘B’ Deck Report – New Mexico St.
Varsity Letters:
Walsh Jesuit’s Caponi commits to Duquesne
All Da King's Men:
If It Looks Like Islamic Terrorism…
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Dems Message To Women: Don't Enjoy The Sex
Akron Law Café:
Abortion Analogies
See Jane Style:
Muffle Your Muffler
Car Chase:
Clock Tender- Extending the Life of Collector Car Clocks
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Rumors: Akron Starbucks Closing
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jack is looking for a trip to Southern Ohio the week of November 16.
Sound Check:
The Black Keys to perform benefit concert at Musica on November 27
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why People Do Not Live in Northeast Ohio
Akron Gamer:
New 'Call of Duty' could set entertainment record
By Elaine Guregian
Beacon Journal arts and culture critic
POSTED: 12:12 p.m. EDT, May 07, 2008
Garrick Ohlsson makes a virtue of middle age.
One of America's most famous pianists, he has been on a successful path ever since winning the Chopin International Piano Competition in 1970 — the first American to do so. Now 60, he played Tuesday night at E.J. Thomas Hall like a man at the top of his game.
Ohlsson, who lives in San Francisco, has had a long relationship with Tuesday Musical, which presented the recital. This was Ohlsson's third solo recital and his fifth appearance under the auspices of the Akron organization.
The concert also had special significance as the second Margaret Baxtresser Annual Piano Concert, named to honor the late pianist who did so much to connect people into a strong arts community in Akron. Ohlsson and Baxtresser had been friends; between that and the ecstatic audience response, Ohlsson was in a particularly expansive mood by the end of the recital.
If you had come in late and heard just the encores (three!) you could have gone home happy. As Ohlsson explained before the first encore, the Prelude in C-sharp minor Op. 3, No. 2 was Rachmaninoff's most famous piece, and eventually became an irritant to the composer. Crowds used to scream at the composer/pianist to ''play it'' and Rachmaninoff took to calling the dread piece ''it.''
Luckily, Ohlsson hasn't developed any such aversion to the piece, which suits his gigantic technique and solid touch. Ohlsson uses his large build at the service of a tone with unusual heft and command. The tolling quality of the opening lines and the solemnly etched melody of the Rachmaninoff Prelude may have been ubiquitous at one time, but not now, when piano recitals are rare. Ohlsson made the piece pure Russian drama.
Continuing in the key of C-sharp minor, Ohlsson knocked out a thrillingly fast and accurate version of the Chopin Etude Op. 10, No. 4. It was a wild ride that could only make you smile.
''One more?'' Ohlsson silently mouthed to someone at the front of the audience, grinning as he asked. He proceeded with the Chopin Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2. Here, he dazzled with the delicacy and lightness of his playing.
Oh, yes, there was more before the encores. Ohlsson began with Prokofiev's Sonata No. 2, Op. 14. His touch was incisive but never brittle for the staccato attacks. Those trademark Prokofiev runs with the slightly off-kilter harmonies were dreamy. Everywhere, Ohlsson made the most of the visceral delights of the score.
Finishing the first half with Chopin's Sonata No. 3, Op. 58 was a move well calculated to get everyone buzzing with oohs and aahs. This was not the Chopin of a delicate aesthete but of a full-blooded romantic, with jaw-dropping fast runs and a galloping rhythmic drive in the finale.
Whether playing Chopin or three preludes and the Etude Tableau in E-flat minor, Op. 39, No. 5 by Rachmaninoff, Ohlsson's style proved more direct, less buffed and pretty than some other wonderful Chopin players, like Krystian Zimerman or Ohlsson's former teacher, the late Claudio Arrau.
Ohlsson is at his best setting out radiantly triumphant lines or flying through fast passages. The Sonata for Piano by Justin dello Joio (son of Norman) didn't draw on these qualities. After the high of the Chopin before intermission, this craggy piece felt like hard work.
If that sounds lazy, well, it's hard not to want to be wowed by Ohlsson when he is so generously equipped for the job. It's good to see middle age presented in such a flattering light.
Elaine Guregian can be reached at 330-996-3574 or eguregian@thebeaconjournal.com
Garrick Ohlsson makes a virtue of middle age.
One of America's most famous pianists, he has been on a successful path ever since winning the Chopin International Piano Competition in 1970 — the first American to do so. Now 60, he played Tuesday night at E.J. Thomas Hall like a man at the top of his game.
Ohlsson, who lives in San Francisco, has had a long relationship with Tuesday Musical, which presented the recital. This was Ohlsson's third solo recital and his fifth appearance under the auspices of the Akron organization.
The concert also had special significance as the second Margaret Baxtresser Annual Piano Concert, named to honor the late pianist who did so much to connect people into a strong arts community in Akron. Ohlsson and Baxtresser had been friends; between that and the ecstatic audience response, Ohlsson was in a particularly expansive mood by the end of the recital.
If you had come in late and heard just the encores (three!) you could have gone home happy. As Ohlsson explained before the first encore, the Prelude in C-sharp minor Op. 3, No. 2 was Rachmaninoff's most famous piece, and eventually became an irritant to the composer. Crowds used to scream at the composer/pianist to ''play it'' and Rachmaninoff took to calling the dread piece ''it.''
Luckily, Ohlsson hasn't developed any such aversion to the piece, which suits his gigantic technique and solid touch. Ohlsson uses his large build at the service of a tone with unusual heft and command. The tolling quality of the opening lines and the solemnly etched melody of the Rachmaninoff Prelude may have been ubiquitous at one time, but not now, when piano recitals are rare. Ohlsson made the piece pure Russian drama.
Continuing in the key of C-sharp minor, Ohlsson knocked out a thrillingly fast and accurate version of the Chopin Etude Op. 10, No. 4. It was a wild ride that could only make you smile.
''One more?'' Ohlsson silently mouthed to someone at the front of the audience, grinning as he asked. He proceeded with the Chopin Waltz in C-sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2. Here, he dazzled with the delicacy and lightness of his playing.
Oh, yes, there was more before the encores. Ohlsson began with Prokofiev's Sonata No. 2, Op. 14. His touch was incisive but never brittle for the staccato attacks. Those trademark Prokofiev runs with the slightly off-kilter harmonies were dreamy. Everywhere, Ohlsson made the most of the visceral delights of the score.
Finishing the first half with Chopin's Sonata No. 3, Op. 58 was a move well calculated to get everyone buzzing with oohs and aahs. This was not the Chopin of a delicate aesthete but of a full-blooded romantic, with jaw-dropping fast runs and a galloping rhythmic drive in the finale.
Whether playing Chopin or three preludes and the Etude Tableau in E-flat minor, Op. 39, No. 5 by Rachmaninoff, Ohlsson's style proved more direct, less buffed and pretty than some other wonderful Chopin players, like Krystian Zimerman or Ohlsson's former teacher, the late Claudio Arrau.
Ohlsson is at his best setting out radiantly triumphant lines or flying through fast passages. The Sonata for Piano by Justin dello Joio (son of Norman) didn't draw on these qualities. After the high of the Chopin before intermission, this craggy piece felt like hard work.
If that sounds lazy, well, it's hard not to want to be wowed by Ohlsson when he is so generously equipped for the job. It's good to see middle age presented in such a flattering light.
Elaine Guregian can be reached at 330-996-3574 or eguregian@thebeaconjournal.com
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