Piano Masterpieces (11/22/14)

Mohamed Shams played an ambitious program on Saturday afternoon (a few Saturdays ago, now). In general, he played quite well, if with a sense of restrained control. 

Songs without words, Op. 67; Six short movements – Felix Bartholdy-Mendelssohn
Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 14, “Concerto without orchestra”; Allegro, Quasi Variazione: Andantino di Clara Wieck, Prestissimo possibile – Robert Schumann
Preludes (selection); Ce qu’a vu le vent d’ouest, La fille aux cheveux de lin, Général Lavine – eccentric: Dans le style et le mouvement d’un Cakewalk – Claude Debussy
Mephisto-waltz No. 1 – Franz Liszt 

The Songs without words were just that—nice, songlike pieces that you could just imagine should have words. The first was gentle while the second had a jaunty accompaniment, in a minor key, but with a positive spin to it. It also had a fuller piano sound and a nice use of rubato (a sort of stretching the tempo/rhythm from time to time so that it’s not totally steady—tick-tock, tick-tock). It was my favorite of the six short movements. The third had a slower pace, settling down yet still with a nice sense of an arc to it. The fourth started out mysteriously and had a hint of sadness. The fifth was a waltz with a slight Viennese feel to it, and the sixth had lots of fast finger work, sort of bumblebee-esque.

Schumann’s sonata had quite a bit of heft to it. The Allegro was very full and very rich, with clean lines (and playing), and had lots of big themes balanced by gentle, contrasting sections. It finished with a bang. The Variazioni had a slight feel of a dirge that then grew into a gentle section with a real feel of warmth. It was introspective, even in the fuller sections, ending with dramatic chords. I was really looking forward to Prestissimo possible (hello! as fast as possible?), and it had a lot of sound and fury, but I didn’t really sense where it was going. The sonata is a piece I wouldn’t mind hearing again, just because it’s so daunting upon first hearing.

The first of the Debussy pieces was quite modern sounding, with Stravinsky-like rhythms. The piece did evoke the wind (le vent d’ouest) at times. The second piece was gentle to begin with—not exactly wispy, more like a substantial wispy, if that makes sense. The tune might be familiar to you, “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.” It’s worth a YouTube search. The third piece (which did not really remind me of a cakewalk) was stronger and fuller, with a very good display of technique, yet still fully musical.

The Liszt was a fragmented waltz with a rhythmic introduction that then morphed into very fast finger work and octaves in both hands. There was a lot of compositional bravura, executed very well. The sheer number of notes was astounding.

As mentioned before, I sensed a slight feeling of controlled restraint. Perhaps as Mr. Shams continues as an artist, there will be some occasions to give in a bit to a sense of abandon. I liked the entire program; I just was waiting for a little more oomph. Once again, though, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing works that were new to me.

ConcertMeister