Juilliard Faculty Recital: Matti Raekallio

Though last evening's piano recital, played without intermission, lasted less than an hour, it was one of the best I've seen at any venue.  Matti Raekallio is a terrific musician, and the standing room only crowd at Paul Hall was fully appreciative of his talents.

Although Mr. Raekallio made his American debut in 1981 and has recorded some twenty cd's, this is the first time I've heard him perform.  He is a faculty member at both the Juilliard School and the Bard College Conservatory.  One interesting point I noted on his resume was that:

"Mr. Raekallio's Doctorate (Dr.Mus) at the Sibelius Academy focused on the history of piano fingering.  Subsequently, Prof. Raekallio became a member of an international research team, investigating pianists' choice of fingering from the viewpoint of cognitive psychology."

The program began with Beethoven's Sonata No. 30 in E, Op. 109.  Composed in 1820, this was the first of the Beethoven's final three sonatas and one of his greatest works for piano. Far different from the Hammerklavier that immediately preceded it, this is a lyrical intimate work that attempts to draw the listener in rather than overwhelm him.  There is a delicacy to it that requires a fine touch on the keyboard.

The second piece was a sonata by the pianist's countryman Einojuhani Rautavaara.  In contrast to the Beethoven, the Sonata 2, aptly named The Fire Sermon, requires the keyboard literally to be pounded.  (The final movement was marked in the program as Allegro brutale!)  At times, in fact, Mr. Raekallio appeared to crash his entire forearm on the keyboard.  At the end of the first movement, he put his hands on top of the piano as he waited for the ringing of the keys to die away.  This was, to say the least, very exciting music and made me eager to hear more of the composer's work.

The program ended with a virtuoso performance of Liszt's transcription of Wagner's Tannhauser Overture that brought the entire audience to its feet in a standing ovation. There followed three short encores by Prokofiev, Sibelius and finally Stravinsky's Souvenir of a German March (composed in 1915 as a contribution to Edith Wharton's gift book for the relief of Belgian war orphans).