On Sunday afternoon at Carnegie Hall Jeremy Denk gave one of his infrequent recitals in the New York City area. Though I knew the pianist from Chamber Music Society broadcasts I'd heard on WQXR, this was the first chance I'd had to hear him play works for solo piano.
The program Denk had put together for the occasion was fascinating in its diversity. The first half began on a serious note with Bach's English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808 but then took a more whimsical turn with a selection of ragtime pieces. These included (improbably) Byrd's "The Passinge Mesures: the Nynthe Pavian" from Lady Nevell's Book; Bolcom's Graceful Ghost Rag; the Sunflower Slow Drag by Scott Hayden and Scott Joplin ; Youmans's "Tea for Two" from No, No, Nanette (as arranged by Art Tatum); Hindemith's "Ragtime" from Suite 1922; Stravinsky's Piano-Rag-Music; Ives's "Ragtime Dances" Nos. 3 and 4 from Four Ragtime Dances; Nancarrow's Canon No. 1 from Two Canons for Ursula; and Lambert's "Pilgrim's Chorus" adapted (albeit somewhat loosely) from Wagner's Tannhäuser.
Aside from the opportunity to hear works by two composers - Conlon Nancarrow and Donald Lambert - with whom I was totally unfamiliar except by reputation, I was most intrigued by the works written by Hindemith and Bolcom. I'm a great admirer of Hindemith's Kammermusik pieces but had never before heard any of his works for piano. The Suite 1922 was apparently written about the same time as Kammermusik, and what I found most interesting about "Ragtime" was his direction to the soloist, as quoted in Carnegie Hall's Program Notes, to "Look on the piano here as an interesting kind of percussion instrument and treat accordingly." This reminded me very much of Bartók's similar consideration of the piano as a percussive instrument, a viewpoint that I've always thought helped give that composer's piano works their unique sound. As for William Bolcom, who I find it difficult to believe could ever have been a serialist, I knew him primarily from his Cabaret Songs and have always had a particular attachment to "The Ballad of Black Max." Finally, Stravinsky's Piano-Rag-Music was intriguing simply because I find it fascinating that any composer should have attempted to write jazz by sight reading the sheet music without ever having heard it played. Perhaps this is why this work's dedicatee Arthur Rubinstein was so "bitterly disappointed" by it.
In contrast the the range of music presented in the first half of the program, the second consisted of only one work, but what a work - Schubert's Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, D. 960 (1828), which I consider the greatest solo work ever written for piano. It's also the piece by whose performance I customarily judge a pianist's ability. I had heard in November a stunning rendition by András Schiff, about which I had posted here, and I was anxious to compare that interpretation with Denk's own. Although I don't think Schubert intended his final sonatas to be a valediction, his illness may have contributed to the sense of unease that underlies their calm exterior.
At the conclusion of the printed program, the pianist played one of Bach's Goldberg Variations, the 13th, as an encore.
Jeremy Denk, who was awarded Juilliard's prestigious Petschek prize, possesses a formidable technique. He is also an extremely articulate individual. One feels when listening to him, either speaking or playing, that he has consciously taken on the role of a guide who wishes to introduce the listener to elements in the music that heretofore may have gone unnoticed. One is impressed as much by the force of his intellect as by his virtuosity at the keyboard.
After the recital ended, I attended a brief reception for the pianist in the Rohatyn Room. Mr. Denk good naturedly answered questions for several minutes, but it was obvious that he was exhausted from his performance.
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