Serenity...
5
By JBBevan
If Kaleidascope was Khatia's domonstration of "loud" then Labyrinth is her exploration of "soft". The program notes (which she wrote) tell us that it is highly introspective. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it for those who want "serenity" ... but this one is not about virtuoso fireworks (though it requires its own unifque virtuosity). This recital (along with recent outhings by Khatia's peers: Yuja Wang, Lang Lang, and Igor Levit) is certainly a 21st century departure from a "classical piano mix" of 50 years ago by Rubinstein, Horowitz, or even Van Cliburn. There is both more Bach and more contemporary and less romantic...although Chopin and Rachmaninoff show up (as they should). In a word: recitals these dayss are diverse in the extreme from yesteryear. But, though I am personalyl from yesteryear, I really enjoy this change that is taking place. AND the four pianists mentioned are very different after going through a long period when the competition manufactured pianists all sounded about the same. So we have diversity of repertoire and diversity of interpretation...that makes for a very interesting music world right now.