Works by Scarlatti, Liszt, Silvestrov, Revutsky, and Chopin. Illia Ovcharenko, piano. Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 7:30 p.m., March 4, 2025.
We’re solely in early March and the 12 months remains to be younger, however I’ve a powerful feeling that the recital I heard final night will take satisfaction of place as one of many absolute best in 2025.
I’m referring to the Music Toronto recital given by 23-year-old Ukrainian pianist Illia Ovcharenko. Winner of many vital competitions together with the celebrated 2022 Honens, Ovcharenko is not any stranger to Toronto. He made an enormous impression in his duo recital with Jon Kimura Parker on the 2023 Toronto Summer season Music Pageant. Additionally memorable was his TSO debut beneath the path of Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv, dazzling us with the Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1.
Final night, a discerning viewers stuffed with piano cognoscenti was handled to a rare efficiency by an artist in his youthful prime. The primary half had three Sonatas, curiously all at midnight B Minor key — two Scarlatti Sonatas, with the monumental and fiendishly tough Liszt within the center. By the way, it was his spectacular Liszt B Minor Sonata that clinched his Honens win three years in the past. And due to YouTube, one can relive his magical Honens efficiency right here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPMQ-05acHU
Scarlatti and Liszt could appear a moderately odd pairing, however in Ovcharenko’s fingers, it was sensible and revelatory. The opening Scarlatti Okay. 87, a chunk that’s magnificence personified, was adopted by the wildly dramatic Liszt, the depth of his enjoying was such that I felt as if I wad pinned to my seat. Within the quiet and supremely lyrical moments within the Liszt, one might hear echoes of the Scarlatti. The third sonata, Scarlatti Okay. 27, by no means sounded extra Romantic to my ears.
Second Half
The second half started with Ovcharenko chatting with the viewers about this system. Given the largely Canadian crowd won’t be accustomed to the 2 Ukrainian composers (Valentin Silvestrov and Levko Revutsky), he provided attention-grabbing tidbits about how he grew up surrounded by the works of Revutsky, who got here from the identical hometown, Chernihiv, Ukraine, and the way he was uncovered to the works of the nice, still-living composer Silvestrov when he relocated to Kyiv.
I’ve acquainted myself with the works of Silvestrov and Revutsky, due to Ovcharenko having programmed them prior to now, and most of all, to YouTube the place yow will discover nearly any music beneath the solar. The quiet great thing about the Bagatelles by Silvestrov, so evocatively performed by Ovcharenko, will keep within the reminiscence financial institution. Additionally beautiful was Prelude No. 4 by Revutsky.
To my ears, these two composers’ items go so superbly collectively, as in the event that they share the identical Slavic soul.
The night led to acquainted floor — a unbelievable rendition of Chopin’s justly well-known Polonaise in A flat, the “Heroic”. Ovcharenko’s enjoying was a veritable masterclass, on the felicitous melding of power, depth, bravura approach and innate lyricism. He has discovered the key of methods to make the piano sing.
I dare say the viewers went dwelling completely happy.
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Joseph So is Professor Emeritus at Trent College and Affiliate Editor of Opera Canada.He’s additionally a long-time contributor to La Scena Musicale and Opera (London, UK). His curiosity in music journalism focuses on voice, opera in addition to symphonic and piano repertoires. He seems frequently as a panel member of the Massive COC Podcast.He has co-edited a e book, Opera in a Multicultural World: Coloniality, Tradition, Efficiency, printed by Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group).
