Alfredo Corral performs in London: 5 and 8 October 2007 |
| 5 October Brahms' Piano Pieces, Op 118, presented a satisfying if unusual opener to Alfredo Corral's ILAMS lunchtime concert at Regent Hall on Friday 5 October. So often one hears individual pieces from the set, which is a pity as the 6 pieces (4 intermezzi, a ballade and a romance) are carefully connected by keys to form an organic whole. Alfredo's empathy for Brahms was immediate and striking, as he played careful attention to the composer's phrasing without any loss of warmth or immediacy. The melodies ebbed and flowed and the dynamics of the pieces were acutely observed, in what was without doubt a commanding performance. A Mediterranean breeze wafted into the hall with the sounds of distant guitars and gypsy music in El Albaicin, from Albén;iz' Iberia (Book 3). This piece, with its flamenco evocations conjures a colourful picture of Granada's gypsy quarter. Alfredo's tempos were always well balanced, never too hurried but without any loss of momentum, and always responding to the rhythmic demands of the music. The caprice of the music was caught to perfection in this masterly rendition. A European premiere followed, as Alfredo introduced Pasaje Seaver, a tango by the contemporary Argentine composer Juan María Solare. He first spoke briefly, explaining the interesting genesis of the work as an electro-acoustic composition: the piece refers to a gallery full of tango history that is about to disappear. Tentative chords create an air of mystery, which lead to the slow tango that pervades the work. An air of moodiness is maintained throughout the piece, as the music seems to look back on past glories reflectively. It is always hard to judge a new piece for the first time, but given the persuasive advocacy of Alfredo this seemed a work of considerable interest and merit. The recital ended with music by the towering Argentine composer, Alberto Ginastera. Alfredo Corral knows how to generate excitement without aggression, and this is what we heard in the wonderful Trez Piezas, Op 6: Cuyana, Norteña and Criolla . Written in 1939/40 they bristle with individuality, and show the composer revelling in an exultant spirit of nationalism, caught to near perfection by Alfredo. The audience responded with great enthusiasm. How could Alfredo leave us without an encore? He treated us to music by the master of tango, Piazzolla, with his Muerte del angel, and the simple charm of October, (appropriately selected) from Tchaikovsky's delightful suite The Seasons, ended this memorable recital. 8 October Alfredo Corral's second lunchtime concert was hosted jointly by The Beethoven Piano Society of Europe and ILAMS. Appropriately he started with Beethoven and performed his Sonata in E flat, Op 7. The elegant opening gave way to passages of greater intensity, full of incident and drama, which were played with utter mastery. The minimal use of pedal, the superb legato lines and effortless dynamic control made his performance utterly riveting. Alfredo demonstrated a strong affinity for this remarkable sonata (Beethoven's 4th), which despite its early opus number shows the composer as an audacious master of form. Alfredo's conception of the piece is that it can be seen as a symphony in the mould of the Eroica, and as a typically Beethovenian battle between man and God. This truly memorable performance drew appreciative applause. Albéniz' Iberia, once more provided the intermezzo in the recital, this time from Book 2, Almería, a seaport in south eastern Spain. It was given a performance that captured its lanquid atmosphere, alternating with sharply drawn rhythms. As in the first recital, Alfredo Corral ended with music from that giant of 20th Century art, Alberto Ginastera. The 12 Preludios americanos, Op 12 of 1944 represent to some, the apogee of the composer's early piano music (written 8 years before the monumental first sonata). The musically pungent pieces are sketches which contain a kaleidoscopic variety of rhythmic and melodic ideas, all concentrated into brief time spans. They require focus and precision to achieve optimum musical impact, and this is exactly what Alfredo delivered. You could hear everything and none of the rhythmic snap was lost. He played the first 6 pieces which comprise Book 1, and as he ended with Homenaje a Roberto Garcia Morilla, you could almost hear a pin drop before the audience erupted into applause. He ended on two favourite recital pieces of Ginastera: contrasting Milonga (a transcription from the popular ballet Estancia), with its engaging melody and the motoric rhythms of Malambo, Op 7. Alfredo drew an extraordinary cascade of sounds from the latter, with the rhythmic phrases piling on top of each other, crowned by resounding chords. Bravo! Once more the audience wanted more and generously received an encore with the second London performance of Pasaje Seaver, by Juan María Solare. For me this made all the difference: the second time around one could appreciate the intricacy of the writing in what was a most satisfying performance. Ray
Picot ILAMS
- London - England |
... Their concerts are keep to a consistently good standard , to judge by the artists announced and by the results of the two I heard...
... Alfredo Corral played beautifully some pieces from Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons” (they should be called “The Months”) and did an interesting interpretation of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an exhibition”, cunningly characterized by the pianist ...
Pablo
Bardin
Buenos Aires Herald - 17/VI/200
Alfredo
Corral plays at the Steinway Hall, 13 July.2006 - London
Alfredo
Corral may not be a particularly well known pianist and conductor in the UK, but
he made many new friends during the evening of 13 July, when he took presented a
fascinating recital of all-Argentine piano music, as part in ILAMS' Ginastera
Festival at London's Steinway Hall. His easy charm and unassuming, self-effacing
manner belied the intensity and depth of knowledge he brought to his
performances: a window into the soul of Argentine music.
His
focus this evening was on music mainly written over five decades with
interesting cross-connections, opening with works from the 1890's, written in
what could be broadly described as a 'rioplatense' style. One of the greatest
exponents of this and composer who is considered to be the father of Argentine
nationalist music, was Julian Aquirre. Like Grieg, he was better suited
stylistically to miniature forms, and he wrote many songs and solo piano works,
in which the chromatism of Chopin is never far away. The lively dance, Huella,
opened which lead naturally to perhaps the composer's best known and most
characteristic works, the Five Tristes. In Alfredo Corral's subtle hands these
pieces evoked, through their simple charm and gentle melancholy, a timeless lost
world.
Another
unfamiliar name followed, Celastine Piaggio, who studied composition with
Aquirre and spent many years in Europe, which perhaps shows in the French
inflected Rondo in c sharp minor. A quirky, unpredictable piece, it offered a
perfect foil to his deeply felt Homage to Julian Aquirre.
The
Malambo by Alberto Ginastera ended the first part: a short piece with obsessive
motoric rhythms, so typical of this composer. It was performed with controlled
power and panache.
Pedro Saenz was a respected composer and academic, born in 1915, the year before
Ginastera, and who like many of his compatriots, studied first at home and later
in Europe. His Variations on an Original Theme encompassed a subtle range of
moods within its reflective subject and through its controlled virtuosity
created a strikingly effective work, with Rachmaninov occasionally hovering in
the background.
Antonio
Tauriello, was a notable conductor and composer and dedicated the Toccata to his
'master', Ginastera. Alfredo Corral perfectly caught quixotic mood of the piece,
and with the use of a repeated phrase, it was brought to an effective climactic
conclusion.
The
advertised programme ended appropriately with Ginastera, and from 1944, the 12
American Preludes. The pieces each have descriptive titles, and the composer
created a sequence of inventive originals that reflected diverse moods and
rhythms, with several dedicated to important composers or musicians of that
time, including his friend Aaron Copland and the Brazilian musical pioneer,
Heitor Villa-Lobos. Alfredo Corral created a cohesive whole from this cycle of
preludes despite the individual short duration of the pieces, which was
enthusiastically appreciated by the audience, and as if this work was not
sufficiently climactic, Alfredo tantalisingly expanded this Argentine
kaleidoscope with Astor Piazzolla's The Death of the Angel and Carlos
Guastavino's Bailecito.
Afterwards
it was pleasure to see the pianist's excellently performed CDs reach this
responsive audience.
Ray
Picot
ILAMS
- London - England
We
are in the presence of a remarkable program, just like those interpretations
from which the best pianists seem to emerge unscathed, even though their
performance feels as if they were carrying out an extraordinary difficult task,
such as moving an Egyptian pyramid. However, Alfredo Corral’s interpretation
of this program was characterized by its naturalness, efficiency and his clear
and distinct approach.
He
earned the audience’s applause for his interpretation of Mozart’s Concerto
K.414. His immaculate performance was appropriate to define Mozart’s spirit.
...Corral’s expressiveness revealed his exceptional musical sensitivity combined with well-rooted technical resources.
Héctor Coda - La Nación Newspaper (December / 1989)
The appealing sounds; the clear and rhythmical balance; and his natural sensitivity always make his performances musically pleasant...
Juan Carlos Montero (taken from the report prepared for the Banco Mayo Argentine Music Contest Finals, 1989)
His reliable performance and polished interpretation techniques, together with his innate musical talent, allowed him to reveal the true nature of each one of these beautiful as well as celebrated scores by Manuel de Falla: Aragonesa, Cubana, Montañesa, and Andaluza. Alfredo Corral magnificently transmitted their nostalgic or rhythmical character maintaining their regional features. Immediately afterwards, he interpreted Celina Kohan de Sher’s Sonata No. 2, as an international premiere. This piece of work poses serious technical difficulties that the interpreter was able to solve with ease and confidence, resulting in a brilliant version of this sonata.
Betty
Von Brunow "Correo Musical Argentino" Newspaper (June 1992)