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TWO EXAMPLES OF YOUTHFUL EXCELLENCE
By Fred Kirshnit
New York Sun, NY
Nov 16 2006
In 2003 I covered the opening night of the National Chamber Orchestra
of Armenia in Yerevan for a European publication. The orchestra was
much as I had expected: like most of the professional organizations
of contemporary Armenia, it has seen better days.
The real story was the audience. Dressed in their best, albeit
sometimes threadbare, finery, the crowd was attentive and appreciative
- this was a gathering of true music lovers, people who had grown up
studying music in the home, most with at least a rudimentary ability
to navigate a keyboard and read a simple score.
Out of this homegrown tradition comes Natalia Kazaryan, a Georgian
of Armenian descent. She presented a piano recital Tuesday evening
in the chapel of St. Bartholomew's Church under the auspices of the
Stecher and Horowitz Foundation Young Artists Series.
When reviewing aspirants not yet fully matured, it is often
difficult to combine the knowledge of their potential growth with the
understanding of their immaturity. By what standards should they be
judged? In the case of the 19-year-old Ms. Kazaryan, the problem was
solved by her prodigious ability to perform at a highly proficient
adult level.
She is a student of Jerome Lowenthal, who was in attendance this
evening. Beginning with Haydn, specifically the Sonata in E major,
Hob. XVI:31,she immediately established an atmosphere of strength
and confidence. Especially notable were her clear lines and sound
definitions between individual notes. Although I might have wished
for a tad more grace, this was fine, declarative music making.
Chopin's Sonata in B-flat Minor is forever associated with its third
movement, in the same way that the "Moonlight" is always immediately
identified by its famous introduction. For a performance of it to be
good, the funeral march must be good.
By Fred Kirshnit
New York Sun, NY
Nov 16 2006
In 2003 I covered the opening night of the National Chamber Orchestra
of Armenia in Yerevan for a European publication. The orchestra was
much as I had expected: like most of the professional organizations
of contemporary Armenia, it has seen better days.
The real story was the audience. Dressed in their best, albeit
sometimes threadbare, finery, the crowd was attentive and appreciative
- this was a gathering of true music lovers, people who had grown up
studying music in the home, most with at least a rudimentary ability
to navigate a keyboard and read a simple score.
Out of this homegrown tradition comes Natalia Kazaryan, a Georgian
of Armenian descent. She presented a piano recital Tuesday evening
in the chapel of St. Bartholomew's Church under the auspices of the
Stecher and Horowitz Foundation Young Artists Series.
When reviewing aspirants not yet fully matured, it is often
difficult to combine the knowledge of their potential growth with the
understanding of their immaturity. By what standards should they be
judged? In the case of the 19-year-old Ms. Kazaryan, the problem was
solved by her prodigious ability to perform at a highly proficient
adult level.
She is a student of Jerome Lowenthal, who was in attendance this
evening. Beginning with Haydn, specifically the Sonata in E major,
Hob. XVI:31,she immediately established an atmosphere of strength
and confidence. Especially notable were her clear lines and sound
definitions between individual notes. Although I might have wished
for a tad more grace, this was fine, declarative music making.
Chopin's Sonata in B-flat Minor is forever associated with its third
movement, in the same way that the "Moonlight" is always immediately
identified by its famous introduction. For a performance of it to be
good, the funeral march must be good.