Review Details
MUSIC IN THE UNIVERSITY Sponsored by THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF SPAIN IN EDINBURGH DANIEL DEL PINO Piano
Alan Cooper
03 November 2009
King's College Chapel
I am sure that many in the large audience who turned out to hear violin virtuoso Ara Malakian in King’s College Chapel last night were disappointed to be told that, stranded by passport problems in Armenia, he was unable to appear. After last night’s concert however, that disappointment had been totally swallowed up in an awe-inspired flush of elation following the mind-blowing exhibition of pianistic virtuosity we witnessed at the hands, the amazing hands, of Malakian’s co-performer, pianist Daniel Del Pino. This astonishing young Spanish artist quite transfigured the Chapel’s old Bluthner, giving it a wonderful new lease of life through the sheer magic of his playing. I was fortunate enough to be sitting where I could see his hands and be astounded by the high speed delicate filigree of so much of his fingerwork. In the finale of Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody however, I could no longer see his hands, they had become nothing more than a blur as he powered into Liszt’s music with devil may care abandon.
Daniel Del Pino opened his recital with a selection of real Spanish music beginning with three of the six movements from the Suite, Goyescas by Granados. This was a rare opportunity to hear these pieces live. We rarely see them performed and I am not surprised, the level of exacting virtuosity required to play them is frightening. Los Requiebros, (Flattery) gave us impassioned playing that flung the melodic line from left hand to right and back again, decorating it with delicate intricacies throughout. It was a delight to watch as well as to hear.
Quejas ó la Maja y el Ruiseńor, (Laments of the Maiden and the Nightingale) though suffused with a gentle sadness still had its touches of subtle ornamentation which finally burst into the song of the nightingale at the end.
El Pelele, (The Straw Man) was a festive piece full of joyful celebration with the sounds of Spanish traditional music at its happy heart. By the way, for those who are interested, try googling Goya and the titles of the pieces and you will see the original paintings which inspired the Granados Suite.
So much of this colourful Spanish piano music has some kind of visual stimulus as its starting point and the next piece by Albeniz (completed by Granados) is called Azulejos or Mosaics. If you have ever seen the wonderful Spanish tiles with their origins in Moorish Islamic patterning then you will understand this piece by Albeniz. For most of the piece the hands of the pianist are close together often crossing or lying above one another giving the impression of the closely interwoven patterns of the tiles.
Two pieces by Chopin, the Etude Op 25 no 1 and the Ballade No 1 in g minor with its balance of melody once again shared and shifted between left and right hands was further proof that this pianist does not shy away from the most difficult piano music. His amazing performance of Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody was final proof of that. The note on the back of my CD of the work states: “the player must have rapport with the piano as well as with the Spain of Liszt’s imagination”. That sums up Daniel Del Pino’s performance perfectly. For an encore he played Mendelssohn’s Etude in Bb minor Op 104 with the comment that “it’s quite easy really”. For you Daniel, perhaps, for us lesser mortals, well…..?