|
RECITAL REVIEW
February 21, 2004
|
By Peter Danner
In a substantial and varied program Saturday night at Herbst Theatre, Chinese
guitarist Xuefei Yang proved herself an even better performer than the one
San Francisco audiences heard two years ago when she placed second in a
prestigious guitar competition here. At that time I predicted her to be a guitarist we
would surely be hearing more from in the future, and her return has only
added creditability to that prediction.
Yet her recital cannot be called a total artistic success, due to unnatural
and excessive amplification. Granted, the classical guitar is an instrument
with a relatively small voice, but it is a unique voice and there are ways to
project it properly.
While the concert was not flawless, it showed Yang in almost total control of
her instrument both technically and musically. This was most evident in the
three demanding display pieces that served as cornerstones to the performance.
The mid-19th-century Fantaisie Hongroise of J.K. Mertz, which opened the
program, demands rapid changes of mood and Lisztian outbursts of virtuosity. Yang
made the piece come alive, allowing its Romany roots to show through, although
her two hands became a bit unsynchronized at the final cadence due to
excessive speed.
The Mertz contrasted nicely with her reading of the famous Bach Chaconne that followed. This work transcribes well for solo guitar, although some players tend to loose their way due the grand scope of the work. Yang began the piece at a modest pace, allowing the climaxes to build naturally and organically out of the material. It was during the Chaconne, however, that the presence of the microphone became noticeable. While it did not distract particularly from the exuberance of the Mertz, here it became intrusive, making the guitar sound overly bright in the upper register and turning some of the bass lines to mush. This is unfortunate, because Yang seems capable of producing an admirable tone. Here it was difficult to judge. The Guitar Sonata of the Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera that closed the recital is yet another major statement in the guitar's literature. Like the Mertz with which she opened, the Ginastera requires energy, building to an almost pure rhythmic drive in the final movement. Yang's reading was bold and exuberant, yet remained under solid control. This was the piece best served by amplification. It added fire to the rasgueado passages in the finale and weight to the Bartók snaps. On the whole, however, we would have been better served without. Also worthy of note was Yang's reading of the Five Bagatelles by William Walton, still another cornerstone of guitar music. The first was played with just the right degree of nervous energy, while the Satie-like waltz rhythms of the second were easygoing and relaxed. Yang had played these pieces during the San Francisco competition mentioned above. Her superior performance on Saturday showed how much she has grown as an artist in the past two years. I look forward to hearing her again. Without that microphone.
(Peter Danner is editor of Soundboard, a quarterly magazine for
classical guitarists, and past president of the Lute Society of America.)
|
Xuefei Yang