This was the first recital I have been to here at Ithaca College that took place inside the Nabenhauer Recital Room in the Whalen Center. The room itself is small, amphitheater shaped, and contains a slightly raised floor level towards the front where there is a rather beaten-up looking grand piano.
The recital was by a young pianist, Binghao Li, and began soon after I arrived.
The first song was Sonata in G Major, HobXVI/27 (17776), by Haydn-- a composer who we have recently studied in class. The first movement contained a harmonic "bouncing" that reminded me of jumping up and down on a cloud. This transitioned easily into the second movement which was largely a toned down version of the first. The finale (third movement) was a brilliant combination of the energetic bounciness of the first movement, contained within a regal and confident facade. In many respects, the song is like a coming of age, and the listener can experience a growing maturity in the progression through the three movements.
The next song was Abegg Variations, Op. 1 (1830), by Schumann. This song featured a flury of sound as Li would sweep her hands up and down the piano creating a confusing, yet oddly soothing melodic texture. In many ways, it was like Claude Monet poem-- up close it looks like a bunch of random colored brush strokes (or in this case, notes), but when seen (or heard) with more context and from a greater distance, they become a beautiful work of art.
The final song, 6 Moments Musicaux, Op. 16, told the same story, but from 4 different perspectives. Each began at a similar place, musically, but ended up with a different perspective. Some of the perspectives seemed endlessly energetic, while others were delicately constructed and performed with dainty care.
All in all, it was a soothing and joyful concert to be in attendance of, and I look forward to the next one.
E
