A VALIANT ENTERPRISE

Piano Recital by Albert Lin

Victoria Concert Hall

23 February 2000

 

By John Howard

 

   Albert Lin’s debut concert upon graduation from the University of Michigan proved an enterprising affair, not without its risk-taking aspects. 

 

     Schumann’s Carnaval is a difficult work and a brave one with which to open a recital, especially for a young pianist.  Along with some vigorous and energetic playing went some which was hurried and a little too frenetic.   Nevertheless, there was some musically sensitive playing in Eusebius.  Lin’s technical capabilities are of a high order, and maturity will bring with it greater poise and rhythmic control. It has to be said that the Victoria Concert Hall (VCH) acoustic is not ideal for this kind of piano repertoire, which can easily sound too confused and inarticulate within such a resonant environment.  The challenge is for the performer to listen and adapt to the context, in other words, to match the pacing and accentuation to the ambient sound.

 

   All credit to Lin for programming US composer Lowell Liebermann’s Gargoyles.  The first movement, a danse macabre, was impressively performed and convincingly clear.  This was neatly contrasted with the more impressionistic second movement, with the fourth showing Prokofiev-like driving rhythms and pulse, being a highlight.  However, it did seem too much like Prokofiev but without the biting dissonances that give it energy.

 

    Lin’s enterprise showed in the second half, first when he was joined by five wind players in a performance of the Poulenc Sextet.  Not only did this help to provide variety of sound in the programme, it also showed a different side to this young pianist.  His contributions to the Poulenc were always thoughtful and effective, and the general impression was of a very well prepared performance by the whole ensemble.

 

     The final work was Rach-maninov’s  Piano Concerto No. 2, in which Lin was joined by Ong Lip Tat on the second piano.  Such a version of a concerto is always bound to be less satisfactory in comparison with the original:  there are many problems of balance and co-ordination.  It is very difficult to attack notes simultaneously on two pianos. In addition, the lack of variety of tone colour, especially in a bathroom like acoustic like the VCH, is a problem in creating musical coherence.  In spite of these difficulties, the Lin/Ong combination came out rather well, with the accompaniment always sensitive, sometimes overly so, and Lin’s contribution effective and secure.  The success of the performance was enhanced by the fact that Rachmaninov was, first and foremost, a composing pianist whose conception of his music always stemmed from the piano.  If the thried movement had its moments of instability, they stood out mainly because they were a very rare occurrence in this recital.  And the second theme of the last movement is indeed a great tune, whatever the medium!