Audiences were treated on Tuesday, June 10th, with a rare performance by pianist Heléna Bowkun, once a powerful force in Canada and beyond.
The concert was her first Toronto recital in ten years, and was organised as a benefit for the Yorkminster Park Baptist Church Benevolent Fund.
In her prime, Heléna Bowkun played to packed concert halls in Rome, Paris, Lausanne, and St. Jean de Luz. She also enjoyed a long collaboration with the great Steven Staryk, which included recordings and tour engagements.
Publicist Linda Litwack recalled, “When I first met her, she had an Afghan hound (Gabe) who sang along when she played Tatiana’s letter aria and Happy Birthday… a hilarious scene etched in my memory!”
According to friend David Drum, she was the only graduate of The Royal Conservatory of Music with higher marks than Glenn Gould.
When asked why she had cut her performance career short, Bowkun stated, “The reasons are complex but what I can say is that I had reached a state of mental and physical burnout from massive overwork – I was at the Royal Conservatory, teaching about 35 students and things were very bad at the RCM politically.” She added that many of the teachers, herself included, were treated poorly.
Despite her estrangement from the concert stage, Tuesday’s concert was curious. From a small door to the left of the church, Bowkun sauntered towards the Steinway with a tense uneasiness. Not having played for so long can be an elephant in the room, and I sensed a bit of trepidation.
Despite a rough start to the Presto of Beethoven’s piano Sonata No. 7, she settled into the percussive opening with grand pauses, that hung in the air like albatrosses over the SS Great Western. The Largo was collared with an unsettling depth, as if she were examining the essence of melody itself.
From out of the anguish, the Sonata heaved itself from the ground, with an almost Haydn-esque Trio, that foiled the opening subject. The last Rondo swaggered in with motives erupting in runs against the Alberti bass. Bowkun’s approach was romantic and tinged with the gravity of Beethoven – no light touches here – just music from the school of hard-knocks, and Bowkun was there to deliver.
Also on the programme were Chopin’s Barcarolle, Op. 60 and, after an intermission, three Nocturnes including Op. 27 No. 2, Op. 48 No. 1, and Op. 55 No. 2.
The interpretation was charming, and she explored the hidden counterpoint of the Barcarolle with ease. The piece emerges from the shadows of each phrase subordinate to the climax, her pedalling particularly impressive. Bowkun played with a slightly reticent demeanour, but her sound was profound – its architecture standing strong and clear.
It was her Nocturnes that captivated most. There was an unusual haunting quality to them, like a late night conversation with Chopin himself. It’s all too easy for pianists to over play, betraying them to insincerity, but Bowkun was earnest and personal.
Closing the recital was a visit from Rachmaninoff, with his Prelude Op. 23 No. 4 and the favourite Études-Tableaux. These works do double duty as both studies on specific technical aspects of the piano, and as miniature tone poems. Op. 33 sounds more like Chopin and Op. 39 is reminiscent of Liszt. Though the shapes of the pieces were slightly uneven at times, the finale reminded those both familiar and new to Bowkun’s art, just how poetic her style is.
I think all who were in attendance felt like we had witnessed something very special that evening. And while we must respect Heléna Bowkun’s personal reasons for retiring from the concert stage, hers is a talent far too rich to not share again.
Michael Vincent
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