Works by Beethoven, Mozart, Milhaud, Revutsky, Liszt and Rachmaninoff. Illia Ovcharenko and Jon Kimura Parker, pianists. Koerner Hall, July 6, 2023.
That Koerner Hall was full Thursday for the opening of Toronto Summer Music is a credit to both the organization and the city it serves. And, of course, a credit to Illia Ovcharenko and Jon Kimura Parker, the pianists in the spotlight, as solo artists and together.
OK, one more credit, to TSM artistic director Jonathan Crow, who assembled a festive but not frivolous program. Possibly sensing that his high-end-rowdy crowd would need some settling down, he decreed that the evening would begin with Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata, the first movement of which is universally famous for its atmosphere of placid concentration.
The leadoff artist was Parker. Lingering on the very first beat, this veteran Canadian took a slow, subjective and rubato-rich view of the Adagio sostenuto marking. I cannot disguise my belief that steady triplets create a more hypnotic effect. There were expressive hesitations also in the Allegretto second movement, and a minor slip in the trio. All cylinders were firing in the finale, with its aggressively climbing arpeggios and explosive sforzando chords.
Parker then picked up a microphone to introduce Ovcharenko — an assignment he could handle with authority as artistic director of the Calgary-based Honens International Piano Competition, which Ovcharenko won last October. His first assignment was as soloist Mozart’s K. 414 Concerto in the not-uncommon chamber arrangement with string quintet standing in for orchestra.
It is remarkable how little is lost in this version, with strings stationed in front of the piano rather than the reverse. Something in expression might even have been gained in the exposition of the Andante, which the quintet — Crow and Yura Lee on violin, Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt on viola, Ani Aznavoorian on cello, Michael Chiarello on bass — played with the utmost radiance. If the piano disappeared for a minute, it soon reestablished an eloquent presence, with much gracious conversation in the finale.
Another Steinway was rolled out during intermission for the first two-piano selection, Darius Milhaud’s Scaramouche. Full of boisterous syncopations in the outer movements and delicate interplay in the central Modéré movement, this might be the perfect summer festival piece, especially when played with such exuberance and musicianly awareness of the rich sonics that can be achieved with well-matched instruments.
Then came a solo set for Ovcharenko, starting with a pair of Preludes — Op.7 No. 1 and No. 2 — by Levko Revutsky, 1889-1977, a Ukrainian composer whose arch-romantic style might be compared to that of Scriabin. Decorative writing in the right hand was abundant, but not overwhelming. Dark harmonies kept interest keen.
Ovcharenko played these pieces with the passion of a compatriot and the clarity of a virtuoso. Even more of the latter quality was on display in Liszt’s familiar La Campanella. Scales do not come much more brilliantly articulated. If I longed for slightly slower tempos, this might have been to keep my sense of amazement at bay.
The program, as printed, ended with another pas de deux, Rachmaninoff’s Suite No. 2 Op. 17, this time with Ovcharenko on primo. This four-movement compendium of martial rhythms and soaring tunes packs a lot of notes into 25 minutes, all of them done justice in this remarkably sustained and stereophonic performance. Is that finale a little prolix? Well, prolix with something to say!
As an encore, the duo played the “Hoedown” from Aaron Copland’s Rodeo. Too bad something Canadian could not have been found. A recording by Luba and Ireneus Zuk offers some useful examples. Oh, well. There were cheers all around. TSM is off to a good start.
[Updated July 7, 2023: A previous version incorrectly spelt Illia Ovcharenko’s name. It has since been corrected.]
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