#you probably noticed but sometimes in radio recs they broadcast those short interviews made shortly after the participant finishes playing

[if-it-isnt-cello]

October 8th

Morning session (Stage I)

Arisa Onoda (Japan) finished Juillard, now studies with Dang Thai Son

Bach [Pleyel, 1842] Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major (DWK I)

Mozart [Pleyel, 1842] Rondo in A minor [they say she made a huge memory mistake, but was able to recover nicely]

Chopin [Graf, 1835] Polonaise in G sharp minor (WN 4): very polonaise-y, but also... dreamy? lyrical. maybe that's the word. but also strong (how can you achieve both things???)

Maria Szymanowska [Graf, 1835] Polonaise in F minor

Chopin [Pleyel, 1842] Barcarolle in F sharp major: it's a too long piece for me to know it well, but everything flowed and drew me along

Recomendation: Chopin's Polonaise

Madoka Okada (Japan, France) (can I just say: bold clothing decision?! chose a blouse with some white pannels/kinda window frames with things pattern) plays piano and violin, like Arisa Onoda

Bach [Pleyel, 1842] Prelude and Fugue in D minor (DWK II): I feel like I missed the fugue?... idk

Mozart [Pleyel, 1842] Fantasia in D minor: having in mind what was said about this piece yesterday, it definitely felt like a fantasia [radio speaker: this piano is a bit too late for a Mozart piece, kinda confused why this choice]

Chopin [Pleyel, 1830 (copy from 2017)] Barcarolle in F sharp major: (very nice)

Chopin [Graf, 1835] Polonaise in B flat minor (WN 10) [radio speaker: the trio part is opera-based, I didn't know that]

Michał Kleofas Ogiński [Graf, 1835] Polonaise in A minor ‘Farewell to the Homeland’: a bit too fast? but nevertheless, sounded good even in that tempo

Rec:

Piotr Pawlak (Poland)

Chopin [Pleyel, 1842] Barcarolle in F sharp major

Mozart [Buchholtz, 1825 (copy from 2017)] Fantasia in D minor

Chopin [Pleyel, 1830 (copy from 2023)] Polonaise in B flat major (WN 17)

Bach [Buchholtz, 1825 (copy from 2017)] Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor (DWK I)

Michał Kleofas Ogiński [Pleyel, 1830 (copy from 2023)] Polonaise in A minor ‘Farewell to the Homeland’

Rec: Chopin's Barcarolle and Ogiński's Polonaise

Intermission with PR 2: this morning was a triple-Barcarolle, each one different and placed in a different position

Arisa Onoda (in 2015 and 2021 took part of Chopin competitions). Great musical sensitivity. Unfortunately, made a huge mistake in Mozart's Rondo, but was able to recover towards the end; her Barcarolle was really good, made an impression on radio speakers. During the short interview after her recital, Onoda called this piece an "unfulfilled dream of going to Venice".

Madoka Okada studied in Paris, is now studying period playing. A bit controversial choice of the instruments (Mozart on Pleyel---maybe for easy playing, maybe a French tradition, maybe to get closer to how Bach and Mozart were played in Chopin's times?). An interesting choice to put Barcarolle in the middle of her recital [also Okada said that for this piece she chose a piano that lacks one note that is needed for this piece?! hey say though it also resonates bass notes nicely which can help in Barcarolle---also she used the dolce sfumato pedal that made the piece stand out].

Piotr Pawlak winner of 2017 Darmstadt Chopin competition, a bit of mathematician. A bold choice to begin with the Barcarolle---a real challenge. Bach was intriguing; played on a Viennese piano, una corda used in fugue, one of the most interesting during this competition.

Takahiko Sakamaki (Japan) MA thesis (Köln) on the methods of tuning of period pianos. [radio speaker: sat on a typical orchestral chair, seemed very relaxed]

Chopin [Buchholtz, 1825 (copy from 2017)] Polonaise in D minor (WN 11): lovely

Mozart [Graf, 1835] Fantasia in D minor [a short improvisation and modulation to go into Kurpiński's polonaise]

Karol Kurpiński [Graf, 1835] Polonaise in G minor

Bach [Broadwood, 1846] Prelude and Fugue in G minor (DWK II): very lively fugue, with this constant motoric motion

Chopin [Broadwood, 1846] Ballade in F minor: he got me at subito piano near the end. but then his chords, one after another, seemed too fast. a nice, if maybe a bit strong, ending. [seems there was some memory mistake?]

Rec: Bach and improv

Kamila Sacharzewska (Poland) studies with Janusz Olejniczak in Warsaw (lovely classic dress)

Bach [Buchholtz 1825 (copy from 2017)] Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor (DWK II): loved the prelude. very motoric fugue.

Mozart [Buchholtz 1825 (copy from 2017)] Fantasia in D minor

Chopin [Pleyel 1830 (copy from 2023)] Polonaise in A flat major (WN 3): full of grace

Michał Kleofas Ogiński [Buchholtz 1825 (copy from 2017)] Polonaise in A minor ‘Farewell to the Homeland’: nice, very decisive. she had quite a bit of mistakes with grace notes, maybe because of the change of instrument (I had listened to a reminder that al these pianos have different key width last night)

Chopin [Pleyel, 1842] Ballade in G minor: aaah, ballade in g <3 quite a bit of mystery, but also playfullness where it was needed (those semiquavers)

Rec: polonaises (and ballade, honestly)

Viacheslav Shelepov (Russia) studies in Hannover with Zvi Meniker

Chopin [Pleyel, 1842] Polonaise in F minor (WN 12)

Bach [Buchholtz 1825 (copy from 2017)] Prelude and Fugue in E minor (DWK I)

Mozart [Buhcholtz 1825 (copy from 2017)] Fantasia in D minor

Karol Kurpiński [Buchholtz 1825 (copy from 2017)] Polonaise in D minor

Chopin [Pleyel, 1842] Ballade in G minor ["you can't unhear it"?! wow]

Rec:

PR2 recs: Bach on late pianos sounds very good, which you can't say about Mozart on same pianos... Imagination and individuality as the main characteristics of the winners, but together with some order, with thought

Piotr Pawlak about Buchholtz: in Bach, every voice sounds different, which is great for him. He chose the piano (Pleyel) by playing first bars from the Barcarolle. Radio speakers: he was able to find the affect in that piece, which is difficult (also, he began his recital with it!) Spontaneous improvs/ornaments in Ogiński's Polonaise that sounded very natural and beautiful (in Darmstadt, he got a prize for improvisation). Nice Fantasy, contrasting recitativs (going back to CPE Bach). Treated Buchholtz, a Viennese-type piano, as an "emanation of a harpsichord".

Takahiko Sakamaki: Bach played on Broadwood, which also worked. Intriguing, all played on una corda, which made it sound completely different. This Broadwood is identical to the one used by Chopin in England. Great Ballade, fascinating. Chopin's Polonaise: a bit too nonchalant; Mozart a bit like in "Amadeus" (but with a style). Sakamaki about Broadwood: very romantic. He chose a standard chair bc the piano one was too high while he wanted to sit really low, alnd he prefers to have a backrest as it helps him relax and concentrate.

Kamila Sacharzewska: sure, calm and composed. Bach, which was difficult, played very surely. Chopin's Polonaise very nice, non banal, with good articulation. Ogiński: finally a polonaise played like a polonaise, like a dance, a bit melancholic. Used the una corda pedal wisely. Ballade: one of the most interesting, unfortunately the sound was a bit too forced, too much for the Pleyel.

Viacheslav Shelepov: a bit tiring recital, lots of mannerism, emphasy in the phrasing, too much of agogic changes. A bit histeric ballade O.o nice prelude. Probably will not get into stage two.