Of course, in order to form a complete judgment, one has to
hear all the preliminary rounds of which I was only able to hear extracts from
the recital rounds of the six finalists. Amongst his recital round pieces Colli
gave a performance of Scriabin’s Tenth Sonata that brought out the strange
rhythms but, perhaps because I did not hear this in the hall, it seemed that
much of the colour did not emerge. Certainly this was a very individual view of
the sonata.
Federico Colli’s
debut recording for Champs Hill Records www.champshillrecords.co.uk also
features Scriabin’s Tenth Sonata along with Beethoven’s ‘Appassionata’ Sonata
and Mussorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition.
 |
| CHRCD079 |
Colli brings a light, thoughtful touch to the opening of the
Allegro assai of Beethoven’s Sonata in F minor, Op.57 ‘Appassionata’ contrasting
the drama that follows exceptionally well. This is a finely paced performance,
with Colli, nevertheless, showing a sudden fire in his playing when the music
demands it. He certainly holds the attention with playing of great contrasts
and, indeed, of great power. There are moments of beautiful restraint and
tension with some lovely delicate playing, Colli showing his fine touch.
He keeps the tension for the Andante con moto, slowly and subtly moving through each variation, following
every mood.
The Allegro ma non
troppo – Presto is finely controlled, full of stormy passion and with a
lovely rubato. In the brief quiet, middle section this pianist takes the
opportunity to provide much poetry before leading back to the stormy nature of
this music. Again there is playing of much power in such well thought out,
controlled playing. Yet Colli doesn’t hold back as he heads for the coda where
there is a terrific display of virtuosity as he hurtles to the end.
After hearing his Leeds performance, I particularly wanted
to hear what Federico Colli would make of
Scriabin’s Sonata No.10, Op.70. He brings the same fine sense of control that
he shows in his Beethoven to this, one of Scriabin’s most advanced creations,
holding the structure together well and responding to Scriabin’s sudden
impulses with flair and understanding. He displays an often silken touch and, as
the sonata progresses, he again shows how to give an underlying tension. Colli
often brings a feeling of instability to the music and, as he builds to the
passionate climax, he reveals how advanced some of Scriabin’s ideas were.
This is a very fine performance that, again, gives a very
individual view of this work. Champs Hill’s fine recording allows us to hear
all of Colli’s superb colouring.
Mussorgsky’s much
recorded Pictures at an Exhibition is
a work that gives pianists a
surprisingly large number of opportunities to bring a distinctive touch.
The opening Promenade
in Colli’s hands is clear and direct, leading beautifully into The Gnome, with phrasing and rhythm that
accentuate Mussorgsky’s phrases. Again Colli seems to highlight the radical
elements of Mussorgsky’s creation. After a gentler, more thoughtful return of
the Promenade theme Colli gives a
rather pensive opening to The Old Castle
bringing a withdrawn quality and a haunting atmosphere. The short return of the
Promenade, faster and bolder, is
followed by a light and playful The
Tuileries before The Ox Cart
where Colli’s direct approach in the bold, rhythmic chords certainly brings
some impressive sounds, if a little lacking in depth.
A delicate, withdrawn Promenade
theme leads to the Ballet of the
Unhatched Chicks which here is full of life with delicate, vibrant playing,
extremely well done. There is a crisp rhythmic opening to Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle before the melancholic theme that
follows, with nicely controlled dynamics and fine phrasing, bringing out much
of the emotional edge to this music. After the final return of the Promenade theme Colli brings out the
atmosphere of a chattering, busy market in The
Marketplace at Limoges in this brilliantly played section.
With The Catacombs
(Sepulchrum romanum) Colli’s phrasing adds much to the depth that he brings
to this music, a feeling of weight and desolation whereas in Con mortuis in lingua
mortua he provides a detached calm. When The Hut on Fowl’s Legs (Baba Yaga) arrives, the old witch has all
the terror you could want with playing of great bravura as well as quiet control
in the central section. The Great Gate of
Kiev brings some lovely rich chords, fine bell like passages as well as a
lovely melancholy middle section with beautifully limpid playing. As the main
theme returns, Colli provides some massive chords, very Russian in character.
Federico Colli brings many fine, individual touches to Mussorgsky’s
much loved work.
With a very fine recording from the Music Room, Champs Hill,
West Sussex, England and informative booklet notes this is a notable debut for
this fine pianist.
For reviews of the 2012 Leeds International Piano
Competition click on the following links:
Finalists recitals:
http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/leeds-international-piano-competition.html
The finals Part 1:
http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/leeds-international-piano-competition_15.html
The Finals Part 2:
http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/leeds-international-piano-competition_7394.html
The Winner: http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.com/2012/09/leeds-international-piano-competition_6909.html
Some afterthoughts:
http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/leeds-international-piano-competition_16.html
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