Review: Top-notch piano artistry, times three
By PEG GOLDBERG LONGSTRETH, special to the Daily News
May 24, 2005
Saturday evening's "Masters of the Keyboard" concert at the Bonita Springs Presbyterian Church proved two things: Hundreds of people will pay good money to hear great classical music in Collier County, regardless of the time of year, and people in Collier County are passionate about the worthiness of the Cancer Alliance of Naples.
The two-year old organization has contributed more than $600,000 to help families in Collier and southern Lee counties struggling with financial burdens of this terrible disease. Unlike donations to so many top-heavy national organizations, where only a percentage of donations directly benefit clients, 100 percent of donations to CAN are spent assisting children and adults in need.
Approximately 600 people, many wearing the charity's yellow T-shirts, sat in rapt attention for two-plus hours, listening to the inaugural performance of the Miami International Piano Festival Orchestra, conducted by William Noll, and three recipients of that festival's largesse. Their careers are continuing to rise internationally, thanks in part to the Patrons of Young Artists organization.
If the audience preferred the piano artistry of one of the three featured pianists over another, it was impossible to tell. They each received standing ovations and cheers upon the completion of their programs.
The evening began with the orchestra's performance of the only non-Liszt selection, Rossini's "William Tell Overture." Maestro Noll assembled a new orchestra for the Piano Festival performances, ranging in age from probably their mid-20s to mid-70s. There was not the slightest hint the group had been formed just a few weeks ago.
They were excellent, given the acoustical constraints the large venue placed upon them.
Nestled in the middle of the overture is, of course, the melody line every one over 40 recognizes — the theme from "The Lone Ranger."
The reason for selection of the Rossini soon became crystal clear. Out walked Kemal Gekic (pronounced Geh-kitch), the wavy-haired, pony-tailed pianist from Croatia with the charismatic persona. Artistically awash with confidence, Gekic dominated the keyboard during his performance of Liszt's piano transcription of the same Rossini number.
It was something to behold: Gekic's bravura performance replete with the emotional extremes for which Liszt is famous. Andante to vivace and back again. Pianissimo to fortissimo, hundreds of notes dissolved into the acoustics.
But he didn't rest on his laurels. The Rossini/Liszt completed, he returned to the stage to give a convincing demonstration of his piano mastery of the Bosendorfer concert grand, during a breathtaking performance of Franz Liszt's "Piano Concerto No. 1."
To perform this marvelous concerto, the pianist must be capable of ravishing the keyboard. Gekic did it with apparent ease, his fingers dancing over the keyboard, his every inflection proving he is truly the rarest of the rare.
A brief intermission, during which time the piano was quickly retuned, and the program resumed. Next up was Ilya Itin, the brooding Russian with the aristocratic persona. Once you have seen him, you will never forget him, an air of quiet grace surrounding his every gesture. The winner of the Leeds International Pianoforte Competition in 1996, he has been dazzling audiences worldwide ever since.
He dazzled the audience Saturday evening during a memorable performance of Liszt's "Piano Concerto No. 2." Although there were many nice contributions by individual members and sections of the orchestra, it was difficult to focus on anything except Itin, his wrists and elegant fingers literally a blur during much of the concerto.
It is difficult to describe how quiet Itin appeared, while his hands swooped up and down the keyboard — almost as if the enormous effort and skill required were inconsequential.
The final selection was Liszt's "Hungarian Fantasy." Italian Francesco Libetta, touted as "the greatest Italian pianist of this century," ambled onto the stage, his casual body language totally different than the first two pianists.
An absolute charmer, he appears to be the most extroverted of the three, an attitude that played to his advantage for his performance of the "Hungarian Fantasy." Infinitely more dramatic in his every move, the nearly contemporary jazz portions of the playful "Fantasy" were Libetta's playground.
It was a marvelous evening of great music to benefit a great cause.
