An exceptional Nelson Goerner, a vibrant tribute to Radu Lupu

Nelson Goerner paid homage to Radu Lupu with devilishly ambitious compositions!

What an evening this Saturday, August 13 at the Parc de Florans, of these musical moments, of these sharings, of these ” mysterious barricades“, who make La Roque d’Anthéron International Piano Festivala unique festival.

With the Ballads of Chopin, we are entering into the intimacy of an entirely interior epic, and this corresponds so well to Nelson Goerner, which gives us in the audience, as much as him in front of his piano, a great emotion. He is completely at his pleasure and will prove it to us with generosity at the end of the concert, with 4 incredible encores. We will come back to it.

In Chopin, we have the impression of hearing everything, of being in contact with the music, intimately, closely. Nelson Goerner has a prodigious talent. We love his recitals and each time he reveals a little more about himself and the composers he chooses to present to us. It excels in all registers, and we like it in the expression of pain, too. Perhaps we see some influence from his country, argentina.

The pianist, curious about everything, feeds on literature, poetry, cinema and tango! In short, this intimate, personal, painful sound world, so present on the side of Buenos Aires, it’s all that too Nelson Goerner. It hardly surprises us that we find these inspirations and these moods in his interpretations. This must have seduced the big Martha Argerich, also Argentinian. Enthusiastic, she allowed the young pianist to come to Europe. Spotted and not by anyone! Other “greats” have crossed his path. Also, we are surprised, even if his career is magnificent, that he is not more propelled to the front of the stage. There are mysteries…

These Ballads require great piano technique and remarkable dexterity because some passages are fast and turbulent. During concerts, we like to watch the fingers of the pianists, and these are particularly eloquent! Everything seems to contribute to emit the beautiful sound, from the hand to the shoulders, from the wrists to the whole body. It is as if a magic fluid spreads from the pianist to the piano. We are moreover seduced by the warm sound of the instrument, by the richness of the colors that Nelson Goener delivers to us. It passes brilliantly through calm and melancholy moments to more intense moments where the great lyrical flights of these monumental pages literally take us on board. We think of the Ballad n°2, with its magnificent episodes of gentleness and strength and the pianist transforming into an inexhaustible storyteller. The story continues feverishly in the 3^th, that we particularly like for its unique atmosphere, its poetry. This suits the poet Goerner well. The 4^th impresses with all its twists, but also the eloquence, the energy and the ease with which the pianist presents this last ballad, undoubtedly the richest, a masterpiece in its own right.

After a short break, Nelson Goerner continues with Schumann : Symphonic studies opus 13. It is one of the most grandiose works of the romantic repertoire. A very spiritual approach to the music that Nelson Goerner will play admirably. He has this very personal way of navigating in the score, between transitions and breaks as perilous as they are improbable, requiring an incredible interplay between these variations with such contrasting characters. The pianist always shows the same dexterity, without “unpacking”, without distorting the score. We return to the fingers of the virtuoso, to his touch which lets us hear each note. Each one, as it materializes, guides us through this notebook of moods, from study 1 to study 12 (the finale), the brilliant allegro and its triumphant song. Definitely, this spiritual approach to music suits the elegant Nelson Goerner perfectly.

He is moved when he addresses us for his first encore.

Brahms : Intermezzo Op.118 n°2 in A Major that Radu Lupu often liked to give an encore at the end of a concert. A piece of exquisite softness. We enter into the confidence of a magnificent trio, Brahms, Nelson Goener, Radu Lupu.

The audience cheers and Nelson Goener is happy.

Chopin : 12 Etudes Op. 10 No. 4 in C minor “Torrent”
Schubert : Sonata No. 13 in A Major D664: 2 Andante
and one Liszt whimsical that made us vibrate with the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 in D flat Major S. 244

What party ! Many thanks !

On the program that night
Chopin: Ballad No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23
Chopin: Ballad No. 2 in F major, Op. 38
Chopin: Ballade No. 3 in A flat major, Op. 47
Chopin: Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52
Schumann: Symphonic Studies Op. 13