Evgeny Kissin at Carnegie Hall – Bach, Chopin, Shostakovich

Bach
Partita in C-minor, BWV826

Chopin
Nocturnes – in C-sharp minor, Op.27/1 & A-flat, Op.32/2; Scherzo No.4 in E, Op.54

Shostakovich
Piano Sonata No.2, Op.61
Preludes and Fugues – in D-flat, Op.87/15 & D-minor, Op.87/24

Evgeny Kissin (piano)

Evgeny Kissin, typically committed and commanding, opened with Bach, the introductory Sinfonia highly dramatic, taken at a measured pace, stressing the majestic rhythmic inflections, the remaining movements delivered with only the slightest of pauses between them and a wide dynamic range including a glistening Sarabande and a thrillingly dispatched closing Capriccio.

The Chopin group included an enigmatic and rapturous Nocturne in which Kissin’s restraint was captivating, his evocative rendering brought out all the colors and dissonances with an unerring sense of style. A radiant, warm and deftly balanced A-flat Nocturne was followed by an unusually fleet-fingered traversal of the mercurial Scherzo in E.

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his death, the second half focused on Shostakovich. The introspective B-minor Sonata was composed during the most desolate days of the Second World War. Kissin handled the brutal passagework of the breakneck-paced opening movement with ease. The enigmatic central Largo, a pulsating, doleful bass underpinning a series of unresolved harmonic fragments, segued into the closing Moderato – a mournful theme in the right-hand spawning wide-ranging variations that Kissin imbued with melancholy and remorse and played with jaw-dropping virtuosity. Of the Preludes and Fugues, the sardonic D-flat was a contrast to the anguished mood of the Sonata, and after a prayer-like opening the weightier No.24 gradually unfolded in a magnificent, intricately wrought structure veiled in tragedy.

There were three encores: a tender rendition of the Siciliano from Bach’s E-flat Flute Sonata, and Chopin’s exhilarating Scherzo No.2 and wistful C-sharp minor Waltz.