27th Victoria International Arts Festival

The sheer high quality of this Festival’s events keeps piling up event after event. It continued in the 10th concert under review here in which Italian pianist Igor Cognolato dedicated his entire performance to music by Robert Schumann (1810-56).

The pianist is in effect partly Mitteleuropäisch and thus is able to relate very well with Teuotonic cultural influences. Apart from that, he emerged as a multi-faceted personality, strong and dynamic when things call for it and tender and supple. His wondrous stamina saw him through some of the most difficult pages Schumann ever wrote.

The concert consisted of “just” four works. Two cycles for piano at either end and transcriptions of three of Schumann’s Lieder. Within this limit Igor Cognolato tapped every possible source of emotion, expressiveness and technique.

Kreisleriana (Fantasia) Op.16’s eight movements is a fanciful trip with escalating degrees of passion and ardour which dominate six of them with some respite in the 4th and 6th movements, both marked Lento and with a faint hint of impatience. The ardour could not be staved off for too long. After all, as Maria Frendo says in her excellent programme notes, …”it was all about Schumann’s love for Clara Wieck.” Indeed it was and may I add not only did it generate eight children but also some of the beautiful music ever composed inspired by husbandly love.

The three Lieder transcriptions tap the subject of love clearly enough. The first was Michael Zadora’s of Und wüßten’s die Blumen die kleinen, Op. 48, n.8 from Dichterliebe (Poet’s Love). Here was felt the sad lament of a jilted poet, rather self-pitying blaming his sorrow on the one who broke his heart.

The second transcription was Leopold Godowski’s of Du bist wie eine Blume (You are like a flower), Op. 25, n .24, and here there was so much admirable touching tenderness. The third Lied was transcribed by Clara Wieck (1819-96) herself. This was Widmung (Dedication), an explosion of an intensely ardent declaration of love. It is one of Schumann’s most beautiful and most popular Lied. My top favourite.

The closing work was the massive and monumental Twelve Symphonic Études, Op.13. Schumann has often been rated as low down the scale as symphonist, yet two of his four symphonies, the “Rhenish” and “Spring” are very often performed. These Studies were composed in 1834 and revised in 1852. For the better one assumes. If not why bother?

This was very close to Schumann’s final illness and his commitment to a sanatorium. The treatrnent at the time generally was more harmful. One perforce wonders and muses at what the man could have achieved in the symphonic field. It will never be known. The Études performed with such skill, mastery and insight was eye-opening. I could only remember hearing a live performance of this great work just once, back in 1989. I want to have more of it.

After all that drama, the much-applauded Igor Cognolato conceded an encore. With great sense of humour he referred to the seductive, flowing, golden locks of that Rhine siren, Loreley. She lured sailors and boatmen to their doom. He said this because the encore is a favourite of his. This was a transcription Franz Liszt (1811-86) made for solo piano of his own Lied, Die Loreley.

Albert George Storace

UP