Yakov Kasman, Pianist

YAKOV KASMAN

Reviews of Tchaikovsky Recording
The Seasons op.37-bis and
Grand Sonata in G-Major op.37

10/10 by classicstodayfrance.com
"Kasman remains an outsize personality and a superlative pianist. Calliope's sound is fully equal to his immense range and dynamism."– Gramophone

The Birmingham News
Sunday, December 11, 2005
By MICHAEL HUEBNER
News staff writer

TCHAIKOVSKY
Yakov Kasman, pianist
Calliope
* * * * *

   As much rippling power as you might expect from pianist and UAB artist-in-residence Yakov Kasman, much of his latest album, titled simply “Tchaikovsky”, is firmly focused on the lyricism of the 19th-century composer. The two works on the album are polar opposites in temperament, and Kasman digs to the core of each.
   “The Seasons” – 12 reflective character pieces inspired by the months of the year – conjure imagery in the musical guises of Schumann, Mendelssohn and Chopin. Kasman delivers the songful tunes and arpeggios in “Au coin du feu” (January) with a heart of a poet and weaves the delicate tapestry of imitative lines in “Chant de l’alouette” (March) with a golden touch.
    The surprisingly somber “Les nuits de mai” (May) contrasts with the nocturnal remembrances of “Barcarolle” (June) and short, festive “Chant des moissonneurs” (July). The pianist is at his most melancholy in “Chant d’automne” (October) and most joyful in the lilting waltz of “Noel” (December).
   Kasman’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Grand Sonata in G major combines immaculate technique, muscular strength and lyrical restraint. To be sure, it’s an ostentatious piece – somber, inward and loud – but this reading is driven by the pianist’s fiery spirit and not by showy display. He leaves no melody, inner voice or contrapuntal line unheard, allowing each line to unfold to its fullest. The sonata’s thick, driving chords build relentlessly to a heroic conclusion in the opening movement, and the Scherzo and finale scurry along at a torrid pace.
   Recorded at Studio Saint Vavrinec in Prague a year ago, this is Kasman’s 15th album, most for the French label, Calliope. It was released in Europe in August, and will be available on Amazon.com on Tuesday.

Classica / Repertoire 11 / 2005

   Yakov Kasman, continues his exploration of the Russian repertoire, offering to this day one of the most impressive soloist courses since his illustrious predecessors, Richter, Gilels, Cherkassky, Ginsburg, Pletnev, Ashkenazy, and Postnikova. First of all, the program is one of the most instructive: between the earth (The Seasons) and the fire of the Grand Sonata. With these two pieces, the most radically opposed of Tchaikovsky's compositions, Kasman demonstrates the evolution of his playing. His complete set of Prokofiev's Sonatas have made us discover the power of his touch, instinctive, and making one body with the instrument.
   More than ten years have passed, and the maturity acquired by the artist apart from the slavic repertoire have been beneficial. Listening to The Seasons, we hear a part of the Schumanian soul combined with the Slavic soul by a clear and detached song. This Tchaikovsky , composed with every page for the journal "Le Nouvelliste" and gave up all unity. Each one of the twelve pieces is a story, the exquisity of a small interior world. Not a phrase simpers, while all of them seem improvised. Robert Schumann's Carnaval sings without the plagiarism. Kasman pushes the paradox to carry out these pages to the frontiers of the concerto (La Chasse) showing proof of lightness, a bit of humor, and of dreaming (Noel).
   La Grande Sonate hardly interests the pianists who judge it austere, of opulent lyricism, and empty (la marche introductive). It is indeed not only necessary to have temperament, but great patience to organize the flow of this page of more than half an hour. From the first chords, Kasman shows the variety movement, the infinite possibilities of his development. He has reason to apply the spirit of variation to this page. Schumann, but the orchestral colors of Eugene Onegin show equally and naturally. This level of roughness and refinement mixed, only Richter, Ginsburg, and today Kasman remain in contention.
   We hope that such a disc would revive the passion of interpreters for a pianistic work, certainly hard to defend, but unjustly unrecognized.