Ravinia 2019, Issue 3, Week 6

“Anyviolinist and pianist would lookat the Beethoven sonatasand say, ‘The onlywayto presentthese is thatthe two musiciansare equals.’ ” —Jon Kimura Parker When Marta Aznavoorian (below) performed with violinist Yossif Ivanov (left) on Ravinia’s BGH Classics series in 2016, the duo first met and rehearsed together backstage at Bennett Gordon Hall the day before the concert. fireworks to a car chase or a fight scene in a movie. He points out that even Beethoven, whom he described as one of the purest art composers, included showy moments in his concer- tos—much more so than in any of his keyboard sonatas. At the same time, pianists and conductors have to work out the right balances in volume for a concerto, sometimes stationing an assistant conductor in the hall to make sure the sound levels are right. But even with such planning, soloists still might have to play louder than in solo recitals to make themselves heard above, say, a thundering brass section in a Rachmaninoff concerto. “It’s a matter of working together,” Thibaudet says. “I probably will push a little bit more in some big concertos than if I were alone. But somehow, I don’t like the idea of doing that. Maybe a little bit is fine but it shouldn’t be much more than that.” The exact opposite happens in the case of chamber music, especially in a duo recital where the piano can easily drown out a counterpart violin or singer, so the pianist has to make constant adjustments in volume. “You have a nine-foot piano,” Thibaudet says, “and you open the lid and then you have a violinist or cellist with their four strings and even with the greatest instrument and the greatest bow, if you play fortissimo , they just won’t be heard. You have to be a little careful.” Unlike other instrumentalists who al- most always require a piano partner for their recitals, pianists spend a good deal of time alone onstage. Concertos and chamber music give them a welcome opportunity to work with other people. “This is our chance to open our ears and have musical discussions,” Thibaudet says. “You put two, three people togeth- er, and they all have their ideas, but we can discuss it, and it’s wonderful. Very rarely in my life have I had conflicts.” Working with other musicians on a concerto or trio would seemingly require some kind of compromise, but none of the four pianists are comfort- able with this notion. Thibaudet says the word seems too negative, as though the performer has to give up something. He views such music-making as a collabo- ration in which he exchanges ideas with other artists and everyone learns from each other. Trifonov agrees, saying such opportunities are about finding common ground. “If there are so many compromises,” Trifonov says, “then it might not be the best match. In an ideal situation, things go in an organic way, and there is a very mutual understanding between the performers, both in chamber music and concer- tos. Not every collaboration can be optimal, but when good chemistry happens, it’s always great.” All of the pianists praised the benefits of longtime col- laborations, something they have enjoyed with most of their performance partners this year at Ravinia. Trifonov began per- forming with Goerne in 2015 at the Edinburgh Festival, and the two have performed together regularly since and recorded a yet-to-be-released album. Northbrook-based Aznavoorian has worked 13 years with the Lincoln Trio, which appeared June 15, and the threesome has developed a musical voice and style all its own. But at the same time, all four keyboardists praise the expressive possibilities that can come with fresh encounters. Just a month before that date with the trio in Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall, she took the same stage with theremin player Thorwald Jørgensen in his debut at the festival. “Without a performance history with someone,” Aznavoo- rian says, “there is no line drawn in the sand. There are no pre-conceived notions about where our instincts and perfor- mance courage can take us. Some of my most surprising and rewarding experiences have been live onstage performing with musicians I have known for less than 30 hours.” Kyle MacMillan served as classical music critic for the Denver Post from 2000 through 2011. He currently freelances in Chicago, writing for such publications and websites as the Chicago Sun-Times , Wall Street Journal , Opera News , and Classical Voice of North America . RUSSEL JENKINS/RAVINIA (AZNAVOORIAN & IVANOV) 18 RAVINIA MAGAZINE | JULY 1 – JULY 14, 2019