Bridget Yee at Steinway Hall
Effervescence of youth with a heart of gold
Elena Vorotko co Artistic Director of the KT writes : ‘Bridget Yee, effervescence of youth with a heart of gold. From the first bright runs of the Bach Partita, through the mind-bending complexity of Gubaidulina’s Chaconne to the last luscious chords of the Rachmaninov Sonata, Bridget’s sweet nature, enthusiasm and passion for music shone through. All the pieces were her favourite and it showed – there was complete command of the material and the pleasure she took in shaping her musical sentences and voicing her textures brought delight to the audience too. The Bach has a balance of flexibility and pulse and an enviable crispness and lightness of finger work. Some of the lyrical movements spoke with moving fragility and genuine charm. The final Gigue was full of fireworks which was just a glimpse of treats to come! The following Chaconne by Gubaidulina was written in 1962 for Marina Mdiwani, winner of the first Tchaikovsky Competition and a student of Emil Gilles. The composer said that she tailored the piece to the pianist whom was of lively temperament and could play amazing chords. The construction of the piece is very clever, as was expressed by Bridget in the discussion after the concert, the 23 note row is manipulated in many different ways, often made evident to a lay listener, while constructing a tremendous architecture of a marriage between a Chaconne and a Passacaglia. The Bridget’s grasp of the musical ideas was astonishing as she took us through the narrative in one breath. But her true heart revealed itself in the first notes of the Rachmaninov Sonata, of which she is hoping to make her own version one day. The golden warmth of sound and the organic moulding of her phrasing took us to another realm. Tremendously virtuosic, her technique, always serving the music, created breathtaking moments of genuine beauty and power. This young lady, so full of enthusiasm for life, art, mountains and music has a lot of joy to give this world. We look forward to witnessing her flourish.
