Sasha Grynyuk Italian Tour – Milan & Florence
There was an imperious opening to the Fantasia but combined with great tenderness .The startling contrasts were played with disarming simplicity but always with a menacing twist in the tail as this great drama was played out in an absolutely operatic way. In Sasha’s poetic hands one could envisage the drama unfolding as there was an overall sound even where Mozart writes ‘forte’ and then sudden ‘piano’ and the added gasps of ‘fp’ . Sounds that were always in the context of actors on stage conversing with one another in an age of civilised mutual anticipation. The Allegro burst onto the scene with dynamic drive with Sasha always keeping the sound under control where the contrasts and rhythmic drive were of more importance than the mere beauty of the voice . Playing of impeccable style and authoritative musicianship it was the ‘Più Allegro’ that truly ignited the piano with sumptuous rich orchestral sounds of dynamic drive and clarity. The ‘recitativi’ were pure opera as the voices conversed , punctuated only by the comments from the ‘tutti’. The return of the opening was like re visiting a distant landscape, which after a brief reminder took flight as Mozart paved the way so dramatically to the Sonata that it precedes.
The two Brahms Rhapsodies were played with nobility and ravishing beauty. Grandiose sounds but also extreme delicacy with wild outbursts short lived as radiance and beauty were allowed to reign. A masterly use of the pedals allowed Sasha to find orchestral sounds of dynamic drive and urgency but always with a glorious outpouring of golden sounds on this sumptuous concert grand .A piano so generously offered to artists such as Sasha by the dynamic new manager, Maura Romano, of this beautiful new flagship showroom for Steinways just a stone’s throw from that other Mecca that is La Scala Opera House.
