On the Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Calderwood Corridor this previous Sunday, an expectant viewers directed all eyes and ears to the audacious summit of 1 man. Christopher Taylor’s last triumphs on this fourth and last installment of Taylor’s self-proclaimed “crazed odyssey” by way of all 9 of Beethoven’s Symphonies transcribed for solo piano by Liszt comprised Beethoven’s comedic Eighth and gargantuan Ninth.
Calderwood Corridor positioned Taylor at the point of interest of a panopticon. He sat within the heart of the cubical venue with spectators surrounding him at equidistant lengths. Mixed with the unadorned class of the setting, affirmed by glossy, trendy structure and furnishings, the house created an assumption of modest excellence. No have to decoration the already virtuosic music. This match Taylor’s intentions, as programming all of Beethoven’s Symphonies for a soloist presupposes the pianist’s talents. The corridor moreover put Taylor on the identical hardwood flooring because the seating, with no obstacles partitioning the 2, thereby equalizing performer and viewers. By design of the unostentatious efficiency house and his demanding program, Taylor entered the efficiency with an accumulation of psychological and bodily stress. These stressors left Taylor unphased, nonetheless, as he delivered a shocking efficiency.
Opening the live performance with the Eighth, Taylor performed the roles of conductor, orchestra, pianist, and adulating listener. Having memorized all the rating, no barrier existed between Taylor and the music, and as such he acted as a conduit. All through, his facial features vacillated between feelings on the whims of the music. A heat grin of unbridled affection would possibly shortly give method to pointed eyebrows and scrunched lips amidst furiosity, earlier than being calmed by a mischievous, wry smile. His emotive face might function a information, however the expertise proved greatest amidst closed eyes. No different methodology on the a part of the listener might have allowed for the suspension of disbelief crucial to listen to an orchestrated symphony on a single piano. When the listener moved past this impossibility, clearly Taylor’s visually manifested ardour carried over into his taking part in. Timbrally, in fact, the piano can’t replicate the orchestra no matter what the performer could attempt. However regardless of this limitation, Taylor’s reverent devotion to understanding Beethoven’s Symphonies sparked the creativeness to listen to the devices of the orchestra. All elements could have been sonically equalized by the piano, however in Taylor’s taking part in the textural distinction between the strings and winds may very well be discerned. That no half misplaced readability or independence mirrored each Taylor’s dedication to realizing the work’s intention and his talents as an adept pianist. At instances, nonetheless, the realities of the piano got here to the forefront. Throughout a bit of vigorously repeated main chords in the direction of the top of Symphony No. 8, Taylor’s use of the tender pedal, whereas permitting for aural readability amidst the absolutely orchestrated triad, undermined the dramatic impact. However the maintain pedal would have drastically misplaced readability and turned the independence of the orchestra that Taylor so rigorously crafted right into a homogeneous piano soup. Taylor understandably selected readability over drama, however it created a uncommon second of misplaced symphonic believability.
The sheer athleticism required by these items made an equally putting impression. Taking part in a symphony as one man means the physique solely bodily rests when the work is completed. As Taylor progressed by way of the Eighth, sweat collected on his head and culminated in a finale the place jets of water shot from him at every successive Beethovenian pounding of a chord. All through, although, his face betrayed no indicators of his bodily fatigue, as an alternative sustaining the fluctuating, engrossed feelings of the beginning. Whereas his physique displayed its failings, it made no affect on Taylor’s taking part in or his personal emotional engagement. He had transcended the restrictions of the physique in service of artwork.
Taylor additionally often grunted and stomped. Although distracting, this exuberance clearly confirmed his complete bodily and religious dedication. He performed the strings as a grasp puppeteer. A sense of voyeurism emerged amongst us onlookers as Taylor seemingly existed in a parallel universe. Solely after we ignored our eyes and trusted our ears might we be a part of him there.
After a short intermission, the Ninth closed the live performance in addition to Taylor’s herculean cycle. After Taylor had performed the primary eight symphonies in solitude, it felt applicable for soprano Lara Secord-Haid, mezzo-soprano Britt Brown, tenors Alex McKissick and Lawrence Jones, and bass-baritone Davóne Tines to affix Taylor at conclusion of this journey to sing the ode “To Pleasure.” The 5 stood in a circle, making certain that everybody within the viewers would see some faces and a few backsides.
Following such an intensive deal with one man and one piano, the inclusion of 5 extra folks proved barely jarring. Simply because the viewers needed to alter to the sudden textural change, so too did the performers. At first the stability between the singers and pianist didn’t converge. At excessive vitality, the piano’s fury swallowed the singer’s meant energy, and at low piano vitality the singer coated the piano’s orchestral synthesis. Alex McKissick’s darkly wealthy tenor initially struggled to mesh in all of its gravitas, however these balancing points solely lasted briefly, and the vocalists quickly drastically heightened the conclusion of the Ninth. Whereas McKissick and soprano Lara Secord-Haid stood out of their impassioned power, the group functioned greatest amidst deindividualized unity. Nothing replaces the efficiency of human voices, making their inclusion smart and elementary to inducing the catharsis introduced by Beethoven’s last symphony. Even Liszt, recognizing essentialness of the choral part, included the choice for vocal elements in his transcription as an alternative choice to a lonely piano.
Whereas such a personalised and uncovered presentation of such iconic works invitations choosy criticisms, we commend Christopher Taylor on his an not often tried accomplishment.
