Read Tim Smith's Review of Richard Goode's Recital
Mar 20, 2012
From The Baltimore Sun’s Tim Smith:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/classicalmusic/2012/03/satisfying_sonic_sunday_bso_wi.html
Satisfying sonic Sunday: BSO with Belohlavek, Richard Goode at Shriver Hall
On Sunday afternoon, I took in a couple of highly satisfying performances.
“After the BSO, it was time for the Shriver Hall Concert Series and a typically eloquent recital by Richard Goode.
The pianist, who hummed along at times (well, I hope that's where the humming emanated from), began with two dramatic Mozart items -- the C minor Fantasie and C minor Sonata, which were linked together to make an even richer statement.
Although Goode had the music in front of him, he sounded thoroughly at home. The playing had a strong dynamic edge that pointed up how much Mozart was pushing the keyboard of his day, paving the way for Beethoven to push it further.
This, naturally, helped connect the Mozart pieces to the next work, Beethoven's Sonata No. 18, which Goode (now from memory) played the heck out of. The dashing Scherzo and witty finale were dispatched with particular brilliance.
Chopin was the focus after intermission. Where some pianists tend to bring out the softer side of the composer's music and others the muscular, Goode managed to honor both. Although he rushed through some waltzes, he still managed to produce lovely touches. Most impressive was his handling of the C-sharp minor Scherzo, marked by understated virtuosity and poetic richness.
I loved, too, Goode's encores -- Chopin's C major Mazurka (Op. 24, No. 2), with its piquant twists and turns; and Schumann's "Traumerei," phrased with effortless grace.”
