Musical Opinion, May/June 2007 The American pianist David Korevaar presented a fascinating recital at the Wigmore Hall on 4 April, at times calling on the Ricardo Viñes Piano Music Collection of over 800 scores at the University of Colorado, where he holds a Professorship. Thus, he began with Six Préludes by Jean Roger-Ducasse, which at once declared his excellent technical and musical gifts. This was playing of a high standard, reminiscent of the art of Robert Casadesus and Samson François. These wholly impressionistic pieces made a strong impact, a good introduction to Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales, which were equally well projected. The first half ended with Louis Albert's Sillages, a Suite in three movements. This well-written score did not create so strong an impression as the works that preceded it, although it was also excellently played. The second half began with Lowell Liebermann's fine 2002 Third Sonata, admirably performed from memory, a work of no little quality. This was followed by Liszt's Three Petrarch Sonnets and First Mephisto Waltz, in which Korevaar's sensitivity, rhythmic command and precision were outstanding. - Robert Matthew-Walker, Musical Opinion With Juilliard plus tuition from Earl Wild and Abbey Simon behind him, David Korevaar on 4 April fielded a heady mixture of extremely familiar and arrestingly obscure piano items. Thus Liszt and Ravel alternated with Jean Roger-Ducasse and Louis Aubert, the latter contemporaries of Ravel. Roger-Ducasse's Six Preludes were pleasant and most sensitively played by Korevaar, yet could only sound, 100 years after publication, like exercises in a sub-Ravelian manner. Though more energetic, almost virtuosic, the same was true of Aubert's Sillages Opus 27, the title meaning "furrows" and signifying the wakes formed as a boat moves through the sea. These again were beautifully executed, yet the moment Korevaar turned to Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales, dedicated to Aubert, a gulf was readily apparent. In these eight movements dwelt a lyricism sharply focussed, crammed with new ideas on melodic, rhythmic and harmonic levels and to which Korevaar evinced real temperamental affinity. After the interval came music by the American Lowell Liebermann, better known for his orchestral works and his operas Dorian Grey and Miss Lonelyhearts. Once again the recitalist displayed an affinity with the composer, as witness the two CDs on the Koch label he has made of Liebermann's keyboard music. In the Third Sonata Korevaar showed a quite different pianistic face while still sounding immaculate and this 2002 score was not excessively long nor painfully dissonant. Liszt's three Sonetti del Petrarca might be taken as an earlier version of the lyricism so evident in Ravel and Korevaar gave performances very moving even to those of us who have heard them countless times from other pianists. He went on first to a triumphant reading of Liszt's First Mephisto Waltz, this being capped, for an encore, by his vivid characterisation of Ravel's Alborada del Gracioso. - Max Harrison, Musical Opinion
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