Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall Review by Rorianne Schrade
Marcel Rominger, in his Artists International debut, showed that he is pianist of considerable intelligence and accomplishment; what sets him apart further from many other pianists is his penchant for varied and imaginative programming. In a program that combined Soler, Beethoven, Rzewski, Villa-Lobos, and Liszt, he appeared comfortable with each style. Winner of several competitions, he is currently teaching, while studying for his DMA with Hugo Goldenzweig.
Opening with the Sonata No. 65 in A Minor by Padre Antonio Soler, he offered a welcome glimpse into Soler’s lesser-known later style. If one tends to lump Soler’s Sonatas together with Scarlatti’s, this piece is the cure (its three involved movements, lasting around fifteen minutes); Rominger navigated its challenges with poise and elegance. It is tempting to treat what might be called the harmonic non-sequiturs in Soler with exaggeration, but Rominger’s undemonstrative approach was dignified and persuasive.
Beethoven’s Sonata, Op. 57 (“Appassionata”), followed and was given a thoughtful and well-prepared reading, if not quite the bristling bravura to which one is accustomed. Occasionally one wanted a deeper sound. Again, Mr. Rominger struck this listener as a player who values control and restraint over heaven-storming virtuosity. This quality was particularly appreciated in the next work, the “Winnsboro cotton mill blues” from Rzewski’s Four American Ballads. Without violating the mechanical inspiration behind the work, the pianist managed to project big resonant blocks of sound that still had tonal complexity and interest. Contrasted with ear-splitting live performances this listener has heard, Mr. Rominger’s fared the best. The middle “blues” part was especially winning.
A Prole Do Bebê, Suite No. 1 of Villa-Lobos opened the second half (with movements rearranged effectively). It was played with refreshing liberty, so one hopes the pianist will keep it in his repertoire; it will only gain more color and vibrancy with time. The “Dante” Sonata from Liszt’s Années de Pèlerinage was a solid close to a promising debut. The same composer’s Waldesrauschen provided an encore.