Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /usr/www/users/paulikar/wp-content/themes/retlehs-roots-cdc3267/functions.php on line 106
Pauli Kari, who most certainly belongs to the ranks of the Finnish piano elite, entirely took his audience by storm at Creative Arts Finland Hall on the 17 of Dec. 2008. Kari managed to create an atmosphere that made his listeners completely forget about the Nordic darkness lurking outside in the cold.
Before the concert, Pauli Kari was telling about this specific concert being a part and a rehearsal of a series of a performances in Australia, USA and Canada in the spring 2009. Even though the night’s concert actually was a rehearsal, the program was truly exclusive.
Kari approached his Yamaha grand piano as a humble but decisive man. He showed that he was capable of mastering tunes with strong tempo as well as sensitive pianissimos. The use of the pedals was determined but without showing off.
Kari started off by playing “Islamey”, the Russian composer Mili Balakirev’s most popular work for piano. In his music, Balakirev combines phenomena from Slavic folk music together with composing techniques of the era. This makes many of his works extremely hard to interpret. Perhaps Kari was a little bit nervous right in the beginning, considering the fumbling at start, but after awhile he summoned a show that would’ve made the composer himself take a bow for Kari – although he was known for being extremely pedantic during his years as a teacher. Maybe due to his own pedantic trade, Pauli Kari didn’t seem to be completely happy with some of his phrases in his performance. Be that as it may, these minimal technical flaws in his phrases did not bother the audience at hand.
The second piece for Pauli Kari was Peter Lönnqvist’s transcription of the Violin Sonata Nr. 3 “Ballade”, by the Belgian composer Eugene Ysaÿe. Playing this particular piece was the continual of the theme of the night; playing pieces with an extremely hard structure. The Fortes found their places and the nervousness surrounding Kari playing Islamey in the beginning of the evening was nowhere to be found. The music was delightfully various and strong, however still tender. The audience burst into “bravo” –ovations, which in turn was a great reward for the exquisite interpret. Pauli Kari’s windedness was noticeable and truly a sign of his dedication.
The Grande Etude Nr. 3 Pour Les Mains Reunies by the French composer Charles-Valentin Alkan was the proof of Pauli Kari’s versatility and his ability to focus to the fullest. In a way Alkan’s work culminated the unity of the composer of the piece and the performer of the evening. Alkan got accepted to Paris Conservatorium when he was six years old. Pauli Kari was only few years older when entered Sibelius Academy. Once upon a time Franz Liszt said that Alkan was technically the best pianist he’d ever seen. Pauli Kari’s skills and talent aren’t too far off for someone soon to make a similar kind of statement.
The concert lasted for an hour. In conclusion Kari performed two of his own compositions. The first one, Ramirez Rodriquez Rodriquez, was played in a relaxed and creative way without emphasizing his personal part a creator of the piece too much. The last piece for the night, called Movie Theme, was according to Pauli Kari himself, a “Robert Redford” type of music, and it most certainly was it. While listening to the music and closing one’s eyes, one could easily imagine this piece being a perfect addition to a delightful movie experience. Kari’s sound and rhythm contributed to this enjoyable concert experience by giving it a perfect possible bouquet.
Pauli Kari is generally considered to be a strong-sounding and temperamental pianist, but on this Wednesday night he revealed himself as a particularly lyrical and tender interpreter. His peaceful and concentrated way of playing piano made this performance not only an aurally pleasant but also as a visual experience.
I have had the opportunity to enjoy Kari’s performance earlier in a theatre hall while he was playing in the successful musical called Two Pianos – Four Hands. His latest concert in Turku was my first touch with him as a traditional classical music artist. The program for the night was mainly bombastically hard and in of itself enchanting. Especially the emotional sensitivity in Islamey’s middle parts left me wanting to hear more of him not only as an interpreter of powerful works but also as an interpreter of compositions consisting of more peaceful melodies. This is a good feeling, because now a listener has something exciting to look forward to, until a new rendezvous consisting of a musical delight with this artist comes to pass”.
Tomi Lindblom
PR-Manager
Eastway Ltd. / Helsinki, Finland
Eastway is the leading private concert and theatre production company in Finland
17th December 2008