Glenn Korff School of Music Blog

Mark Clinton

Review of Mark Clinton's September 18 performance

Clarity, innovation mark engaging, transparent recital at Kimball

By John Cutler, Frequent reviewer for the Lincoln Journal-Star

Mark Clinton, DMA, co-chair of the Keyboard Area at the Glenn Korff School of Music in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at UNL, presented a faculty recital in Kimball Hall on Thursday evening.

Clinton’s undertakings included Robert Schumann’s “Arabeske” in C major Op. 18; the eternal Beethoven “Piano Sonata in f minor, Op. 57” (Appassionata); Nocturne in D-flat major, Op. 27, No. 2 and the often-played “Polonaise” in A-Flat major, Op. 53 of Frederic Chopin; the complete “Klavierstücke,” Op. 119 of Johannes Brahms; and a transcription of Jean Sibelius’ “Finlandia” op. 26, often heard in symphonic concerts but arranged for piano by the composer shortly after its composition in 1899.

With the engaging “Arabeske” Clinton laid out his strategy for the evening: to present, in unfettered accuracy but with an emotional underpinning, just how clear and purposeful piano music can be. The subtle contrasts of the main theme with the ensuing alternate sections were a pleasant discourse on Schumann’s surroundings at the time of the composition.

Much more challenging, in a way, was the Beethoven war-horse. The challenge would be to do something different from the Dinersteins, the Axes, and the oft-noted Leon Fleischer (who was Clinton’s mentor at Peabody).

So, from the opening Allegro assai, it appeared Clinton would aim the course of “Appassionata” in a direction different from the deep-Romantic approach, perhaps not taking on the now-popular “early classic” garb that surrounds the noted composer but rather letting some air and light into the piece while keeping the robust emotional ambience.

Phrasings that traditionally ended with swells appeared with diminuendos. Others that have traditionally been marked with ritardando received a steady-course-to-advance approach. After a few measures to analyze what went on, this reviewer noted a sense of logic in Clinton’s minor changes.

For the famed second movement, audience members appeared moved. Some smiled. Some meditated. A few of the longtime concert-goers appeared to be sad, perhaps remembering bygone days with loved ones. This was an emotional time both for Clinton and his followers, and the pianist again let his feelings spill out on the keys.

The final movement ripped by like Amtrak on the Nebraska plains. Yet Clinton was careful not to let the allegro ma non troppo get too troppo and run away with it. Control, plus Clinton’s unerring fingering on runs and repeated notes, helped keep the final movement on its tumultuous course.

The two Chopin pieces that led off the second half of the program were delightful, the Nocturne being a good contrast for the strong Polonaise. Clinton’s restraint combined with a sense of empathy in the Nocturne allowed the elegant melodic treatment to magically unfold.

The Polonaise, on the other hand, was a great demonstration of Polish musical might. The dynamic shadings, coupled with Clinton’s determined stance at the keyboard, combined to give this work the Carnegie Hall perfect polish Clinton sought in his interpretation.

The audience had awaited the four pieces of Brahms’ “Klavierstücke” knowing .the pieces are often presented individually as encores or specialty pieces in concert. The sweet-sour timbre of the first “Intermezzo” was a good scene-setter for the three works that followed.

Brahms’ rhythms and phrasing are unique in these works. Clinton did his best to musically set-out the phrases in an interpretation the 350 patrons could consume. The concluding “Rhapsodie” is of different phrasing construction than most and Clinton took advantage of this to again display his uncanny ability to bring clarity and meaning to the uniqueness of this work.

Most of us have heard the sweeping “Finlandia” in big Romantic orchestral recordings. Few of us have heard the concert piano solo version, though it was adapted by Sibelius just shortly after he completed the orchestral tone poem.

Sibelius was no schlock at piano interpretation and understanding, and in fact had this piece in mind for a concert pianist-colleague of his. It has all the trappings of a Rachmaninoff or Rubinstein. For an audience seasoned by the perennial orchestral favorite, patrons would be looking for the nuances of the various instruments in the piano interpretation. 

Clinton needed to be careful in his evocation. His attention to detail within the individual phrases, even one- or two-note emphasis in this score, was a harbinger of the sweeping hymn-tune conclusion. The lines fell into place, just as in the mighty orchestral work.

The hymn-tune layout following the commotion of the introduction was simply dazzling. Its modest entrance even caught patrons off-guard and the procession through the melody development was intricately engineered by Clinton to achieve a glorious, ringing finale.

The Kimball audience felt so too and immediately patrons arose and offered cheers and resounding applause.

A third curtain call for the pianist demanded an encore, and Clinton obliged, with a rarely-heard Egon Petri arrangement of the aria “Sheep May Safely Graze” from Bach’s “Hunt” Cantata, BWV 208. The performance was again, in the concept of Clinton’s evening of education and transparency, a delicate gem capping off a triumphant evening of piano repertoire revelations.

 Watch the performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYtDODcXnRU

Paul Barnes

I'm the headlining pianist for the Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers National Convention in Los Angeles. I'll be giving the opening recital on October 9 at Biola University and will be featured on the October 10 recital as well. The recitals feature compositions from several young and upcoming composers.  

http://www.cfamc.org/#conference

Bobby Fuson II

Janka Krajciova

The International Music Institute and Festival USA 2014 took place on the beautiful campus of Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD from July 14-24 and I was able to attend due to a generous Hixson-Lied summer study grant. In addition to lessons, coachings, performances and masterclasses, the festival also included seminar in performance psychology, theatre workshop and daily yoga morning stretches. The following five-day tour around cities of Thurmont, Annapolis, Towson, Bel Air and Baltimore featured eight of us from the IMIF. We performed a total of seven concerts in various venues, including a mountain retreat lodge, retirement centers and many gorgeous churches. There was also time for friendships, sight-seeing, ice cream and trying local foods, my favorite being charming Annapolis, historic Hampton Mansion in Towson and of course, Maryland crabcakes! Needless to say, I had a blast!