April 2, 2001
Beethoven
to be interpreted by a master at Middlebury College
MIDDLEBURY, Vt.Stephen
Kovacevichs interpretations of Beethoven are world-renowned and
he will share his gift with a Vermont audience Tuesday, April 17, at
7:30 p.m. in Middlebury Colleges Concert Hall in the Center for
the Arts on South Main Street (Route 30).
His selections for the evening will
include “Moonlight Sonata” and Beethovens last piano sonata,
opus 111.
A concert pianist with a reputation
for radical interpretations of classical fare, Kovacevich is best
known for his performances and extensive recordings of
Beethovens later works. Some of his earliest recordings remain
standards in the music world against which other pianistsand
even Kovacevich himselfmeasure their work.
Born in Los Angeles, Kovacevich moved
to London as a young man and studied with the legendary British
pianist Dame Myra Hess. He emerged as a stunning talent and launched
a long career touring the worlds stages with orchestras in
Europe, Asia, the North America and Australia.
Both Kovacevichs live and
recorded performances have received critical acclaim. “This is
probably how the young Beethoven himself sounded
this disc is
virtually flawless,” wrote Classic CD in 1999 of a Kovacevichs
Beethoven release.
In late 1999, a reviewer at the
Pittsburgh City Paper remarked at how Kovacevich has not received
tremendous attention in the United States during his career: “Yet the
appearance of the 59-year-old pianist, performing Mozarts Piano
Concerto 24 in C Minor with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, is
equivalent to hearing Vladimir Horowitz or Arthur Rubinstein in their
prime.”
After a recital in Kansas City a year
ago, a Kansas City Star reviewer said Kovacevich “played so
spontaneously that the piece sounded as if it were being composed
before us.”
Kovacevich records exclusively for
EMI International and recently recorded the complete Beethoven Piano
Sonatas. He has won prizes and received award nominations for his
studio work, including a Grammy Award nomination for a Brahms
recording and several Gramophone Awards.
Tickets are $10 for general admission
and $8 for senior citizens. A pre-performance dinner will be held at
6 p.m. in Rehearsals Cafe in the Center for the Arts. For tickets or
dinner reservations, call the College box office at
802-443-6433.
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