When I first saw the list of available performances for Project 3, I was very surprised to see the name Philippe Bianconi. Mr. Bianconi is a world-renown pianist from Paris and he was to perform an all-Chopin recital at the First Presbyterian Church in Hampton on October 17, 1999. In 1997, while visiting Versailles, outside of Paris, I had the rare pleasure of seeing Monsieur Bianconi play for L’Orchestre National de Paris (The Parisian Orchestra) in an amazing display of style, melody, and dexterity. To say it was a wonderful performance would be a major understatement. My paper will focus on the concert and give some background information on Monsieur Bianconi and Fredric Chopin.

Another pianist was originally slated to play the Chopin recital, but had to cancel due to personal reasons. The program fell into Bianconi’s lap who was a tremendous Chopin aficionado growing up. "When I play Chopin, I feel everything is so perfect," said Bianconi. "The older I get, the more I think Chopin is the greatest. The way he writes for the hand is so natural. Each note that is there has to be there."

The day of the recital was anything but pleasant. Hurricane Irene was threatening the North Carolina and Virginia coastlines and nearly three inches of rain had fallen throughout the day. Despite the inclement weather outside the inside of the church was warm and inviting. The vaulted ceilings and enormous chandeliers provided an unexpected European-flavor to the recital. The church was filled to capacity and was eagerly anticipating the start of the concert.

Mr. Bianconi’s performance consisted of Chopin’s longer works, Etude, Opus 25 and also some of his best-known shorter compositions such as Ballade No 3 in A Flat and Ballade No 4 in f minor. These pieces range from tender melancholy to the dramatic utterances of the stormy Fantaisie in f minor. The performance reflected the romanticism and poetry of Chopin’s works and also demonstrated the range of Monsieur Bianconi. There were times when the audience was on the edge of their seats and were clearly frightened when a fortissimo was suddenly reached. The last half of the recital was very intimate and reflective. Nocturnes, Opus 27 was gentle and dreamlike with a flowing, rocking bass, and aptly demonstrate Chopin's predilection for sweet, song-like melodies similar to Italian operas. The entire recital program is attached to the bottom of this document.

Philippe Bianconi, as I have mentioned before, is from Paris. He was born in Nice, located along the French Riviera, and moved to Paris when he was twenty-two years old. The Frenchman’s prizes include a silver medal at the 1985 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the top prize at the Robert Casadesus Competition in Paris. Two years later he made his debut at Carnegie Hall and has enjoyed phenomenal success around the world since.

Monsieur Bianconi has been heard in most of the music capitals of the world including Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., London, Berlin, Salzburg, Vienna, Milan, Paris, Amsterdam, and even Hampton. He has recorded three solo discs, the second of which captured the coveted "Choc" award which is France’s highest recording industry award. He has recently recorded the Brahms Piano Quintet (which he played while he was in Hampton last winter) with the Quartet Sine Nomine on the Claves label.

I will now like to give you a little background into the life of Frederic Chopin. Although Chopin is commonly associated with Paris, he was actually Polish. He was born near Warsaw, Poland in 1810 and lived there until he was 21 years old. At that time he moved to Paris and resided there until he died in 1849. "Chopin loved Paris and had a passion for it," said Bianconi. "Parisians would like to think of Chopin as one of their own, but he was very attached to his homeland. He suffered a lot from being away from there." Monsieur Bianconi is still amazed at the delicate balance that Chopin achieved. His music combines the passion and fire of his Eastern European upbringings and the elegance of his adopted city of Paris.

One of the fascinating and little known aspects of Chopin’s life is that he suffered from stage fright and he only gave a dozen public performances during his years in Paris. Chopin would only play in the saloons of the rich to very small audiences. He gained notoriety through teaching and composing piano during the later years of his life. Demand for his services was high enough that he could charge exceptionally high fees for lessons, and Chopin discovered that this income, combined with what he could realize from publishing his music, provided him with an alternative to the concert circuit.

In closing I would like to say that the recital was extraordinary and moving. The audience could not have been better and the church was a wonderful setting to see a performance of this caliber. I would recommend that anyone who has a chance to see Philippe Bianconi perform live to not pass it up. It will give you a new appreciation of the artistry of the classical piano.

Etudes, Opus 25: No 1 in A Flat

No 7 in c sharp minor

No 11 in a minor

Barcarolle, Opus 60

Ballade No 3 in A Flat, Opus 47

Ballade No 4 in f minor, Opus 52

Waltz in c minor, Opus 64, No 2

Waltz in e minor, Opus Posthumous

Fantasie in f minor, Opus 49

Nocturnes, Opus 27: No 1 in c sharp minor

No 2 in D Flat Major

Scherzo No 3 in c sharp minor, Opus 39