University of Virginia Library

Concert Series

Lipman Reveals Prodigious Talent

By TERI TOWE

It was disappointing for the
subscribers to the Tuesday
Evening Concert Series to learn
that Rosalyn Tureck was
unable to play her scheduled
recital because of illness, but
that initial disappointment was
almost completely relieved by
the piano recital given by
Samuel Lipman, who
graciously agreed to substitute
for Mme. Tureck on less than
24 hours notice.

A student of Liebermann,
Lipman is typical of the
talented young pianists before
the public these days.
Possessing a formidable
technique and sure
understanding of form and
structure, his interpretations
are straight-forward and
"modern", at times almost lean
and ascetic in feeling.

The program Mr. Lipman
chose to play here was rather
out of the ordinary, although,
if my memory is correct, in the
five semesters I have been here,
his concert was the fourth I
have heard that included the
Beethoven A Flat Major
Sonata, Op. 110.

Samuel Lipman seemed to
be most successful in the
Romantic and post-Romantic
music he played. His Liszt
interpretations were
particularly effective, although
he never really seemed to let
himself go in this music, except
in the opening Variations on a
Theme of Bach, the highpoint
of the recital for me.

The Haydn Fantasia in C
Major seemed a little rushed
and unclear although the
reading had a free quality to it
that was entirely in keeping
with the nature and spirit of
the composition.

Mr. Lipman's performance
of the Beethoven Sonata, Opus
110, was the briskest that I can
remember hearing. The
interpretation was fast, clean,
and "modern"– totally devoid
of any of the 19th century
interpretive features that
characterized the performances
of such pianists as Dame Myra
Hess and Erno Dohnanyi. In
fact, it seems fair to say that
Mr. Lipman's view of the
Sonata, Op. 110, is the
philosophical and theoretical
opposite of the Hess Dohnanyi
and similar interpretations.

The Chopin Sharp Minor
Scherzo, Op. 39 received a
streamlined, dramatic, and
effective performance.
Lipman's interpretation of the
Alban Berg Sonata, Op. 1 was
extremely sensitive and made
better sense than almost any
other reading of the work that
I've heard.

The group of Liszt pieces
with which Mr. Lipman ended
his recital was played with the
same technical assuredness and
felicity with which he played
the Variations on a Theme of
Bach, but the performances of
the Valse Impromptu,
Wedding, and The Hungarian
Rhapsody No. 11 in A Minor
lacked the elan that the
opening work had had.
However, Mr. Lipman has a
fine sense of rubato, and he
handled the sudden tempo
changes and fluctuations in the Rhapsody magnificently.

In short, Samuel Lipman is a
pianist to watch, for his
prodigious talent and
thoughtful, carefully planned
interpretations, though they
may not appeal to everyone,
indicate a musician of high
caliber, a musician who will,
mark my words, come to be
considered one of the great
pianists of the last quarter of
this century.