Energy
To many listeners of modern dance or hip hop music, the biggest draw to a song is not its melody or its harmony, but rather its rhythmic energy. This music is meant to rouse, not soothe… to create movement, not reflection.
In the Classical repertoire, such music exists as well. Granted, this music might lack the definitive bass or the tonal variety of an exciting dance song, but it nonetheless generates energy like a nuclear reactor. One of my favorite examples is the third movement to Saint-Saens’ Fifth Piano Concerto.
Now, a newspaper critic might choose this above recording by Russian master pianist Sviatoslav Richter. Richter’s playing is very precise – he takes a slower tempo to emphasize the accuracy of all his notes (even virtuosos will frequently miss notes in their performances). He is an expert in contrast — from loud to soft dynamics, for example, or from tender to coarse tonality. In short, this is a great performance for the concert hall.
I prefer the following recording, however, by a pianist whom I have never heard of until now.
Fabio Bidini, an Italian pianist and former Van Cliburn competition finalist, performs this work with so much energy. He pushes ahead with his tempo and does not mind to sacrifice accuracy for speed, although his accuracy is nonetheless very precise. Listen to the way Bidini hammers his bass notes in the beginning of the piece, and how it resembles a large drum or gong. Or how he adds an extra ring to his trebles, using his piano not as a melodic but as a percussive instrument.
I like this recording because I think it brings out what I enjoy most about this concerto: the darting movement, the driving rhythm, and the daring virtuosity. Richter might perform a tearful rendition of a Rachmaninoff prelude or a Chopin nocturne, but when it comes to a more youthful and athletic piece like this concerto, Fabio is the man.
