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Soheil Nasseri, piano
(Artist’s Website)
At
Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall
(Carnegie Hall Website)
Audrey Ross, Publicist
audreyRossPub@aol.com
Nikolas J. Lund
March 26, 2007
Program:
Ronn Yedidia (1960-)
Sonata No. 6 “Bells of Dawn (2004)”World Premiere
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Sonata in C Minor, D. 958
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Menuetto: Allegro – Trio
IV. Allegro
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
32 Variations in C Minor (1806)
Andante in F Major, (1803-04)
Fantasie, Op. 77 (1809)
Polonaise in C Major, Op. 89 (1814)
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)
Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83
I. Allegro inquieto
II. Andante coloroso
III. Precipitato
If nothing else, this young artist’s background offers something unique. He is an American pianist, of Persian ancestry, and has been noted in countless write-ups for personal musical tastes which span a passion for (primarily West Coast) rap and hip-hop, and a predilection for Beethoven’s keyboard music supposedly bordering on the religious. Now while any implicit “distance” between these genres of music are, at very best, perpetuated by the media who choose to draw a contrast, where they could just as well draw a fresh parallel, it seems nevertheless to be in the interest of Soheil Nasseri to confront some of the very real consequential distance between these musical worlds through his work with young students in the public schools.
This is more than commendable of course, and perhaps the very same media should not be surprised if a group of students exposed to such presentations of musical material will, in ten years time perhaps, manifest far broader perspectives on the question of musical genre than the ones which are still foisted on the world, via that hopelessly divisive market of music sales and target grouping. Given such idealistic ponderings, at any rate, it was a pleasure to make the acquaintance of Mr. Nasseri tonight in his accompanying program notes, and to re-affirm the general trend of certain sonatas and bagatelles finding their way outside the confines of Weill Recital Hall.
Mr. Nasseri’s exceptional technique was well in evidence, as well as his love for Beethoven, as shown in his work in the third section of the concert—the best section in fact, which included a very fine interpretation of the Fantasie which brought all of the beautiful unconventionality of the work to the fore. The first piece on the program—a world premiere—was interesting in its own right and excellence presented by the musician. We look forward to hearing from Mr. Nasseri again.
Soheil Nasseri
Photo courtesy of Publicity
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