Jean-Yves Thibaudet

As the lights dimmed in Hill Auditorium, all became silent, except for the rustling of a few coats and programs, as Jean-Yves Thibaudet took to the stage. A classical pianist recognized for the artistry and charisma he brings to the keys, his performance Saturday night exceeded his reputation. As is typical at UMS performances, I was impressed with the variety of people in the audience. From devout Thibaudet followers to Brahms fans to others who heard him play on the Pride and Prejudice and Atonement soundtracks, the artist offered a little something for everyone. Playing a mix of light and dark pieces, with not one, but two encores, Thibaudet‘s recital served as the perfect study break as UM students head into finals week.

Thibaudet opened with Pavane pour une infant défunte, by Maurice Ravel. The light sections of the piece were uplifting, and it was just the right length to set the mood. Ravel’s Miroirs followed, in which each movement has its own personality. The first, “Noctuelles,” (“Night Moths”) was fun and spritely, whereas “Oiseaux tristes” (“Sad birds”) was gloomy and fantastical. Throughout the arpeggios of “Une barque sur l’océan,” (“A Boat on the Ocean”) Thibaudet’s fingers flew up and down the keyboard. Although no movement offers a definite conclusion until the end, the audience could not help but applaud after “Alborada del gracioso,” (“Dawn Song of the Jester”) with its turn from a mechanical and focused sound to a flourishing dance rhythm. The last movement, “La vallée des cloches,” (“The Valley of the Bells”) presents a sound-sculpture that is not quite peaceful, but intriguing.

During intermission, someone came out to check the tuning on the piano. Perhaps he was prepping the D-flat for Brahms’s Sonata No. 3 in f minor, Op. 5. Angela Hewitt will play this same piece in February at UMS. I wonder what she will bring to the score, and look forward to comparing the two performers.

Photo: LSA Freshmen Lauren Ruben and Diana Juncaj await Thibaudet’s performance at Hill Auditorium.

A quick glance at the program told me that the Brahms movements would shift from “dramatic and powerful” to “gentle and lyrical” and back again. Prepared to get lost in the music, I sat back and let my imagination take over. By the third movement, I felt like I was at a carnival. The whirlwind of sounds circled around me, and I could almost see the “color of music” my conductors have tried to describe to me all these years.

Before I knew it, the song had ended, and Thibaudet was up for his third bow of the night. He was not quite through, and delighted the audience with an encore piece: Intermezzo in A, Op. 118 No. 2, also by Brahms. To me, a new ease seemed to have come over the pianist as he played this piece: Perhaps from the confirmation that the audience adored him? Or was he just having fun now that the official program was complete? I cannot imagine an artist who would not love performing in Hill Auditorium, and Thibaudet certainly seemed to enjoy himself.

Although Thibaudet bowed and left the stage once more, our audience refused to let him go. He graciously returned to present the moving melodies of Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2, as a tribute to his mother, who said, “A day without Chopin is not a good day.”

Take that one to heart. Happy listening!

By: Catherine R. Herzog

UMS Student Advisory Committee Member