Concert Review: Benjamin Schmid-Dejan Lazic

Concert Review: Benjamin Schmid-Dejan Lazic

July 8, 2010, CH
Mozart-Beethoven-Bridge-Gershwin

Benjamin Schmid is certainly not a household name, but I have always liked him. On records he always comes across as thoughtful and challenging, in material as diverse as Bach, Brahms and Ysaye (many are available in the library). I heard him live with the Sinfonietta in the Brahms concerto in 2006, and I append below my brief notes written at that time. Here is an excellent Interview of Schmid.

Dejan Lazic is also no stranger to HK. However, his previous appearance with the HKPO, Rachmaninov Variations on a Theme of Paganini in 2007 had left me stone cold, and I also append my notes then below.

I have mixed feelings about the first half. Given that Schmid won both the Mozart and Beethoven prize in the Carl Flesch competition, I was puzzled by the readings, which lacked refinement. Sitting 7th row near-center, Schmid's coruscating (but not infallible) technique was very much evident, indeed often too much in-your-face. Especially in Beethoven's Op 30/2, his slashing attacks, deliberate coarse, often had me jumped out of my seat. Now, here I'd like to say that I have always preferred my Beethoven on the move and think of a little coarseness part and parcel of the music. But here together with rhythmic over-emphasis the effect was just too unrelenting. Schmid brought out many details but his dynamics were often exaggerated, even idiosyncratic. Complicating the picture was the somewhat reined-in piano. Lazic played well and ensured texture was always clear. But for me, these are Sonatas for Piano and Violin (piano labeled first), and the piano needs to come out more. Schmid has ample volume and could have withstood a stronger challenge from the piano, more pedaling. An example for me was the andante of Mozart's K376, where the violin melody, beautiful as it is, is simple and repetitious, and a more forthrightly singing piano would have been welcome. But the pairing of the sonatas had its illuminating side: it was interesting to compare the two rondo finales, not as different in these hands as it may seem! All in all, challenging music making, and not a boring moment, but I wished for more relaxation.

The second-half, in contrast, was as flawless a recital as it could be. I very much enjoyed the pair's big-boned and fluid rendition of Bridge's Sonata (1904). Here was everything lacking in the first half. Refinement, beautiful tone, passion. It was more enjoyable than the usual rendition of a Brahms sonata, which often puts me to sleep in lesser hands. Three wonderfully idiomatic Gershwin-Heifetz transcriptions rounded out the perfect half. Another Gershwin was the only encore. I must say in the Gershwin I fancied I heard the characters singing - these were renditions worthy of putting alongside Heifetz.

I eagerly look forward to Schmid's Beethoven concerto with the Sinfonietta on Saturday.

Appendix

06/12/2006 HK Sinfonietta/Beethoven/Brahms/Schmid/Yip CH

"...The second-half Brahms concerto was tightly argued. Benjamin Schmid delivered a rather refined reading. Our opinions were rather divided. His tone was interesting, penetrating and forceful in the upper registers, but to me at times quite coarse and sucked-out in the middle. The orchestra accompanied competently, and the audience was enthusiastic..."

06/04/2007 HKPO/Rachmaninov/Sibelius/Lazic/Atherton CCCH

"...This is probably one of the worst recent concerts of the HKPO...In between came Rachmaninov's Variations on a Theme by Paganini. Dejan Lazic had made a name for himself for being unpredictable. This time he was pretty bad. He sounded weak, emphasized the rhythmic but was superficial, almost devoid of tonal shadings. The orchestra played well though. The Scarlatti encore though was quite beautifully played..."