She Deserved Her Win
Yulianna Avdeeva's was a spectacular win, made all the more notable for her being the first female First Prize-winner since Martha Argerich in 1965. When it was delivered shortly before midnight on Wednesday, the verdict surprised some, but it should not be seen as controversial. This article comes from the Chopin Express gazette No. 22 published for the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Gramophone magazine...
Yulianna Avdeeva; source: NIFC
Winning the Chopin Competition means that Yulianna Avdeeva will leave Warsaw with hugely boosted career prospects, but as already heard in successive stages of the competition she showed all the qualities necessary for her newly acquired status
Avdeeva's was a spectacular win, made all the more notable for her being the first female First Prize-winner since Martha Argerich in 1965. When it was delivered shortly before midnight on Wednesday, the verdict surprised some, but it should not be seen as controversial. Avdeeva is the pianist who gave some of most exciting performances: for sheer passion and musicianship, not to mention technical security, she consistently led the field.
Let's recall her spirited Waltz in A flat (Op 34 No 1) in the second stage; it was spontaneous and volatile in the best sense. Her F minor Fantasia had thoughtful depth, and was drawn with a beautiful palette of pianistic colour. In the third stage, her Polonaise-Fantasie showed a distinctive vision of the piece, building towards unforgettable explosions of power before the end. Her F minor Ballade was wistful and poetic, her Nocturnes revealed special imagination, and her Sonata in B flat minor showed that she is a pianist who immediately makes an audience sit up and listen: here she had total command of her instrument, and produced the slow movement with the stillest centre of all. If her E minor Concerto was not perfect - perfection isn't everything - her appearance in the Final was still one of this Competition's best displays of pianism at its most thrilling, and Avdeeva deserved her win. Her biggest challenge now will be learning how to deal with the highest pressures of the musical world, but I look forward to hearing her take her place on the world's stages.
Author: John Allison
This article comes from the Chopin Express gazette published for the 16th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Gramophone magazine.
View the audition recitals online at chopin2010.pl/en/competitions/xvith-chopins-competition.html
Other articles of interest in Chopin Express No. 22:
"Piano competitions" - Gustav Alink on competitions around the world