2021 Chopin Competition, Warsaw

[Schenkerian]

And Gadjiev too. So I think Sorita is a real contender for top prize and Liu and Gadjiev could get 2nd or 3rd - anyway one of those will probably win. I'd be very surprised if Garcia gets into top 3. However the jury obviously had real disagreements yesterday, so who knows?

I have now lost interest in the competition since I'm not enamored with either of those Chopin Piano Concerti and just couldn't sit through a single one of these, let alone 10 performances.

I'll wait for the final results on the competition website next weekend.

[Peter]

Well I think sitting through ten performances of any concerto would be hard going! I'll just stick to my top 3 finalists.

[Schenkerian]

Sorita; watching a final concert now and he's very impressive!! Still some histrionics,but he has obviously enjoyed every minute of it. Haven't seen the two competitors prior to Sorita but holding on for Armellini.

I still don't like those piano concerti by Chopin any more than I ever did, and am left wondering what is their point!!? The orchestra just massages the piano and goes along for the ride. All those endless runs up and down the keyboard; just so ancient these days. Treacle.


The orchestration reminds me of Schumann in its somewhat muddy, accompaniment-style texture.

[Peter]

I have only watched Sorita and on such a consistent level of excellence throughout the competition I think he will win. I imagine Liu will be amongst prize winners.

[Schenkerian]

I have only watched Sorita and on such a consistent level of excellence throughout the competition I think he will win. I imagine Liu will be amongst prize winners.

You judgment has been spot-on so far; I'll just watch out for the results.

[Peter]

You judgment has been spot-on so far; I'll just watch out for the results.

Garcia played very well yesterday, the best of last night's crop, but I think the judges will take an overall approach and Sorita is the most consistent.

[Schenkerian]

I actually saw Sorita for the first time playing the concerto and was very impressed. I'm hoping you're right because, while Garcia is an obvious audience favourite, Sorita is the more composed and, as you said, consistent performer. I'm wowed by the incredible standard of musicianship and virtuosity, to be honest. We'll soon know who it's to be!!

[Schenkerian]

Bruce Liu has got it!! A deserved win with Sorita and Gadjiev tying for 2nd place. Martin Garcia Garcia got 3rd prize. The jury argued for hours as it was after 2am in Warsaw when announced. All up 8 prizes awarded instead of the usual 6 because of two tied places.

[Peter]

Bruce Liu has got it!! A deserved win with Sorita and Gadjiev tying for 2nd place. Martin Garcia Garcia got 3rd prize. The jury argued for hours as it was after 2am in Warsaw when announced. All up 8 prizes awarded instead of the usual 6 because of two tied places.

Well Liu was my favourite, but I thought Sorita would have the edge with the jury. Still a good result, they all played at such an incredibly high level that it was a very difficult task task for the jury. Here's a clip of Liu playing 3 movements from the Hammerklavier sonata - scroll to 11'20.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwVV...usicalesCanada

[Schenkerian]

The playing was indeed of an incredibly high standard. I enjoyed the clip of Liu playing the "Hammerklavier" and I'll bet those men will be glad to be playing something else apart from Chopin in the next little while. The winners' concerts will be held in the next days. What in the world will they be playing that we haven't already heard more than a dozen times??

The competition needs to mature and let the winner/s perform works of their own choice. I remember one pianist saying during a "Chopin Talk" at intermission that he longs to get back to performing Schumann.

I wonder whatever happened to Charles-Richard Hamelin, 2nd Prize-winner from 2015? Canadian musicians always do well in the Chopin competition and are well represented.

[Peter]

I see that on the very same day Bruce was being crowned, a previous winner Yundi Li has been arrested in China.
https://slippedisc.com/2021/10/yundi...ll-over-china/

[Schenkerian]

The second prize-winners' concert is playing right now. This has gone way over the top; how many more...? It's the same repertoire, over and over.

[Peter]

The second prize-winners' concert is playing right now. This has gone way over the top; how many more...? It's the same repertoire, over and over.

I think the third will be exactly the same again tonight! Did they do this previously? I think it's quite unfair on the performers who are being shown off as exhibits, honestly they need a break after the pressure of the past weeks. Just imagine the added pressure as they have to justify the result.

[Schenkerian]

I think the third will be exactly the same again tonight! Did they do this previously? I think it's quite unfair on the performers who are being shown off as exhibits, honestly they need a break after the pressure of the past weeks. Just imagine the added pressure as they have to justify the result.

My spouse has argued that it's giving the musicians additional exposure but I think it's tantamount to exploitation. As I recall this wasn't a feature of the 2015 Chopin Competition, but I agree with you that they're being treated as exhibits. And now I think the 'Chopin diet' for the next 5 years is in order. If the competition was fair the management would have asked the competitors to play music of their own choice for the winners' performances. Most would have jumped at the chance.

[Schenkerian]

Thank god it's all over now!!!!!