Accomplished musician Gothoni returns to L.A.

Accomplished musician Gothoni returns to L.A.

By John Mangum

Not many classical musicians can say they’ve received $500,000
for their talents.

Pianist Ralf Gothoni can. His extraordinary playing earned him
the generous Gilmore Award, which helped expose Gothoni to a wider
audience.

Probably one of the most eccentric competitions in the music
world, the Gilmore selects a winner based on their performance in
three concerts. The players, though, have no idea when they are
under scrutiny.

Gothoni sounds pleased about how the prize continues to effect
his career. "There are a lot more concerts in the United States,"
says the pianist. "I am happy about some orchestral concerts that
have also come about."

He makes his first Los Angeles appearance in 25 years in a solo
recital this Sunday at Schoenberg Hall. Gothoni’s activities
include not only recitals, but also performances as an accompanist
for singers and in chamber music ensembles.

"There are great chamber music pieces," says Gothoni. "The most
important composers’ productions are in chamber music. It’s a
center point to write music."

He cites the importance of chamber music in the output of German
romantic composer Johannes Brahms as an example. "Brahms wrote only
four symphonies but so, so many chamber pieces."

Gothoni sees the "lied," or German art song, misinterpreted as
being for the singer alone. As an active accompanist, Gothoni
stresses the importance of the piano’s role in these art songs.

"Lied is nowadays in a very bad situation. It is understood as a
recital of the singer," says Gothoni.

"Lied is also chamber music." The importance of the piano’s part
in this chamber music seems self-evident for Gothoni. For him, the
fact that pianists composed the art songs proves the importance of
the piano’s role.

One of his most recent recording projects celebrates one of
these pianist composers. Gothoni recorded the Piano Concerto by
Paavo Berglund, whom he rates as "one of the greatest piano players
of this century."

Gothoni himself also composes. "For me (composition) means a way
to try and come closer to a whole musicianship." He plans to
compose a piano concerto of his own in the near future.

For this composer, "whole musicianship" includes his activities
as a conductor. "I mostly conduct from the keyboard," says Gothoni.
"A pianist should be a total musician."

Gothoni’s appearance at Schoenberg Hall on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 7
p.m. focuses on his solo playing. Viennese composer Franz
Schubert’s B flat major Sonata, piano virtuoso and heartbreaker,
Franz Liszt’s Sonata in B minor and Domenico Zipoli’s Aria form the
program.

Many listeners characterize Schubert’s music as essentially
sunny and richly melodic. Gothoni prefers to see Schubert’s work in
the context of the composer’s suffering. Schubert, who contracted
syphilis in his twenties, lived under the shadow of impending death
for the remaining years of his short life.

"We know so much about Schubert’s life these days ­ how
tragic it was. His music changed from light to dark," says Gothoni.
"There is so much dark in his pieces."

"He is the only composer who uses the tragical major so often.
For example, this B flat major is not a happy major. It’s behind a
curtain of tears," says Gothoni. "When Schubert modulates through
minor to major, the major is always pianissimo. Schubert is smiling
behind the tears."

While Gothoni stresses the importance of musical elements in
describing Schubert’s sonata, he emphasizes the connections between
a literary source and Liszt’s B minor Sonata. He points out that
Goethe’s "Faust," the tale of a man who sells his soul to the Devil
to possess infinite wisdom only to be saved by the pure love of a
woman named Gretchen, provides Liszt’s work with a feasible
program.

"It has a lot of background in the play by Goethe," says
Gothoni. "I can find in the theme Faust and Gretchen."

Gothoni uses the aria by Zipoli, who at the time of its
composition was well advanced in years, to preface Liszt’s sonata.
"I made a transcription of this small aria to make it more romantic
music. The small piece is like an old man’s melancholy character
and after this I start the Liszt."

The piece comes wedged between two giants of the romantic piano
repertory in a recital which promises to show off the titanic
powers of one of today’s most interesting artists.

CONCERT: Ralf Gothoni, piano. Playing Schubert, Zipoli and Liszt
at Schoenberg Hall Sunday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. TIX: $25, $9. For more
info, call (310) 825-2101.