An Important Pianist On Brand-new Paths

A number of stellar artists observed inside the Cabala a limitless source of ideas.

Cabala seemed to supply exactly what lots of performers constantly question life for: replies to their strong torments.

Mehmet Okonsar, a Turkish born pianist, composer and conductor took it a sizable leap forward. Regardless of discouraging and even terrifying settings, Okonsar lives in Turkey, he adopted the Jewish religion at the end of a long spiritual quest.

I first noticed Mehmet Okonsar play at the Royal Opera House, London, it appears before he grew a beard. To call his performing "nice" is probably precise, although unjust. To make sure, it is idiosyncratic, but the man has a special particular connection with just about every single note he performs. For that reason, his interpretations are definitely more Zen-like than crowd-pleasing, and to call them quirky is undoubtedly an undeserved put-down.

Okonsar has performed recitals offering the whole piano works by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg and Anton Webern. Irrespective of he declines almost all sort of "musical specialization", his repertoire is actually seriously on the "modern" side with Igor Stravinsky "Three Movements of Petrouchka" the "Sequenza" for the piano by Luciano Berio and the Klavierstucke by Karlheinz Stockhausen.

We have here a great artist.

The keyboard technique is fine-oiled in addition to exactly tuned. An entire life straight self-control is viewed all the way through his varying touch. Simply no pointless motions, things are all sniper-accurate. The work is built together with architect's precision.

Mehmet Okonsar under no circumstances gets around any instrument's sound restrictions. The actual pianissimos are actually full-blown along with expressive, while wonderful strength inside fortissimos makes they are never dried out nor unpleasant.

Certainly, there is no needless motion at the hands of Okonsar. Any transition is just organized to communicate with the key in ways to activate the mechanics behind it to the desired sound.

One exciting, exhilarating speed as well as precision characterizes the particular "Lisztian" octaves. Having said that, they aren't dull neither technical. In Okonsar's playing one of the most "flamboyant" sets of octaves which are generally performed as outbursts of a machine-gun, turn into orchestral in sound. This is due to the fact that Okonsar takes any additional work to perform all of them pretty much legato and they seem like the Violins One and Two of an orchestral ensemble. Sets of chords furthermore wear a legato as well as orchestral sound. Okonsar produces that by holding them just as much as you can do, in contrast to all kinds of other pianists who hit them and leave for the pedal to extend the sound. The affect connected with Weissenberg's playing is obvious there. Hand are virtually "sliding" over the keyboard they do not elevate and hit.

Another rejuvenating aspect of Mehmet Okonsar's playing is its directness its naturalness, that appears specifically in his range of tempos. Mehmet Okonsar may have nothing to do with any accepted customs; however you've got the perception the tempos selected are established and that he has considered every possible choice after which purposely chose to pick his and overthrow others.

Okonsar will not be involved with popular success. His compositions, well served by his huge musical as well as general knowledge background, tend to be fearlessly exploratory. He typically stated his particular disdain for quite a few present-day composers seeking "a way to unite" popular taste along with contemporary music creation. People might find it over-intellectualized, Okonsar wants to go after on the trails of the structuralist "ecole" associated with Pierre Boulez and Iannis Xenakis.

As with anything from Okonsar, the entertainment of hearing as well as seeing very good classical music is not the primarily element presented. Mehmet Okonsar personifies a kind of "Renaissance Artist". Thinking as well as showing about the modern culture he lives inside, technological innovation, computer science, Internet technologies are usually all included in his existence.

"The position is hard regarding young artists..." Okonsar says "...they're definitely not encouraged to explore as well as experience the actual age we all are now living in, to comprehend that music of a different if often really hard language, like contemporary art-music may be equally as enjoyable as great works of history."

"Many of them only engage in modern day music out of a sense of liability instead of love as well as awareness and for that reason this saddens me greatly."

"They must devote more of their time for the wonderful post-Bartok and Stravinsky works and there tend to be, ultimately, various not too difficult selections, a lot less challenging as compared to, say, Boulez's Second Sonata."

"It is true I am awkward with what may well typically be called "neo-romanticism", however it is incorrect that I loathe Rachmaninoff. In common with many younger pianists I raised underneath the influence of Horowitz playing the Third Concerto [by Rachmaninoff] having said that I remain fulfilled to take pleasure from listening to it instead as performing it myself."

Is it feasible that the musician get a lot more free and much more prosperous using the present day technological innovation? "Unquestionably yes" replies Okonsar. "All my work and my entire life is within that route."