Classical Smackdown Online
Classical Smackdown Online
After 15 months in pandemic lockdown, this final Smackdown in the Global Classical Smackdown series was played to a hybrid audience at the Westport Library. Bringing together a last-minute in-person audience with the global reach of livestreaming brought the lockdown to a symbolic close.
The results were very intriguing, once again. Just as with the Premiere performance, Mendelssohn won more rounds (2 to 1), the two split almost exactly evenly the number of rounds won, and Chopin walked away with a clear victory in the overall vote ( 3 to 2). Could it be that Mendelssohn in the moment captivates, or perhaps is more surprisingly captivating, while Chopin’s overall effect wins more generally?
Whatever the interpretation, clearly there are strong feelings. I look forward to playing this particular smackdown more often, and getting more data and comments. This program divides the audience in two in yet another way than Heart and Soul or Time Travelers.
Thank you for voting!
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Selected Comments:
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•Amazing powerful performance as always, Mr. Chiu!
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•Chopin wrote happier, and Mendelssohn wrote with a sense of a chase, something following him, in a way.
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•Compliments in person !!
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•Frederic, thank you. This was brilliant, fascinating and fun.
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•How could young children possibly have the fingering capacity to play these Pieces?
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•I loved the experience of having these two composers contrasted with each other, and the insights you bring to the performance regarding the historical context, the age and development of the composers, and the nature of the music. It was educational and thought provoking - as well as beautiful. Thank you and Jeanine so much for inviting us to this event.
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•Loved both - it was so hard to choose!
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•Pitching 1 piece to 5 different in the middle round is not quite fair.
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•Really nice progression as the composers matured.
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•Wonderful program. Thank you so much!
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•Would Mendelssohn be performed more often today if there had been no Chopin? In other words is it zero sum between these 2?
