I was honored to be the first back-to-back Conference Artist for ISMTA. After presenting Young Geniuses last year, I was back for Heart and Soul, Debussy v. Prokofiev. We were received in the wonderful setting of Millikin University, with beautiful weather and Autumnal colors!
The contest was pretty one-sided - Prokofiev swept the overall, the Total Rounds, and all the subcategories! Nonetheless, the comments were very kind to Debussy, but I did hear a lot of comments from people who were surprised by their Prokofiev votes.
Favorite Comments:
Amazing subtleties of color and energy and beautiful sounds and phrase shaping… how lovely - thank you! What interesting self-created movies must go through your head as you play! |
So difficult to choose from such different pieces. It's like trying to choose between apple pie and a spicy tofu stir-fry ;) |
All other comments:
Amazing |
Awesome! |
Bravo! Thanks! |
Fabulous |
Fun! I loved it! |
great concert |
I know I'm not supposed to write between the columns, but this is what I strongly feel! I subdivided the rounds (each first and second piece against each other!) Wonderful playing, bravo and thank you |
I really want this to be a tie. |
I think the resonance of hall was more proper to Prokofiev. Thanks for the music today! |
Incredible performance! I am a student of Dr. DeZwaan and Dr. Kim and this was a huge inspiration for me! |
It was a much more challenging and difficult choice than our presidential election! |
It was staggering, truly inspiring. Thank you for your memorable performance and time here with us! |
loved your sound and energy in all of your Prokofiev! Beautiful tone in the Debussy (and Prokofiev!) |
Thank you for a really cool concert! |
Thank you for a thought provoking program. Great concept and framing. Brilliant playing! Stunning artistry! I remember you playing the Toccata on the dilapidated upright in the house at DPS in Wabash |
Thank you so much for the great concert and creative voting ballot! |
Thank you! |
Thank you! I enjoyed your performance both years! |
Thank you! So Great!! |
Thanks for the performance! |
that was a fantastic recital! Congratulations |
very enjoyable |
What a sound palette in your playing, especially in Round 2! Loved the 2nd Fugitive and Cloches, in particular. Thought there was some "Scarbo" in the Diabolic Suggestions! |
Wonderful colors, very poetic playing. Thank you for sharing your music. |
wonderful concert! Thank you! |
Wonderful program - 2 of my favorites as well! |
absolutely Amazing |
Do you sit with your butt lower for balance? I saw your L foot keep a lot of motion. I think that also helps with your balance. I loved watching your feet as well as your upper body. So powerful and so poignant. Thank you beyond words. No one taught me anything about technique until I was mid 20's. Prokofiev Toccata nearly killed me. You are amazing! Thank you beyond words |
I liked hearing your comments on the composers. A very fun concert! Thank you! |
I'm so impressed by your ppp playing in the Debussy (p.s. I really love your logo/icon!) and powerful Prokofiev! |
so great to see you and hear you play! |
The clarity and artistry with which you performed each piece was so musical! Most enjoyable! I was introduced to some new compositions, especially by Prokofiev. Also, I enjoyed your injected humor and use of the ballot - both aids to engage your audience. Thank you! |
You bring out themes in both composer's works that are usually not heard. Beautiful! I love your expressive melodies. Fabulous! |
You played Diabolic Suggestions and Toccata so well! Reverie and Clair de lune - beautiful touch and emotion! |
Round 3 was hardest to decide! But I caught myself smiling and getting goosebumps at that last ascending run to the glissando in the toccata, so Prokofiev won :) But, overall I prefer Debussy. But then those Prokofiev concertos… hm… |
1 Prokofiev - 1st round = fun! Debussy = Beautiful!, 2 Debussy loved the 2nd piece Round 2 3 Loved the Toccata - especially the ending, Debussy Reverie - my favorite! |
Bravo! Your Debussy allowed me to forget the national election. Prokofiev - Sarcasm = I've gotta vote! (In the national election) |
Brilliant idea! Loved thinking about how they were contemporaries and what they had in common. It was interesting: I think I heard in the Debussy a respect for the piano of its day, while in Prokofiev respect for what It could be. I loved the Prokofiev a lot! There was much I wanted to vote for in the Prokofiev, but in the end, I voted with what spoke to me most. |
But I really love them both for entirely different reasons. |
I love both Debussy and Prokofiev and never would have thought of pitting them against each other. But such an interesting comparison! Also showed me more clearly my favorite :) |
I love both Debussy and Prokofiev! It was a hard choice and I wasn't sure who would win. |
P is too bangy, loud and rough. D touches my soul |
Picked Prokofiev Toccata because I really like it. Played it on one of my undergrad recitals. Your brother played Brahms with me on one of my doctoral chamber recitals! |
Prokofiev |
Round 2 OK I really want to play Diabolic Suggestions! But I'm pretty sure it's way too difficult for me! What a blast! Debussy's palette seemed more refined, certainly complex, but not as variety-filled as Prokofiev (so far)> Is my are not discerning enough? (Jardins - yes, Toccata for sure. The casual listener probably doesn't appreciate how complex it is. Amazingly technically difficult. Round 3: I think Reverie might be my favorite of the Debussy pieces performed today. Toccata - fun, interesting, intense, flashy, demanding, non-traditional harmonies, tough to play, tough to memorize. Again, too difficult for me to play, but super enjoyable to hear and see! I had no idea I would like Prokofiev so much! So cool! I have never played any Prokofiev! Now I want to! Thank you for your engaging performance. I admit that some of my choice was based on what my own students and families would enjoy if I played the piece/pieces for them. |
Round 2 was my favorite! Your Prokofiev playing is really brilliant, thank you |
Those last two notes in Clair de lune are so hard, so I get it! I believe Prokofiev wins as his use of color and variety is superior! There's simply too many similarities for me in Debussy's work! |
wonderful way to bring these composers to the world |
you are amazing! Dr. Kim was right! I would have picked Debussy for overall, but "The Montagues and the Capulets" was a gorgeous-enough melody to overpower all the others. |
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