The beautiful Mother’s Day afternoon at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum offered far more than its flowering courtyard—a sold-out concert in Calderwood Hall at which the intelligent, comely and creative pianist, Isata Kanneh-Mason, presented works linked by the theme of darkness into light—two iconic Beethoven sonatas, Ravel’s amazing Gaspard de la nuit, as well as two thematically linked works by Bulgarian-British composer and keyboardist Dobrinka Tabakova. George Steel gave an erudite introduction, which acknowledged the generous support of the Wendy Shattuck Young Artist Fund and noted the accomplishments and bright future of the artist, as well as her remarkably musical family.
Beethoven’s 1801 Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 2, dubbed “Moonlight” some years after the composer’s death, may confer burden to performers, given its ubiquity in programs, but not here. Dressed and coifed thematically in a simple yet sophisticated evening-hued gown with subtle sparkles, Kanneh-Mason’s interpretation felt intelligent and thoughtful, with articulated inner voices from the start of the Adagio sostenuto first movement. The pianist’s interpretation lent credence to the sense of a quiet ghost perhaps present, a statement ascribed to Beethoven’s student, Czerny. Kanneh-Mason quietly articulated the first and second themes over the triplet ostinato, and offered the development in line with the reverential, intimate feeling. The D flat Allegretto provided a brief merriment with starlight flashes, followed by the fiery Presto agitato. Throughout, a sense of presence, perhaps a channeling of Beethoven, led to rapt alertness in the audience.
Prior to launching into Ravel’s haunting 1908 M.55, Gaspard, which she noted as one of her favorite works, Kanneh-Mason spoke of each movement, revealing her keen intelligence and ability to convey what is behind her view of the composer. Based on Aloysius Bertrand’s absorbingly terrifying poem of the same title, this three-movement suite can be a pianist’s nightmare, not from its intent but the technical demands. In Ondine, Ravel depicts the water nymph as enchantress, luring men to their deaths—yet when a man refuses Ondine, she becomes enraged and spiteful. The movement is filled with technical challenges, through which Kanneh-Mason purveyed both playfulness and sprightly spite. In Le Gibet, with its foreboding and gallows-with-corpse in the dessert with buzzing insects, she managed to convey the composer’s sense of horror. And in Scarbo, with its ephemeral goblin, she realized the composer’s design, coming and going like a malevolent, yet beautiful vapor. Ravel was obsessed with fairy tales when he wrote Gaspard, producing a number of challenging works—and it is a rare performer who can approach Gaspard with success, none flawlessly. At the Calderwood, Kanneh-Mason approached the summit.
Composer-pianist Tabakova aims to infuse light into darkness in her work. Here Kannah-Mason performed the Nocturne (2008) and the earlier Halo (1999). This rendition of Nocturne seemed nearly secretive, with the pianist arcing the intentional curving sounds and repetitive phrases. Short and syncopated, even pulsating, the melody sits with the left hand. Before I felt the light of it, the end arrived, leaving me mesmerized but yearning. Halo takes more time to develop for listeners—to appreciate the physical birth and evolution of a halo aurally—“from darkness to blinding shine—calm and settled glow.” The work looks at various techniques for achieving harmonics on the piano,” which Kanneh-Mason provided—An initial movement with birth out of darkness, a second of figures that seem rapid and repetitive, and a final with a full halo in place. Many compare Tabakova’s work to that of Phillip Glass, given its minimalist, repetitive tendency. In this work, the planned darkness to light shone through both works’ evolution, enhanced by Kanneh-Mason’s intelligent, delicate articulations.
As it began, the evening concluded with Beethoven, this time the 1804 Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53, “Waldstein.” The Allegro con brio brimmed with energy, runs and light. Many feel this sonata is the “best” Beethoven ever, though one can argue that for others. For my taste, it is easy to have that first movement feel academic, but Kanneh-Mason let it roll, revealing its sparkle. The Introduzione, Adagio molto, always seems too short; the Rondo: Allegretto moderato—Prestissimo certainly let the light into the hall.
After perhaps a bit of coaxing, the artist allowed even more light into the hearts of the audience with the Adagio Cantabile of Beethoven’s Pathetique (Sonata No. 8, Op. 13). The crowd left humming and eager for future Isata Kanneh-Mason concerts.