COHEN BRINGS THE WORLD TO FRESNO

Brazilian pianist shares music from his country, masterworks from the standard repertoire.

By Larry Warkentin - January 11, 2010

Arnaldo Cohen captivated the hearts and minds of a packed house in the Concert Hall at California State University, Fresno on Sunday afternoon, January 10. The Brazilian born pianist combined technique and artistry in his entire program, however he reached his highest level of musicianship in the set of four Chopin Scherzi which made up the second half of the recital.

Art lovers may travel to the Louvre in Paris to see Delacroix’s portrait of Chopin, but one only had to be in Fresno this afternoon to experience a true picture of the great poet of the piano. Cohen transformed the concert hall into a world class venue. The Lorenz Memorial concert series has brought many excellent pianists to Fresno. Cohen is certainly among the best. He has performed in major concert halls and with major orchestras around the world. In this recital he brought the best of the world to Fresno.

The concert began with the much loved and almost too familiar Pathétique Sonata in C minor, Op. 13 by Beethoven. Cohen played with an intriguing style that reflected Beethoven’s duel personality; half Classic, half Romantic. He didn’t overdramatize the opening adagio, and he played with clarity in the allegro. His long pause before the return of the opening material seemed almost too extended. Certainly it would have been too long in a recorded performance, however in this live rendition the intensity of the silence was effective. The second movement was carefully nuanced. The final movement was brilliant and fast, but never at the expense of its musical content.

Cohen paid tribute to his Brazilian roots in a set of four works by four of his countrymen. Though the compositions are by individual composers they seemed to form a unified picture. In fact, Cohen played them without pausing for applause, as if they were movements of a sonata. The Air by Nepomuceno was bitter sweet but seemed derivative of Chopin. Valsa No. 7 by the twentieth century Brazilian Gnattali was characterized by a sense of humor somewhat in the style of Poulenc. It was filled with shimmering sevenths and seductive modulations. Valsa no. 4 by Levy sounded like a cabaret improvisation by a very talented but melancholy entertainer, and the Valsa Capriccio by Braga raced like Chopin’s minute waltz. Cohen clearly loved each piece performing with verve and enthusiasm. His interpretative ability deserved pieces of greater substance. Nevertheless, it was enlightening to hear works that reflect some elements of Brazilian rhythm and harmony.

Finally Cohen played two pieces of ear candy by the Brazilian composer, Nazareth whose style seems akin to Scott Joplin. Odeon is a delight, but has too much sugar and too little nourishment. Apanhei-te, Cavazuinho, also by Nazareth, begs one to ask, how fast can you say Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers? Now repeat it ten times in falsetto and accelerate with each repetition. It is an amazing trick and Cohen pulled it off with sparkle to spare.

Following intermission came the Chopin Scherzi. These compositions span Chopin’s career from Op. 20 to Op. 54. Each is in a large A-B-A form. The composer took a musical form that is usually associated with witty humor and transformed it into a tour de force of drama. Cohen played the B minor Scherzo as if it were an impressive fountain shooting out a mixture of water and fire. This was a work worthy of his incredible pianistic ability.

The Bb minor Scherzo was equally impressive. Cohen’s remarkable technique was always in service of the music. He never let his technique overshadow the musical expression. He was always the artist, never the showman. The C# minor Scherzo is perhaps the most familiar of the four and Cohen made it the most beautiful. The warm hymn-like section carried the listener into a great cathedral, and then the scintillating shower of notes surrounding the hymn seemed like bright sunlight shining down through intricate stained glass windows.

Just when it seemed the power and drama could not possibly continue to grow, Cohen tackled the Scherzo in E Major. Contemporaries of Chopin describe how he would collapse over the keyboard at the conclusion of his recitals. His health was always fragile. Berlioz is supposed to have said that Chopin was dying all his life. One could certainly not say this of Cohen. This final Scherzo was the ultimate achievement of the afternoon. The finger work was dazzling, the melodies spoke to the heart and the concluding storm was overwhelming, Yet, Cohen showed no signs of fatigue. He brought the recital to a memorable conclusion and the audience responded with an enthusiastic standing ovation.

Larry Warkentin is professor emeritus at Fresno Pacific University and is a composer whose works have been performed by the Fresno Philharmonic, the Festival Quartet of Canada and numerous other ensembles and soloists.