Concert Reviews

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Wisdom, expression and sound
Recital for the Chopin Festival in Warsaw

Janina Fialkowska of half Polish, half Canadian origin lives in the United States and in Germany where her husband is a native, and speaks fluent French without a Quebec accent. In a word she is a citizen of the world and no western culture should be foreign to her. Her Warsaw recital began with the Sonata for piano #13 in A major D.664 (opus posthumous 120) by Franz Schubert. The interpretation given by Fialkowska was characterized by a remarkable wisdom which was given its concrete expression on the agogic level (no abrupt changes of tempo) and in the sound of her Steinway which was impregnated with colours and a fineness of touch.

This soloist's Chopin was nostalgic and close to what one could call the "Polish Idiom": epic, contrasting, emotive, lugubrious and dancing (especially in the Mazurkas opus 24). Concerning Fialkowska's Liszt, it was calm, well-tempered and very little concerned with virtuosity. The artist preferred to discover tranquility in the works, rather than wowing the public with the technical side.

Maciej Chizynski, Resmusica, Sept. 9th, 2011
Deeply felt – discreetly powerful - but never exaggerated
Janina Fialkowska performs for the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival

When Janina Fialkowska gave her debut at Husum’s Piano-Rarity-Festival in 1998 she captivated her audience not only with rarely heard Polish works but also with her non-rarity encore: Chopin’s 2nd Ballade which I had never heard played so convincingly, so finely shaded in the lyrical parts, so unrelenting in the tragic parts.

The forte of her playing was evident already in Schuberts A major Sonata … Janina Fialkowska’s playing breathes remarkably naturally, and as a correct consequence it is well-thought out, deeply felt, discreetly powerful, but never exaggerated.

She also showed her authority in a group of Chopin pieces. The a minor Mazurka appeared like soulful dance, built on a delicately clear, tenderly pedaled sound.

The Chopin highlight was the enigmatic b major Nocturne, which was not a distended teary-eyed affair but was articulated as a longingly discreet “chanson”.

The great rugged b minor scherzo showed Chopin’s demonic side.

Her beautiful interpretation got to the heart of three Lisztian piano transcriptions of songs by Chopin. And a stroke of luck during the the heavily acclaimed evening was Fialkowska’s interpretation of Liszt’s “Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude” kept free of any pious acting, keyboard “bell- ringing” sentimentality by her heavenly sobriety, her water colored intensity, so to speak.

Kieler Nachrichten, August 16th, 2011
Ovations for Janina Fialkowska
Beethoven’s 4th piano concerto with the Suk Symphony Orchestra (Prague)

There were ovations for Janina Fialkowska. The pianist enchanted in Beethoven’s 4th piano concerto not only with fragrant, melodic chains of perls, virtuoso demanding passages, intimate lingering tones, suggestive phrasing. No, these technical-artistic highlights are used by her within her captivating intelligently designed master plan and never as a self-serving emblazoned end in itself. Above all in the 2nd movement the opposing polarization between soloist and orchestra played a crucial role. This she formed with all her pianistic means distance and approach in fascinating nuances and in the cheerful-faunlike finale there was no lack of powerful brilliance.

Augsburger Allgemeine, 25. Juli 2011
Pole Position on Keyboard
Janina plays the opening concert of the 18th Singapore International Piano Festival

Her wonderfully varied programme began with … Schubert … the way she shaped its sunny themes, filled with songlike radiance and suppleness, left little doubt of her artistry.

In the music of her fellow Poles, a sure-footed authority held sway … her delicate and always imaginative touch were a premium.

Her view of Chopin was no less satisfying. The Waltz in A flat major (Op.34 No.1) had lightness and scintillation, the trills of the Nocturne in B major (Op.62, Nor.1) lingered ever so deliciously, while the sheer vehemence and violence of the Scherzo No.1 (Op.20) was given loving respite by a tender Polish lullaby. …

There can be no more subtle or sublime work than Liszt’s “Benediction De Dieu dans la Solitude” (The Blessing of God in Solitude), which received a dream performance. The right hand’s gentle filigree, in communion with the baritone song by the left hand, created the spiritual high of the evening.

Three of Chopin’s Polish Songs in transcription brought the listener back to more earthy reaches.

Fialkowska played a less familiar version of the Schubert-Liszt “Soirees De Vienne” No.6, but the rhythmic pulse of the waltz was ever pervasive.

The ante was upped for the vulgar Waltz from Gounod’s “Faust”, where she went for the jugular of the Devil… It was a thrilling ride from the first to the last note.

With two delightful little encores by Chopin and Mendelssohn, the transformation from Mephistopheles to Saint Janina was complete.

The Strait Times (Singapore), June 18, 2011, by Chang Tou Liang
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