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In memoriam of a genius!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 10/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every October 29th - unavoidably - our mind and soul focus on the still opened wound about the sudden, incomprehensible and absurd disappearance of that genius of the keyboard in that fatidic flight.



William Kapell was called to be the most extraordinary North American pianist ever born. The gaze of his immediate influence is easily perceived in superb masters of the piano (Leon Fleisher, Gary Graffman, Byron Janis, Lorin Hollander or van Cliburn). But despite of all these elapsed years, the flame of his creator genius keeps lightning the febrile imagination of countless artists around the world.



Fifty four years after this terrible fact, the real magnitude of his loss is still present. Just a few and very counted soloists in the history of the music may be proud to share this league. I should cite Pablo Casals, Martha Landowska, Albert Schweitzer, Joseph Szigeti, Jacques Thibaud, David Oistrakh; Sviatoslav Richter, Arturo Benedetti Mchelangeli and Victoria de los Angeles.



The difference that makes the difference among him and the rest was that imperturbable style of playing, absolutely focused on the work, and that continuous worriment by making better and better.



The Prokoviev' s Third is still a reference pattern ( The other superb version belongs to Samson Francois still available in his set of 8 CDs) respect all the others must be compared.



But where the level of performance is impossible to equal or even overcome is his powerful, igneous, penetrating and mercurial version of Kachaturian Piano Concerto. And I even go further; the rest of the pianists (by respect to his memory should be abstain themselves to play it), because in similar terms equals to compare Casals playing Bach's Six Suites respect any other mortal.



It's useless to tell you how fortunate we may regard ourselves when jewels of such value are still available: don't doubt just a second and acquire this immortal document, a priceless treasure for the memory of the future.

"