Piano Concert Report I’ve heard a lot about Jon Nakamatsu, a Japanese American classical pianist who is the first American to win the gold medal at The Tenth Vancliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. That was the reason why I went to California Theater in San Jose on October 20, 2013 for his piano concert. This theatre is located on 345 South First Street, San Jose. It didn’t look big from the outside but when I walked in, I was surprised. It is a classy, clean and fancy looking and there are different levels of seating.
Furthermore, the seats are very comfortable and the crowd is very professional. I just felt like I was walking in cathedral in Europe. In my opinion, this is one of the best theatres in San Jose. Jon Nakamatsu’s program included: 2 Impromptus (Franz Schubert), Sonata no. 3 in B Minor (Fre? de? ric Chopin) and Carnaval, opus 9(Robert Schumann).
He began his performance with 2 Impromptus. He seemed to understand every single notes and this was a magic with such sweet melodies. He had a unique interpretation.
Special attention was paid to the alternating notes on the left hand while maintaining melodic lines on the right. His playing spoke of so much with just notes and no words and it really touched my heart deeply. After I listened to this songs, I think this is a truly song written in the moment between desperation and acceptance. Jon seemed to tell me what Schubert said: “Whenever I write of love, it turns to pain, and whenever I write of pain, it turns to love. ” Impromptus are closest to the heart and soul of Schubert of all pieces of his music.
The Essay on San Francisco 1906 Earthquake 2
Over the many decades the economic standing of the United States, specifically California, had fluctuated due to many unforeseen factors. One huge factor that cannot be anticipated, and often causes drastic effects on the economy, are geologic disasters. The state of California is notorious for having earthquakes that shake up the state quite often and leave the affected area with a substantial ...
The second song that Jon Nakamatsu performed was Sonata no. 3 in B Minor. It was one of the best performances of this beautiful sonata and Jon is an incredible pianist. The third movement was superb and I could hear Jon’s spirit in the music. I believe he was largely self-taught, which is astonishing. In his music, he never substituted pianistic bravado for beauty, and that is why never a note was wasted. Everything you could want in his performance is sensitivity, imagination, passion and delicacy. The last song he performed was Carnaval, opus 9.
This piece was so long but it was a wonderful characterization, transparent textures and dynamics. He showed me the pure connection between the human soul and the sounds. The Carnaval made me like Schumann’s music even more. Jon Nakamatsu had breathed new life into his masterpiece. After finish enjoying Jon Nakamatsu’s piano concert, I was deeply inspired and moved to tears. Thanks to him, I’ve been introduced these beautiful pieces which I hadn’t known for long time. Jon gave me the big inspiration and motivation so that I can persuade my dream to become such a great pianist like him.
