Shaham must have been using a baroque bow for that movement. That is the hand position for a baroque bow.

Hello- I’m Isabel Park, a first-year U-M piano student attending several UMS piano performances this season and sharing my thoughts here on UMS Lobby after. If you’d like to read more: http://www.umslobby.org/index.php/2014/11/student-spotlight-u-m-first-year-student-isabel-park-sets-out-to-explore-piano-15982 I’d love to hear your responses!

I had to wonder: would Mr. Denk’s playing be as thoughtful and engaging as his writing? He certainly surpassed my hopes, to say the least. The opening movement of the Bach concerto was nothing short of breathtaking. There was a contagious energy that was viscerally stimulating throughout the duration of the performance. Bach is difficult in that sense – to add a dimension of emotional appeal without tarnishing its paradoxically complex simplicity. But Mr. Denk played with such a conviction that undoubtedly did the concerto justice.

Each individual melody was attentively crafted, and delivered with eloquent contour. He was clearly aware of the homophony as shown through his well-executed decisions to bring specific lines to the forefront of his sound. The only aspect that I didn’t fully agree with were the tempi, which seemed rather fast in the quicker movements, but it was relatively minor and didn’t present much of an issue.

The second movement was contemplative and introverted in just the appropriate ways. It was sensitively played, yet uninhibited in terms of artistic flourish and expression. He didn’t fall into the tendency to polarize Bach by either oversimplifying it, or unnecessarily complicating it. Personally, it was my favorite movement – although the final movement was also phenomenal.

There was a relentless focus as Mr. Denk played the last movement. The result was a more channeled, directed energy which reflected in the intimacy of the ensemble. Unlike many concerto performances, the soloist didn’t seem to be isolated but rather a featured member of the group. The result was a special effect that was especially memorable during an interlude in which the orchestra held various harmonies under Mr. Denk’s technical passages. The members of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields only augmented the performance with their seamless ensemble. Not to mention, their sound was incredibly full and satisfying without any excess thickness or residue that enabled them to create the intimacy of a string quartet while delivering the depth of sound of a bigger orchestra.

For me personally, the most admirable thing about Mr. Denk tonight was his dual role as both a soloist and ensemble director. His depth of understanding for the music was enviable and his unique musical intelligence really shone through today’s performance. Tonight, I left Hill Auditorium very inspired as a pianist.

Hi everyone! Here is the set list for the evening:

Why only one?
Farmer and the Duck
Monkey Actually
Tempo “Di G Gavotta” from Partita No. 6 in e Minor
“Canon” from The Art of Fugue
FRB
Friday
Ham & Cheese
I’ll Remember for You
Fence Post in the Frontyard

INTERMISSION
Tuesday
Tarnation
This is the Pig
Look What I Found
El Cinco Real
“To Be Determined”
Prelude No. 13 from The Well-Tempered Clavier
It’s Dark in Here

ENCORE
First Movement from Concert Duo for Violin and Bass