"The pupil surpasses the master" is a saying that in the case of pupil Steven Kleeven may well come true, or should I say will certainly come true. Not every 14-year-old pianist is offered the opportunity by a soloist of the highest level to take lessons from him and more, to perform concerts together with him. Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden is that master…
You really must go to at least one concert in the D'Ieteren Gallery, whenever the opportunity arises. It is the private museum of D'Ieteren, the importer of the Volkswagen Group, Audi, Porsche and several other car brands. On the second floor of the headquarters there is a magnificent automobile museum with also some carriages. In the middle of the museum is a semi-open hall that has been constructed where chamber music concerts are regularly held.
While the Klara Awards were being presented at Flagey (see Roger Creyf's report), I was listening to a possible future winner of a Klara. Apart from the many perfectly restored cars, what stood out especially was the acoustics, which are quite good. You would not expect it in such a hall: reasonably low ceiling, semi-open space. The wooden walls that have been installed keep the music within listening range and nothing is lost despite the fact that the sound is a bit short and slightly dry.
Steven Kleeven, whom we remember from his beautiful collaboration with Roeland Hendrickx at the Golden Labels Award Ceremony 2018 in Geel, performed together with the laureate Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden.
The older resignation, the youthful enthusiasm
I completely missed the first piece of the concert: traffic congestion and parking problems due to a European summit. Such is life. Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden played the fourth ballade opus 52 by Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849). His piano playing is impeccable, controlled, sonorous, although pianissimo passages and a slower tempo predominate. Much of it comes across cautiously and thoughtfully, the powerful virtuosic passages thunder through the hall in full fortissimo.
From Franz Liszt (1811-1886), Steven Kleeven played the second ballade S 171. While the 'old master' makes music in a more restrained and introverted manner, the young teenager overwhelms the audience. Although it is not just high energy in this ballade. Steven manages to conjure up nuanced refinements in his pianistic playing that even brings emotion. Precisely what Liszt wanted with this work.
After the intermission, which lasts somewhat longer presumably to allow people to admire the many vehicles in the museum where a carriage stands such as the one in which Franz Schubert (1797-1828) possibly travelled himself, we listen to his Fantasia for 4 hands on piano, D 940. Look, just the gesture of Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden to bring this boy on stage and to perform four-hand play with him deserves all praise. It is extremely difficult for so many young people to display their talent to the public, too many people do not get the chance to break through. If you then get such a push in the back, that deserves a great feather in the cap of the opportunity-giver.
Like a loyal duo, then already in tune with each other for years, both interpret this well-known fantasia. The soprano part is given to Steven Kleeven and he plays it in a singing manner, with very carefully executed ornamentations. It is always a pleasure to hear this work, however much it may have been 'worn out'. The young talent concludes the concert evening with the second scherzo opus 31 by Chopin. Again an impressive performance that can compete with quite a few professional pianists, although we notice that the boy does get somewhat tired. The programme he performed is not an easy one. What struck us throughout is that this teenager has made enormous progress since his appearance at the Golden Labels Award Ceremony of Klassiek Centraal. He is clearly in good piano hands with his teacher Marijke Oers.
- WHAT: piano recital romantic music
- WHO: Steven Kleeven and Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden
- WHERE & WHEN: D'Ieteren Gallery, Brussels, Friday 22 March 2019
