Opening the final week of the Queen Elisabeth Competition is always a thankless task. Not that the candidate who performs first, whatever discipline it may be, cannot win or cannot secure a place in the top six. It is possible yet somewhat more stressful as the candidate can also think that they are happy to go first and for example not have to defend themselves last before the jury and the public.
First candidate: Taeguk Mun - Korea, °1994
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(c) Queen Elisabeth Competition[/caption]
We read in this Korean's CV that he has already been through the mill, among other things in entering and reaching the finals of competitions. You could describe him as a 'competition beast'. Although…
To discuss the assigned work in detail now and the interpretation is premature. That can be better done in the course of the week, when the listener's ear is accustomed to this commissioned work '5 Albumblätter' by Jörg Widmann.
With Robert Schumann's Concerto in a op. 129 we were still left musically hungry. It was an execution that was too flat. It lacked depth and remained limited to technique. Mun also could not really warm up the orchestra. Is he really the competition beast, or are we mistaken?
Second candidate: Petar Pejčić - Serbia (Rep.), °2002
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(c) Queen Elisabeth Competition[/caption]
In JÖRG Widmann's 5 Albumblätter, a noticeably shorter piece by the way (the Queen Elisabeth Competition once had very long assigned works on the programme) the 20-year-old Serb plays with great bravura and brings much musicality to it, alongside the necessary virtuosity. I join in the public's cheers.
Dmitry Shostakovich's Concerto n. 2 in G op. 126 is a work of a different calibre than the assigned piece. It is demanding and perhaps a real competition piece, though you cannot venture into it in a less emotional, romantic way. Pejčić proved himself here as a born musician with, for his young age, great maturity which you can also see in his demeanour. We will not make hasty predictions, but it would surprise me if he were not in the top six.
Monday 30/05 [20:00]
Taeguk Mun [ Robert Schumann, Concerto in a minor op. 129 | Concerto in a op. 129 ]
Petar Pejčić [ Dmitry Shostakovich, Concerto n. 2 in G major op. 126 | Concerto n. 2 in G op. 126 ]