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Press Releases
Pianist Raffi Besalyan Receives Rave Review for Pro Musica of Detroit Concert
Renowned Armenian-American pianist Raffi Besalyan recently made his Detroit recital debut for Pro Musica of Detroit. He performed an extraordinary program, delighting the audience and receiving the following rave concert review:
“Pianist Raffi Besalyan presented the Pro Musica audience with a lavish smorgasbord of 21 piano works, some of them well-known, but the majority were experienced by us for the first time. Judging from the reaction and post-concert comments by audience members, it was a terrific evening.
“It was only right that Mr. Besalyan would devote the first segment of his concert to works by composers from his native Armenia. ‘Spring’ by Komitas has a gentle beginning, followed by an emotional passage, then returns to the quiet of the opening. This was followed by the powerful Prelude # 6 by Eduard Bagdasarian.
“The highlight of the Armenian program was the quartet of pieces by Arno Babajanian, beginning with the peaceful Prelude, then the exquisite ‘Melody,’ so song-like, and unmistakably from the Caucasus, as was the Elegie, and such great playing by the right hand! It was so beautiful! The energetic Dance concluded this segment.
“The first half of the recital was dominated by the music of Rachmaninoff. Five of his 24 Preludes, including the two most popular ones. The ubiquitous ‘Bells of Moscow’ received excellent pacing by Mr. Besalyan, and the G minor was performed brilliantly. The E-flat Major is so lyrical and it reminded me of ‘that’ passage in his 2nd Piano Concerto. Raffi showed ‘rolling notes’ discipline in the C minor in a dazzling display, each hand taking turns in wave after wave of sound. The G Major Prelude closed the set in a quiet mood. It was a love song.
“The three Etudes-Tableaux were revelatory. ‘Scene at the Fair’ reminded me of the C minor Prelude. The C minor Etude was insanely energetic, and the one in A minor (‘Little Red Riding Hood’) was alternately humorous and sinister, ending in two snarling ‘bites.’
“Following Intermission, Raffi played three Preludes by Gershwin. He showed a real flair for the ‘bluesy’ style. I loved his rendition of the ‘Blue Lullaby,’ and the ‘Spanish Prelude’ was wonderfully rhythmical.
“The Ukrainian Nikolai Kapustin also was fond of jazz. Raffi performed his Prelude in E Major. If you don’t think jazz can be beautiful, listen to that piece, as performed by Mr. Besalyan. And the Concert Etude in F minor, fiendishly difficult, was given a bravura reading.
“Chopin’s famous Waltz in C-sharp minor was played with such graceful sensitivity. Raffi used his rubatos to great effect.
“The maniacal Mephisto Waltz # 1 by Liszt closed the program. Its technical difficulties were negotiated with aplomb, but what a jaw-dropper! Face it, the piece is mostly empty bombast, but it is so much fun, and it displays a pianist’s exceptional skills. Raffi Besalyan has a surfeit of them, stamina and strength foremost in this opus.
“What a glorious evening this was!”
To read the entire concert review by Josiah Tazelaar, please visit:
http://www.detroitperforms.org/2014/10/raffi-besalyan-concert-review/
Raffi Besalyan’s next performance will be held at Asbury University, Akers Auditorium, Wilmore, Kentucky, for the Asbury University Artist Series on Friday, November 7, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. He will also conduct a master class for five piano students at 3:00 p.m.
For information on upcoming performances and master classes, recording projects, reviews, video clips, and more, please visit www.raffibesalyan.com and www.youtube.com/user/taomusicarts. For booking information, contact Tina Doerr at 715-479-6414 or tinadoerr@solarus.net.
“Pianist Raffi Besalyan presented the Pro Musica audience with a lavish smorgasbord of 21 piano works, some of them well-known, but the majority were experienced by us for the first time. Judging from the reaction and post-concert comments by audience members, it was a terrific evening.
“It was only right that Mr. Besalyan would devote the first segment of his concert to works by composers from his native Armenia. ‘Spring’ by Komitas has a gentle beginning, followed by an emotional passage, then returns to the quiet of the opening. This was followed by the powerful Prelude # 6 by Eduard Bagdasarian.
“The highlight of the Armenian program was the quartet of pieces by Arno Babajanian, beginning with the peaceful Prelude, then the exquisite ‘Melody,’ so song-like, and unmistakably from the Caucasus, as was the Elegie, and such great playing by the right hand! It was so beautiful! The energetic Dance concluded this segment.
“The first half of the recital was dominated by the music of Rachmaninoff. Five of his 24 Preludes, including the two most popular ones. The ubiquitous ‘Bells of Moscow’ received excellent pacing by Mr. Besalyan, and the G minor was performed brilliantly. The E-flat Major is so lyrical and it reminded me of ‘that’ passage in his 2nd Piano Concerto. Raffi showed ‘rolling notes’ discipline in the C minor in a dazzling display, each hand taking turns in wave after wave of sound. The G Major Prelude closed the set in a quiet mood. It was a love song.
“The three Etudes-Tableaux were revelatory. ‘Scene at the Fair’ reminded me of the C minor Prelude. The C minor Etude was insanely energetic, and the one in A minor (‘Little Red Riding Hood’) was alternately humorous and sinister, ending in two snarling ‘bites.’
“Following Intermission, Raffi played three Preludes by Gershwin. He showed a real flair for the ‘bluesy’ style. I loved his rendition of the ‘Blue Lullaby,’ and the ‘Spanish Prelude’ was wonderfully rhythmical.
“The Ukrainian Nikolai Kapustin also was fond of jazz. Raffi performed his Prelude in E Major. If you don’t think jazz can be beautiful, listen to that piece, as performed by Mr. Besalyan. And the Concert Etude in F minor, fiendishly difficult, was given a bravura reading.
“Chopin’s famous Waltz in C-sharp minor was played with such graceful sensitivity. Raffi used his rubatos to great effect.
“The maniacal Mephisto Waltz # 1 by Liszt closed the program. Its technical difficulties were negotiated with aplomb, but what a jaw-dropper! Face it, the piece is mostly empty bombast, but it is so much fun, and it displays a pianist’s exceptional skills. Raffi Besalyan has a surfeit of them, stamina and strength foremost in this opus.
“What a glorious evening this was!”
To read the entire concert review by Josiah Tazelaar, please visit:
http://www.detroitperforms.org/2014/10/raffi-besalyan-concert-review/
Raffi Besalyan’s next performance will be held at Asbury University, Akers Auditorium, Wilmore, Kentucky, for the Asbury University Artist Series on Friday, November 7, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. He will also conduct a master class for five piano students at 3:00 p.m.
For information on upcoming performances and master classes, recording projects, reviews, video clips, and more, please visit www.raffibesalyan.com and www.youtube.com/user/taomusicarts. For booking information, contact Tina Doerr at 715-479-6414 or tinadoerr@solarus.net.
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