Often times in today’s highly-competitive music world, which is even more intense in the realm of classical music, especially classical piano, one often runs across artists whose resumes read as if they should rank among the best players in the world, only to let down the listener once one views one of their concerts or hears one of their recordings. While there are artists who inflate their CV’s in order to gain esteem and land high-level performance opportunities across the globe, others let the music speak for themselves, delivering virtuoso performances that act as the best calling card possible. Award winning, Brazilian pianist Aleyson Scopel is an artist who has both a stellar resume and can play with the best pianists in the business, and his CD Ao Vivo Na Sala Ceclia Meireles provides listeners an intimate and highly-personal look into the musical world of this virtuoso artist.
Comprised of works by Scarlatti, Mozart, Almeida Prado and Schumann, the live recording is a delight to listen to as Scopel does an admirable job of not only interpreting these classic piano works, but personalizing them in a way that draws the listener in and keeps them glued to their speakers until the final notes of the “Fantasie in C Minor” ring out. There are many pianists on today’s classical music scene that have the technical prowess to handle these pieces, but there are few that can interpret them with the musical maturity and lush tone as Scopel does on the album. The “Adagio in B Minor” is a fine example of Scopel’s intricate and personalized approach to interpretation. The performance is filled with perfectly executed passages, but what makes it stand out is Scopel’s use of silence, the well-placed pauses that draw the listener in, leaving them with baited breath as they wonder what is coming next. The classical world, just like any other genre such as jazz, blues and rock, is full of technical virtuosos. Players who can execute the most difficult passages with the greatest of ease, so it is a breath of fresh air to hear an artist such as Scopel interject silence and longer pauses into his playing. Not only does it help keep the listener’s attention throughout the recording, but it showcases the world-class musicianship that helps makes Scopel stand out in the crowded classical piano world.
One has many choices when it comes to which classical pianist they want to see in concert and which classical piano albums they would like to add to their music library, so it is that much more important that modern artists define their sound and provide an engaging and exciting learning experience for the listener, especially when interpreting classic works by Mozart, Scarlatti and Schumann. In this respect, Scopel’s album is a resounding success. Not only does it stand up to the rigorous tastes of the seasoned fan of the genre, but the intimate performance will act as the perfect introduction to the genre for newcomers of any background and tastes. It is rare to hear a classical pianist in today’s day and age that can perform works that are hundreds of years old, yet still make them sound fresh, new and interesting, but Scopel does just that with his latest recording. On top of this, the album was made in a live performance, capturing the exciting that goes along with attending a classical music concert. With such a successful live performance, one can only wonder what Scopel will sound like when he releases a studio album. If he decides to pursue this avenue in the future, judging by his past accomplishments, it will be as stunning as any classical piano record released today.
Review by Matthew Warnock
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
