Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner 15th Tchaikovsky Competition, June 10-July 3

Debargue fatigued out. His concentration is weak now.
Probably he is out.

Wow, our first bravo and applauding between Tchai movements. Not even Li got that. Is there someone in the crowd perhaps intent to create such a scene?

Yep, fading out hard.

He could have more friends than others there. I told you, when the finalists were announced he received lots of applause, and only family and friends were there. And, you know, the French can be very vocal!

He has lots of fans, though. Many nice messages being sent there on the page, and people saying he is a real musician and not just hitting the keys.

Nice cello solo indeed - seriously looking forward to Tchai 2. Woah, fast scherzando section now!

I've never watched the Tchaikovsky Competition before. Quite frankly I'm surprised that each finalist must perform TWO major concertos with only a short break (if you can even call it a break) between each. This may be a standard procedure at other major competitions as well, but I can't begin to fathom the level of concentration, endurance and skill (technical and musical) that it requires.

I thought Dubargue played the 2nd movement beautifully...and what he's doing right now with the final movement is amazing.

I don't remember any other major competition having this hellish rule. Rubinstein had its finalists play their classical and romantic/modern concertos separately last year.

Would you believe I have no impression of Debargue, overall? As bewildering and yet intriguing as he was all contest long.

"Would you believe I have no impression of Debargue, overall? As bewildering and yet intriguing as he was all contest long."

I have the same feeling.

As I said earlier, it's extremely rare even in major competitions to do two concerti one after the other. In a few competitions, there's a requirement to do a classical concerto plus a romantic concerto, and perhaps there are a few competitions where you're doing one just after the other - but doing two major romantic concerti one after the other is highly unusual in competitions. They didn't even do it this way last time in the Tchaikovsky competition, and previous times I don't know what the standard practice has been:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Tchaikovsky_Competition_2011_%E2%80%93_Piano

Also, I'm frankly surprised by such negative remarks as 'Yeah, fading out hard', 'He is probably out' and so on. What I heard from this performance was that there were a couple of inconsistencies here and there, but overall lots of good things in his playing.

It was more of a real-time observation, on my behalf. His ending of the first movement sounded genuinely weary and spent. I think he finished the last movement well, though.

That is to mean, he was so good but unfortunately performing two concertos effected his performance.
Otherwise at one moment in his Liszt I was almost in tears.
Very expressive playing overall.
So my comment was that I am sorry that he won't probably place.
I like his musical playing.

Da, I went to check the poll. It is not on the main page anymore so couldn't find it. The cello poll in main page now and the 2 Russians have all the votes.

Debargue does look a bit on the thin side.

Geniusas has a larger frame and has a bit more meat. So he may have the stamina to last his two concertos.

Is it going to be "Kevin Spacey" conductor for everybody?

(Maestro Bogorad is terrific.)

Does an ultra-marathoner (or Ironman triathlete) have a large frame?

Does Martha Argerich lack stamina - even at her age?

This the tricky part. Every time you refresh the page, you get a different poll.
Either the piano, violin, cello or voice.

Or you can click this direct link:
http://tchaikovskycompetition.moscow/polls/piano/3round

Martha Argerich is an anomaly. She does not use energy in her performance, she GETS energy from the performance.

In 'Bloody Daughters', a documentary directed and produced by her third daughter, Stephanie Argerich, there was a clip of Martha getting ready to do a solo recital in Japan. (Argerich does not do anymore solo recitals because it is too 'lonely'.) Stephanie narrated: (I paraphrase)

"Mom is always nervous before her performance. She would complained that she does not want to do this. But she would go and perform anyway. By the time she finished, I would look 5 years older and she would look 10 years younger."

Cellist often do two short, demanding concerti in one concert--with break.

Pianists? I saw Barenboim do Beethoven 3 and Tchaik. 1 in one live NY Phil concert, years ago. With a breather between (orchestra-only work).

I guess, due to all the Mozart, no Beethoven concerti in the finals.

I was trying to figure out the possible reason for this. The only thing I could come up with is that, since all but one play the Tchaik 1, it would very boring/difficult for the audience, judges, and orchestra to play four Tchaik 1 in a row. If they decided to get around this by doing some of the competitor's choice of concerto instead of the Tchaik 1, it might be considered an unfair advantage.

Considering the source and the number of negative comments he has posted for this competition and other competitions, perhaps you shouldn't be surprised.