Peking University: Giovanni Vitaletti, piano

November 2, 2008
Vitaletti's concert was at the Peking University Centennial Concert Hall. It was slightly difficult to locate as it was difficult to pull up a map showing where the concert hall is. I looked up various translations of the venue and finally found a bus map with walking directions to the hall.

The hall was bustling with energy as people poured in for the concert. I had purchased a more expensive ticket and was seated closer to the front. I bought a program but I couldn’t read all of it. I knew from the opus numbers which pieces were going to be played during the first half. The second half, I would have to resort to guessing.

The concert started slightly late to accommodate some of the late guests. People were still entering the hall and looking for their seats between movements. I particularly enjoyed Vitaletti's playing and interpretation of Beethoven op. 53 and 57. The op. 53 Waldstein sonata is particularly difficult technically and musically. I was very happy to hear him start the piece at a moderate and calm tempo unlike most pianists who would dash through the piece. The audience didn’t realize the intricacies of this piece. He also played Busoni's "Carmen Fantasy" and the Don Juan Fantasy by Liszt. I had to look this information up when I got home. I'm sorry I didn't know the titles as the program was entirely in Chinese (of course) but I ended up doing some translation for the Italians close by.

I did not bring my camera into the concert hall following Western concert attendance practice, but it was not so with the local crowd. Even though they were more or less respectful of the no flash photography, they didn’t realize that the little blinking red light on the camera would still reflect off the nice, shiny Steinway. It was a little distracting but it didn’t affect the performer. I wish I videoed his performance like everyone was doing.

I don't think the audience knew how to appreciate his playing as much as the Frenchman's. People started leaving when he was playing his encores, which were from Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" - Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks & Schymule. He did not manage to play his third encore which would be standard practice in Europe. At least, he was greeted with lots of “Brava!” from his countrymen. I was sad that I did not have anyone to process this concert with me so I called my piano professor at UA when I got home that night.