Полина Осетинская

Osetinskaya evoked a variety of shades and characters within the same mood. Her full, grand tone made this festive music sparkle.

Interpreting the compositions of Bach, Glinka and Rachmaninoff, Osetinskaya not only bravely redefined all the famous performance canons, but she was able to fully adapt her own statements to what the soul wants to say — far from all the masks and dances of the world.

Throughout the Bach concertos, Osetinskaya played with precision and elegance, making the 2.7m Steinway sound as nimble as a finely tuned harpsichord the composer would have expected in his day. The modern pianoforte, of course, has dynamic range and an ability to sustain the sound completely, unlike a harpsichord, so the soloist has myriad options on how to voice the solo part. Osetinskaya opted for a light, but highly percussive touch in the fast, outer movements, which worked perfectly well.

Playing in a pool of overhead light, Osetinskaya visited the whole range of possibilities in five pieces by Bach transcribed — or arranged — by later hands. After the five Bach works, played end-to-end, the audience gave the pianist a resounding ovation. The largely Russian-speaking audience — judging from overheard conversations — reveled in Tchaikovsky’s Concert suite from the ballet “The Nutcracker”. Osetinskaya brought out the individual character of each movement. Flowers and ovations led to a beautifully understated encore: Bist du bei Mir from Anna Magdalena Bach’s famous notebook, tastefully decorated by Osetinskaya.