I had the privilege of attending a recital at Tate Hall on the CPCC campus in Charlotte, NC last evening. I am not a professional critic. Far from it, but I just wanted to share my experience. It had been a long time since I’d been able to attend a flute recital of any kind, so it was food for my soul. I had never heard Mr. Bouriakov play before, and when the person who took my admission fee told me I was in for a treat, she was not kidding.
He began the evening with the C.P.E. Bach Sonata for Flute and Continuo in G Major. I caught myself watching his hands, which is not something I usually do. He had such a delicate touch both in his fingers and in the sound. His sensitive delivery and phrasing were absolutely beautiful, and I thought to myself, “Wow, if this is what he does with the Bach, I can’t wait to hear what he does with the French composers!”
The concert proceeded with a Sonata for Flute and Piano by Otar Taktakishvili. The concert notes stated that “Denis looks outside the standard flute repertoire for works that allow the flute to shine.” While I am no expert, I am unfamiliar with the Taktakishvili, and I am assuming this is one of those pieces outside the standard repertoire. (?) In any case, I’m a fan, and I’ve found a new piece I want to acquire and learn.
The evening continued with the Enesco “Cantibile [sic] et Presto” and the Chaminade Concertino. They did not disappoint, either. I won’t go into details, but they were absolutely lovely and made me want to pull both pieces back out of the file cabinet and dust them off. While I can never aspire to the agility and speed of his technique, I would love to try to capture some of the fluidity of Mr. Bouriakov’s interpretation. He followed with the Saint-Saens Romance, which was lovely as well.
He ended the program (not counting the Bach encore) with Waxman’s Carmen Fantasy. I’ve always regarded the Carmen a bit like I do much of Liszt’s work, not necessarily as valuable for its musical worth as for its ability to allow the performer to show off. However, Bouriakov did it such justice, and with a technique like his, it SHOULD be shown off! He is amazing. The piece ended to the whoops and cheers of the audience, bringing it to its feet in a standing ovation.
Thank you, Denis Bouriakov and Vahan Sargsyan (piano) for sharing your talents with a very grateful Charlotte audience on an incredibly stormy evening. Thank you, too, J.L. Smith and Company and Altus flutes for making it all possible. It was worth braving the storm and so much more to be a part of your evening!