Wednesday's solo recital at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music by pianist Christopher Basso, was the kind of event you feel compelled to run out and tell somebody about. And Basso has a story. He is not your typical conservatory graduate who returned to his alma mater to share his gift and love. The return journey began years ago and took an unexpected path.
After earning an undergraduate degree at the Conservatory in 1982, Basso moved back to the East Coast to study at the Manhattan School of Music. But as happens to so many fine artists confronted with making a living, he gradually drifted away from music performance.
Nearly 20 years later, in 2000, he competed in the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation, and won the Gold Medal. Although the competitors are amateurs who are at least 35 years old and earn their living outside music, many of them, like Basso himself, are graduates of the best conservatories around the world.
The preparation for the competition, and his victory reignited his passion. Afterward, he was invited to perform at numerous venues, including filling in for the renowned Hélène Grimaud after she cancelled an appearance at the Rockport Music Festival. Basso returned to San Francisco Conservatory in 2002 for his master's degree, which he completed in 2004. After graduation, he returned to teaching music, while also working in the public relations department at the Conservatory.
His solo recital was his first in many years. Between his two jobs he has had little time to practice. However, little by little, he was practicing away, honing his mastery, chipping away at a demanding program.
From Intimacy to a Galloping Finale
He began with a tender, intimate interpretation of the "Arietta" from Grieg's Lyric Pieces. The Grieg set also included a playful romp through "Butterfly," Op. 43, No.1 — although the sheer exuberance almost got the better of him — and a joyful performance of "Homeward." Basso clearly loves these pieces and delighted in sharing them with us.
The brooding Schubert Sonata in C Minor, D. 958 changed the mood. Written just two months before the composer's death, its expansive score expresses torment and lamenting, perhaps inspired by his dire circumstances. Basso retold Schubert's life through the sonata — the moments of joy, regret, and his impending death. Here was proof that Basso's art lies in his ability to tell stories. If I were to nitpick though, I would look for more prominence for the inner lines, to add depth, and more sparing use of the sustain pedal.
After intermission, Basso launched into his old, medal-winning warhorse, Prokofiev's Sonata No.8 in B-flat Major, Op. 84. The performance was riveting, with a multi-dimensional array of colors and shapes. The contrasts were so vivid that I felt I could see and touch the music. Basso was clearly comfortable with the demanding, neurotic, and deceptively tricky score, and he played the fireworks passages in the last pages with dry, witty humor.
Though Basso is apparently not aiming at a concert-playing career, his passionate music-making is no less arresting for that. His concert was a free gift, gratefully accepted by the lucky audience that heard him.