“Age cannot wither him, nor custom stale His infinite variety.”

That quotation (with apologies to Shakespeare for the slight rephrasing) came irresistibly to mind as Ivan Moravec gave what was billed as his 75th birthday concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam on Sunday evening (November 20th). Moravec had, in fact, turned 75 eleven days before – but no matter. The recital confirmed that the Grand Seigneur of the piano (as a German critic called him) is playing better than ever – and amazingly finding new things to say about music from which one felt he had long since extracted almost every possible colour, shade and brilliance.

Beethoven’s Appassionata sonata was a case in point. Most admirers of Moravec surely know the recording that he made of the piece no less than 43 years ago and that has happily been transferred to a well-sounding CD. In its combination of explosive drama, strict control and whirlwind prestidigitation that performance seemed to have just about everything and, on re-hearing, it still overwhelms. But in Amsterdam, Moravec showed there are other paths at least as valid to the heart of Beethoven. In the first movement he held back the intermittent ff outbursts more than he used to, but built a climax of greater cumulative power; in the last movement he took a slower basic tempo than before (and after all Beethoven did ask for Allegro ma non troppo) so that the sense of abandon in the acceleration of the final bars – passion released after long suppression - was all the greater.

The Dutch are not generally famed for spontaneous demonstrations of high emotion; but after the Appassionata those present sprang to their feet to give Moravec a long, standing ovation – and the second, all-Chopin, half of the concert was still to come! This too showed how Moravec has re-thought his approach to works he has played for decades and long since memorably recorded. It would be hard to conceive performances of the Nocturnes of greater sensitivity than those Moravec put on disc back in 1965, and perhaps some listeners who got to know the works through those very recordings may regret the pianist’s way with them now. On the evidence of those Nocturnes he played in Amsterdam (Op.27 nrs 1 and 2, Op. 15 nr 2 and Op. 48 nr 1), Moravec now takes a stricter approach and lingers less. It is almost as though he sees the works as more troubling than he used to – Nachtstücke with shadows, as it were – so that it takes more toughness to address them. Something of the same also goes for his current interpretation of the first Ballade with which (bar encores) he completed the programme. Arguably that approach is just as true to Chopin, perhaps more so.

The recital began with fine renderings of Czech music: Janácek’s In the Mists as well two pieces by Suk, Lovesong and - a rarity for Moravec - Longing (from the Spring suite Op.22a). It is good to know that the whole programme was taped for future broadcast; also, to learn that Moravec is expected to return to the Concertgebouw for concerts in 2006 and 2007. The Dutch took a while to recognise his very special gifts, but they seem now to have taken him to their hearts.

Three pianists celebrate their birthday in this season's Master Pianist series. The American pianist Earl Wild celebrated his 90th anniversary in September. Alfred Brendel will be adding lustre to his 75th in March and last Sunday the Czech pianist Ivan Moravec celebrated his 75th birthday in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

Until recently Moravec was a well kept secret. Insiders knew him to rank among the international elite but hardly anyone here had heard of him. All of this changed when Moravec made his convincing debut in the Master Pianists series in 2002, followed up by an enchanting second recital in 2004. Meanwhile Moravec draws full houses. Even the Dutch pianist Wibi Soerjadi rushed to Amsterdam in a limousine to come listen to this exemplary pianist of the old school.

To honour his home country, Moravec opened wth two pieces by the well known Czech violinist Joseph Suk. He played his Lovesong and Longing with modest devotion but the musical quality barely surpassed the kind of kitsch one would expect in a piano bar in Tokyo.

Janácek's In the Mist sounded much more suggestive and refined - music like a pond; glistening in the moonlight, rippled now and then by a breeze or a whirpool.

Then followed an impressive performance of Beethoven's Appasionata, perfect in its classical proportions. In this marble frame, Moravec ignited a storm with pure phrasing end powerful expression.

Moravec also played Chopin, breathtakingly beautiful, with an exception to the Nocturne in C sharp (op.27, nr.1), where he disrupted the flowing metre by accentuating the chords too heavily. But from there it was pure poetry and musical philosophy that resounded in the Nocturnes in D flat (op.27 nr.2), in F sharp (op. 15 nr.2), and in C (op.48 nr 1). Chopin's Ballade nr.1 resonated a youthful glow, fluent sonority and a profoundly honest sound.

Earlier this season, Earl Wild celebrated his ninetieth birthday with a recital in the great hall of the Concertgebouw. Last Sunday, another elderly celebrating master pianist was there to be heard: the 75-year old Czech Ivan Moravec.

By the look of it, the years have not touched Ivan Moravec. His technically flawless playing faltered only once, in the final movement of Chopin's first Ballade, where it suddenly appeared less solid. For that matter, Earl Wild had played the same piece several weeks before in the same hall. His light and natural approach was better appreciated than the more dramatic version of Moravec.

Apart from this, nothing but praise for the wonderful performance by this sympathetic pianist! The four Nocturnes, also by Chopin, were successful one by one.

Remarkably, Moravec plays the Nocturnes - one of his great specialties - less dreamlike then most other pianists. His approach is realistic, tangible but most of all humane and passionate. Especially the Nocturne in C sharp, opus 27 nr.1, received a highly dramatic and powerful execution. The same can be said of the Nocturne in C, opus 48 nr. 1, in which Moravec rendered the chorale theme with an unparalleled sonority. More poetic but never too sweet were the Nocturnes in D flat, opus 27 nr.2 and in F sharp, opus 15 nr. 2. Moravec makes this music sound noble and honest through and through.

The Czech kicked off his birthday party with music by two fellow countrymen. Lovesong and Longing, two songs that are completely unknown in our parts, by Josef Suk (1874-1935) proved to be well written romantic salon pieces without much depth or originality.

Of a different kind was the suite In the mists by Leos Janácek, Even though this composer was Josef Suk's senior by twenty years, his style is much more original and considerably more modern, almost expressionist. Moravec played this four-part cycle very convincingly.

The fact remains that this music is less accessible, easier to understand perhaps for those who know Czech folk music and speak the language. The Amsterdam audience, which lacked this reference, worked its way through it with loud coughs and sneezes, before it went quiet in awe of Moravec's sublime performance of the Beethoven Sonata Appasionata.

The opening movement sounded structured ard clear. Initially Moravec's approach was rather relaxed and not very passionate, but this served to lift up the piece to a greater climax along the way. The result was fantastic. In the Andante with variations he produced a fine balance between steady metre and flexible rhythmicality.

Brilliant were the moments where Beethoven temporarily shifts the metre. The power and passion with which the 75-year old built up the difficult presto were impressive. But the real quality of this movement was its rhetoric: it sounded like a narration, not an etude.

Een pianist op leeftijd, zo kun je zeker de bijna 75 - jarige Tsjech Ivan Moravec noemen.

Maar Moravec is in Nederland pas een paar jaar geleden goed bekend geworden door concerten die veel mensen nog lang zullen heugen. Daarom was het een verrassing dat hij Grigory Sokolov verving, afgelopen zaterdag in de solistenserie van Musis Sacrum. Ivan Moravec is op het podium een heel rustige verschijning, zoals hij daar loopt - hij straalt meteen een weldadige rust uit die ook in zijn pianospel zijn weerslag vindt.

Moravec was een leerling van de legendarische pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, in 1920 geboren in Brescia en vele jaren een absolute grootheid, die vooral in de jaren vijftig, zestig en zeventig triomfen vierde. het is wel te horen dat diens opvattingen over helderheid en eerbied voor de partituur ook in Moravec's geest de nodige ruimte gevonden hebben. Enkele werken van Debussy klonken onder zijn handen als nieuw: opgepoetst en van alle stoflagen ontdaan. De Childrens Corner werd op die manier een aaneenschakeling van leuke en onverwachte momenten, die mede door een geraffineerd pedaalgebruik alleen nog maar boeiender werden.

De Suite Pour le piano was een collage van flitsend pianospel, afgewisseld met broze momenten in het langzame deel.

Waarna de virtuoze Toccata, die het slot van deze Suite vormt, als één beweging neergezet werd.

Behalve met Debussy heeft Ivan Moravec een grote affiniteit met Chopin. Hij speelt deze componist met een innerlijke diepgang die je nu nog maar zelden hoort.

Misschien moet je daarvoor toch de zeventig jaar zijn gepasseerd. Enkele Nocturnes klonken als diepe ontboezemingen van een man die veel van het leven heeft gezien.

De Ballade no. 1 was aan het slot een wervelende demonstratie van uitdagende pianistiek. De vleugel klink bij hem nooit opdringerig of agressief. Nee, deze blijft onder de handen van Moravec een zingend instrument, ideaal voor de vele lange uitgesponnen melodieën, waar Chopin rijkelijk zijn meesterschap in kon leggen.

After many years when (absurdly) he was rarely invited at all, Ivan Moravec has become a regular, eagerly awaited visitor to Munich and this recital was arguably the finest he has yet given there (see review below). Even the most dedicated admirer of the art of Moravec might look at the above programme in advance and feel - wonderful, looking forward to it, but nothing really new. How wrong that is. What amazes is how this pianist continues to tease new elements out of great music he has played countless times before. Nothing has gone stale, nothing is mechanical. The Moravec recordings of the above pieces from around the 1960s are wonders of poetry and tonal beauty but one realises now that they marked only the start of an interpretative odyssey. Nowadays even more subtle detail emerges, but in the context of a stricter overall approach to rhythmn and structure. Admittedly, not everything quite came off ideally; the great climax of "La Cathedrale Engloutie" emerged very marginally too soon, the rippling runs of the Toccata in "Pour le Piano" were not as clear as Moravec can make them. But for most of the rest Moravec might as well say "Look on my works ye pianists and despair."

Following is a critique by Gabriele Luster in the Munich daily "Muenchner Merkur". Under the heading "It's a matter of every nuance" Frau Luster makes many cogent points (although she seems to believe that Moravec lives in the U.S.!), and concludes that although it is possible to hear playing of greater superficial virtuosity and brilliance these days, none can be heard of greater musicality.

Während die Jungstars auftrumpfen, mit aberwitziger Virtuosität und Exzentrik ihr Publikum hypnotisieren, beschert Ivan Moravec seinen Zuhörern ein stilles Glück. Wenn der feine, alte Herr - wie jetzt wieder im Münchner Herkulessaal - zum Flügel geht und ihm die ersten verhaltenen Töne entlockt, wird es still im Saal, mucksmäuschenstill.

Denn man weiß, jetzt kommt es auf jede Nuance an. Bei Debussy ebenso wie bei Chopin, deren sanft schimmernde Klangwelten Moravec mit traumwandlerischer Leichtigkeit herbeizaubert. Faszinierend, wie seine Finger über die Tastatur "kriechen", behände oder auch in spannungsdichter Langsamkeit, wie er die Melodieführung herausschält und die Harmonien vielfach abschattiert. Staunenswert, mit welch subtiler Anschlagskultur der in den USA lebende Prager Pianist geradezu pointillistische Farbtupfer setzt. In den dezent humorigen Szenen der "Children's Corner", deren Schlichtheit genau diesen Meister braucht - der "entmaterialisierte" Schneeflockentanz (Nr. 4) bewies es.

Doch Moravec verzaubert nicht nur mit impressionistischer Klangsensibilität, er bewahrt die kostbaren, kleinen Gebilde auch vor dem Zerfließen, gibt ihnen Kontur und Zusammenhalt, hält die Binnenspannung. Auch in den vier Nocturnes von Chopin, deren drittes, Des-Dur op. 27 Nr. 2, in seinem zarten Melos, seiner Klarheit, mit dezenten Rubati versehen, zu reiner Schönheit gedieh.

Natürlich kann auch Moravec mit glitzernder Geläufigkeit aufwarten, absolviert er die Toccata aus Debussys Suite "Pour le Piano" wie ein perpetuum mobile, schafft er es, Chopins c-Moll-Nocturne op. 48 Nr. 1 lustvoll wuchern zu lassen und doch klar zu strukturieren. Auch in der g-Moll-Ballade op. 23 bleibt die virtuose Behändigkeit Mittel zum Klang. Das alles lässt sich virtuoser, brillanter - oberflächlicher - spielen, aber nicht musikalischer hören.

To enhance the Czech character of the program Mr. Runnicles had the eminent Prague-born pianist Ivan Moravec as soloist in the C major concerto. Mr. Moravec, who is 74, has long been regarded as a pianist's pianist. He is an elegant and tasteful musician with a nimble and unostentatious technique, qualities that distinguished his playing on this occasion. He clearly enjoyed himself during the spirited finale, played with rippling passagework and a sly sense of humor.

Full review by subscription at http://www.nytimes.com/.

The performance tonight was truly unbelievable, as if he and Donald Runnicles were joined at the hip, from the same warp and woof of the fabric... And the musicians were of such a high calibre; they fell in love with Ivan and after the concert there was a reception for the orchestra. The conductor said the most amazing things about Ivan and wants to perform with him as much as he can. Jim thinks that Ivan's Mozart now is the best he's ever heard.

...I cannot think of a single presentation till now, whether of chamber, instrumental, or orchestral music, that I would put in the same league as Ivan Moravec’s recital for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society on 28 March.

... the astonishing thing is that he seems to get better and better as he moves through his 70s. There is not the slightest diminution in technical command, while the musical insight, always keen, becomes ever more strikingly convincing. The “Appassionata” on this occasion was a case in point. ...this performance combined all the familiar fire his readings have generated over the years with the greatest rhythmic and textural clarity; the first big outburst in the opening movement, for example, arrived at its top note with total punctuality...

...The blend of sensitively nuanced timbre in soft music, superbly controlled power in louder passages, and rocklike security in the bass at all dynamic levels also informed and illuminated his revelatory Schumann and Debussy before intermission...

To assert that, since the death of Sviatoslav Richter, no pianist has been able to rival Moravec’s sheer mastery of poetry and technical security alike may, again, be dangerous. I assert it nonetheless. I also found it fascinating that one good judge I spoke to during intermission was struck before anything else by the gentleness of Moravec’s playing, whereas for another it was his strength that first claimed notice. And they were both right.

Full review at http://www.musicweb.uk.net/SandH/2005/Jan-Jun05/moravec2803.htm

I've probably heard six or seven Ivan Moravec performances by now, and every time he finds a new way to surprise me. On this night, every facet of his playing seemed to reach a new plateau. Others who heard him in Philadelphia and a few nights ago in Kansas City have described the incandescent quality of his Beethoven Appassionata sonata. I'm no critic, but I think it could be argued that Moravec is playing this sonata today as well or better than he did when he recorded it many years ago.

Moravec's Debussy was... well, Moravec's Debussy, which is to say that it was probably as beautifully played as anyone has ever played it. Even the most hard-bitten observer would have to appreciate Moravec's way with this music. I'm thinking of the writer the Philadelphia Inquirer sent to cover this recital . He admired the Debussy but panned the rest of the performance, which he said displayed too much "balance and moderation".

Whatever the Inquirer's bored music critic missed, the audience apparently heard: their frequent and noisy applause demonstrated immoderate appreciation for the whole performance. At intermission, the PCA folks were hawking Moravec CDs, and judging by the number of autograph seekers after the concert, they had a few takers. By the way, I also thought the acoustics in the new Perelman Hall at the Kimmell Center were great, at least where I sat.

Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 is more laid back than most of his others, with some inspired lingering over phrases rather than a rush to the finish line. It's a piece ideally suited for Moravec, who sat straight up, barely moving and let his fingers do the talking.

The slow second movement unfolded in precise, measured steps, every phrase set in place with supreme delicacy, as if each was a rare piece of fragile crystal being put under glass for display. The two outer movements are more dynamic, but as he did with Cesar Franck's Symphonic Variations before intermission, Moravec persuaded the piano to release its beauty rather than make loud, insistent demands. His spare use of the pedal was refreshing as well.

Full review by subscription at http://www.stltoday.com.

Guest conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra concluded this morning’s rehearsal with Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, played by Ivan Moravec. A bit of program reversal for how this weekend’s concerts are to be played, but as I was about to bite into my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it made the brown-bag lunch into something more exquisite. I was reminded of an old New Yorker cartoon, which depicts a field of urban squalor, the caption: A World without Mozart. Moravec creates a world of Mozart, enchanting melodies made of liquid tones.

... one of the most potent renderings of Beethoven "Appassionata" Sonata I've ever heard in 40 years of listening.

Audiences can regularly hear competent performances of Beethoven, even good ones. An interpretation that alters the way we hear the music is rare. I wasn't as taken with Moravec's "Scenes From Childhood," which despite its fragrant poetry remained mostly earthbound...

The three pieces of Debussy's "Estampes" brought out the subtle relationships between shades of color, but with a clarity determined partly by treating the composer's smudged textures as melody rather than mist and texture...

But the Beethoven is the main reason I will remember this recital in years hence. The first movement took a poetic, almost disconcertingly Romantic approach, in which affect was emphasized over architecture. But the restraint with which slowly descending right-hand scales "crawled" down the keyboard made the outbursts all the more thrilling.

The tranquility in the slow movement set in high relief the finale, which built strength through an accretion of perfectly gauged moments. The nonstop ostinato was made to sound melodic.

With the stealth of an Apache scout, Moravec showed us how the whole sonata was leading toward this explosive ending, the rage and sadness of a composer we never tire of.

The Kansas City concert March 4 was wonderful, sublime. I have never heard anyone play the Debussy selections or Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata so beautifully -- each single note understood so well and yet all flowed together. It was a revelation of the 2 composers for me -- and they must be listening to him and must be pleased.

Ce soir, c'est un grand poète du piano qui enchante le public parisien. Ivan Moravec ouvre son récital avec Dans les brumes, la courte suite écrite par Leoš Janácek en 1911-1912... L'interprétation du pianiste tchèque est intérieure, parfois méditative, fuyant tout spectacle, murmurant certains traits dans une délicatesse toute personnelle du toucher...

Après des Collines d'Anacapri lourdes de mystères, les Feux d'artifices brillent d'une sonorité soudain plus orchestrale, dans une sorte de simplicité naturelle d'où toute idée de performance est exclue...

... l'Intermezzo en si bémol mineur Op.117 n°2 de Johannes Brahms, dans un climat douloureux retenu, là encore très intime. Ivan Moravec construit un son particulier pour chaque compositeur, dans un profond respect et une parfaite connaissance de leur univers...

Pour finir,... Sonate en fa mineur Op.57 n°23 de Beethoven. Vigoureuse, parfois même farouche, cette lecture révèle une énergie que les pièces précédentes ne laissaient pas soupçonner. Toutefois, le choix de cette page nous a semblé moins heureux... lui offrait une miniature de Chopin, sèchement ornée et sans manière, puis une Ondine de rêve.

La technique est là, le programme est plutot assuré, mais le contrôle du son propre au pianiste a empêché d’éclore les passions, de libérer des élans trop longtemps contenus, et de transcender les œuvres proposées dans la seconde partie. Le public applaudit, deux bis suivent, un nocturne de Chopin et un prélude de Debussy rappelant la beauté du début de programme. Un récital mitigé donc, où l’on découvre l’art très minitieux et abouti d’un pianiste peu connu en France, si ce n’est en grande partie par ses enregistrements...