Leeds Piano Competition 2018

[Dave2002]

Maybe there's already discussion about this year's competition, but I've not found it yet. Today's excerpts at lunchtime demonstrated some fantastic playing of Mussorgsky's Pictures. The commentary by Lucy Parham was also well thought out. I know we're all still finding our way with the end of the Proms and the Edinburgh Festival season, but I thought that the Leeds competition might deserve more prominent coverage.

https://www.leedspiano.com/2018-competition/

[Pianorak]

Good coverage of event here: https://leedspiano2018.medici.tv/

[zola]

I've been watching on Medici since last Thursday since the final few prom concerts had little interest for me. Spoiler alert, the pianist who played Pictures on Radio 3 this lunchtime was eliminated before the final ! There was much to admire with most of the 24 quarter finalists but one does worry about the viability of pursuing a concert career through sheer weight of numbers. Virtually concurrent with the Leeds, there has been the Grieg Competition in Bergen ( where Edward Gardner conducted as he will this weekend at the Leeds finals ) and the Honens Competition in Canada. Both with no doubt equally talented crops of young hopefuls. I wish them all well !

Prize money is interesting; 25,000 for winning the Leeds, 30,000 for the Grieg and a whopping 100,000 for the Honens. Not sure of the currencies in all cases and the Leeds prize comes with a lot of add ons regarding representation, gigs, recordings.

Also regarding BBC expenditure. Petroc Trelawney has been there for Medici doing a very professional and understated job of presenting. So why should Radio 3 send Andrew McGregor and then need to have Tom McKinney doing Record Review on Saturday ? They can't do both Medici and the radio ? Well Lucy Parham is doing both.

[ardcarp]

...help. How do I get to watch actual pianists playing on Medici TV? Can I watch any of the shortlisted semifinalists doing their stuff? Didn't quite understand how to negotiate the website which Pianorak helpfully posted above.

[zola]

...help. How do I get to watch actual pianists playing on Media TV? Can I watch any of the shortlisted semifinalists doing their stuff? Didn't quite understand how to negotiate the website which Pianorak helpfully posted above.

Scroll down to 'Latest Replays' and click on the pianist photo. Or click on 'show all' and there will be replays of all the rounds !

[ardcarp]

Thanks! Silly me. Just enjoyed Wang's Bach. FANTASTIC. Embarking on Rach now. I see they all have to do chamber music accomp. Is this new?

[zola]

I see they all have to do chamber music accomp. Is this new?

Yes, a new idea for the semi final round and judged to be a success. Each contestant could choose from a list of pieces to select either a piano quintet, a trio or a violin or cello sonata. Standing by were the Elias Quartet, cellist Bjorg Lewis ( wife of the co-director ) and violinist Jack Liebeck who stood in at the last minute for an indisposed Alex Sitkovetsky.

[ardcarp]

Wow. How does Medici TV fund itself?
Anyway based on tonight's viewing; surprised UK's Yang didn't make the cut. Incredible Liszt (even though I find B-A-C-H overblown bombast). Tamila was to the manner born in Chopin Estampe. Wang's Bach wasn't quite matched by his Rach, maybe. Likewise UK's Brezovsky...lovely player...made a tiny fluff in her Chopin. Pity. Can't wait until the finals.....

Jurinic seems a ready-formed concert artist. Just my hunch.

[Once Was 4]

Maybe there's already discussion about this year's competition, but I've not found it yet. Today's excerpts at lunchtime demonstrated some fantastic playing of Mussorgsky's Pictures. The commentary by Lucy Parham was also well thought out. I know we're all still finding our way with the end of the Proms and the Edinburgh Festival season, but I thought that the Leeds competition might deserve more prominent coverage.

https://www.leedspiano.com/2018-competition/

Good coverage on the BBC 1 'Breakfast' programme this morning (even though the presenter, normally one of the more intelligent members of this crew of sports fanatics, invented a new composer - Haaden). And lovely shots of engagement with children at Blenheim school - how I wish that we were doing that kind of thing when I was fresh out of music college.

[teamsaint]

Good coverage at lunchtime today. Lucy Parham offered interesting thoughts.

Good to hear honest criticism, but a pity that this seems reserved for young competition players.

[Pulcinella]

Concerto final first round live on R3 at 19:00 tonight (Friday); second round tomorrow at 18:30.

[Dave2002]

Wow. How does Medici TV fund itself?

I thought one normally had to pay - but obviously not for this event. We had a subscription a few years ago, but it was very poor as the technical quality was no good. Very poor value that year, cheaper to go to live ENO performances. If the technical quality had been higher we could have had a lot of enjoyment from it.

I have enjoyed the few videos I've seen of the Leeds event so far.

[ardcarp]

I thought one normally had to pay - but obviously not for this event. We had a subscription a few years ago, but it was very poor as the technical quality was no good

I'm no expert on audio engineering, but our main PC is connected to good quality speakers and I was impressed by the quality of the Leeds repeats available on Medici. There seemed good clarity of sound including the terrific Steinway bass. So maybe things are better now?

[Nick Armstrong]

Good coverage of event here: https://leedspiano2018.medici.tv/

Exceptionally useful, thank you.

Unless I've missed something, this competition is now nowhere to be found on BBC television?

I've started listening to the R3 afternoon programmes from this week with Andrew McG and Lucy Parham - very good indeed (I very much enjoyed Xinyuan Wang's Bach and Rachmaninov despite the commentators thinking his playing a bit too 'serious'...)

.

For some reason, unfortunately, the Medici site won't let me beam the sound to the hifi via the Airport Express, whether from mobile devices or from the laptop. Anyone know why, and have a fix? Ardcarp, you seem to have managed it - but is your connection to the speakers by wire?

[Dave2002]

I'm no expert on audio engineering, but our main PC is connected to good quality speakers and I was impressed by the quality of the Leeds repeats available on Medici. There seemed good clarity of sound including the terrific Steinway bass. So maybe things are better now?

The problems we experienced were due to out of sync video with the audio, plus quite frequent buffering/halting/stuttering issues - despite having a rather fast internet link. Additionally, the customer service was pretty much non-existent when I complained - so I did not renew our subscription. That put me off any form of video music service and particularly the one under discussion. I agree that things in the currently free (why?) issues seem much better.