The 14th volume of Naxos’ ongoing Scarlatti sonata cycle showcases Duanduan Hao, a pianist born in 1990 who won first prize in the 2009 Shanghai International Piano Competition. Hao’s crisp, well-poised finger-work, centered sonority, and superb articulation are ideal for Scarlatti. For instance, the pianist characterfully varies the G major K. 337 sonata’s repeated phrases, and perfectly matches the B-flat K. 229, D minor K. 295, and D major K. 282 sonatas’ ornaments and imitative writing from hand to hand. In the D minor K. 295, Hao generates welcome harmonic tension by ever-so-slightly elongating bass notes at the beginning of certain arpeggiated figurations while bringing a relaxed lilt and suave tonal gradations to the C major K. 242.
Sometimes Hao’s youth gives him away, particularly in his tendency to insert little breath marks between sections and in the way his squarest phrasing bogs the music down. A telltale example of this can be found in the E major K. 162, where Hao lays heavily upon each downbeat to predictable effect at the beginning, and wrongly speeds up when the note values quicken. By contrast, Christian Zacharias’ EMI recording benefits from more limpid execution within a brisker, more fluid basic pulse. All told, Hao’s best playing signifies a strong talent with lots of potential, and I wager that his musicianship will ripen over time. We shall see! [7/7/2011]
