Gender approach in the analysis of performing versions (on the example of F. Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto performed by E. Kissin, C. Arrau, Lang Lang, M. Argerich, B. Davidovich)
Authors: Knysh P.O. 
Published: August 2020

Background. The work focuses on studying gender peculiarities of interpretations of the Second Piano Concerto by F. Chopin. Presenting the results of the scientific works that concern the issue of gender peculiarities of performing music, the author comes to the conclusion about lack of research of this question in the field of piano art. While the contemporary social and psychological works of the domain of gender turn to the primary signs of gender differences, embodied still at the point of the earliest stage of personality formation, starting with the very birth of a child (Bendas, T., 2006 et alt.). For instance, still in their childhood girls develop such features as a higher intensity emotionality, subtleness of feelings, whereas boys tend to be more rational while thinking over life situations or works of art. Such psychological peculiarities are revealed for various life periods and get more distinct in the process of age advancement. Research methodology. In this article the gender approach is combined with the comparative method while considering key features of different performance versions of the Second Piano Concerto by F. Chopin. Appealing to the performance versions of E. Kissin, С. Arrau, Lang Lang, M. Argerich, B. Davidovich, we emphasize their uniqueness with a simultaneous focus on performance tools used by these prominent musicians to reveal the essence of this masterpiece of the Romantic era. The purpose of this article is to generalize the tendencies of the performing concepts of Chopin’s Second Concerto by the famous masters of piano art of the XX – early XXI century in the light of gender approach. Research results. The Second piano concerto, created by F. Chopin at the turn of the 20s–30s of the XIX century, has become a model of the innovative approach both to interpreting the genre in general and to piano virtuosity. Firstly, it is expressed through the dominance of the pianoforte over the orchestra, while the former being characterized by the total melodization of the texture. Researchers of F. Chopin’s creativity point out the fact that in his concertos there are influence traces of W. Mozart, C. Weber, J. Hummel; however, despite the belonging of the concertos to early stage of creative activity, Chopin achieves unique artistic results. Maintaining, just like Mozart’s, the classical structured transparent form, enriching musical textures with passages, just like Hummel, Chopin, nevertheless, presents deeply individual images. If in the First part of the Second Concerto the dependence on classical traditions is still obvious, the Second part and the Final demonstrate broad horizons for the lyric component of the composer’s music. Before we turn to a number of outstanding samples of the Second Concerto performance, we recall the opinion of one of the best pianist-interpreters, E. Fisher, that the sound embodiment of a musical work consists of three elements: musical text, instrument and artist (Fisher, E. 1977: 201). He noted that the musical text is an unshakable material basis for the performer. Interpretation is possible only under the condition of accurate transmission of what is stated in the author’s text reflecting both the development of the playing technique and the improvement of musical instruments. At the same time, the end result – the sound image of the work – arises under the influence of the artist’s personality, reflecting its qualities, such as “the degree of development of intelligence, worldview, especially emotional life, belonging to one or another artistic type” (ibid.). So, performers who turn to the Second Concert, can accent certain elements, lines, forming its rich semantic complex. If we classify performing versions of the Chopin Concert by gender qualities, we can come to certain conclusions. In the male versions studied we have clearly revealed the constructivism in musical arrangements, an intellectual structure, rational forethought concerning all the stages of musical development. A special emphasis is laid on caesuras and differentiation between various types of musical material, clearly bespeaks pianists’ intention to reflect more comprehensively a philosophical content of the work. The peculiar predominant feature as for E. Kissin’s performance is his lyric-psychological interpretation of the image palette of the Concerto. Kissin’s main way of realizing the corresponding tasks is articulation that emphasizes the uniqueness of each episode. In the performance of С. Arrau we notice a characteristic brightness, emotionality, contrasting effect, thanks to the intensive exploitation of agogics; at the same time, the unity of the music form is reached through the exactness of the meter and rhythmic pulsation. Lang Lang’s version is a model of a supreme sound lyricism. The pianist plays in the style of Mozart with a clear texture, rationed pedalizing and agogics. At the same time, in his performance there is a philosophical generalization that can be perceived. In comparison with the male versions, the female ones, on the whole, are peculiar in terms of their subtler sound richness, touch&#233; softness. In the interpretation of the drama lines of the Concerto it is the image-emotional component that prevails but, together with this, a special emphasis is laid on lyric and psychological details. The analyzed interpretation by B. Davidovich is characterized by a specific style of its own as, while building up the performance dramaturgy of the Concerto, she prefers a through theme development, without dividing the sound stream into separate fragments the way many performers prefer to do. M. Argerich understands this music by F. Chopin in a different way. Her performance style is unique due to its high drama intensity, emotionality, passion, introducing elements of rationalism into the drama line of the Concerto.