At his best, Jeffrey Kahane is among the most musical of pianists.  He
is an artist who makes the instrument disappear and allows the music
soar...  or float majestically, as was the case Wednesday night at the
opening of his San Francisco Performances recital in Herbst Theater.

Faure's Nocturne in D-flat Major was "sung" in one breath, with Kahane's
usual consistent balance and dynamics, more an evening stroll in a
beautiful place than an excursion through the scary night.

The first book of Albeniz's "Iberia" followed suit, in a gorgeous
performance.  From the tentative, halting opening notes of "Evocacion,"
the theme burst out, rushing into sunlight, there to bask even as the
music turned meditative, then conversational, over rustling undertones.
"El Puerto" was playful, energetic, quiet and elegant, in turn, resolved
with a startling bang.  Kahane handled the extreme syncopation of "El
Corpus en Sevilla" effortlessly, quiet passages letting him (and the
audience) rest before returning to wild, abandoned, virtuoso runs, then
again notes of utmost delicacy, culminating in a tiny hand-bell "ping."

"Los requiebros" from Granados' "Goyescas" had some problems, lowering
the level of performance briefly.  While doing justice to the work's
rhythmic excitement, Kahane was less secure and convincing than before,
consulting the score often, rushing the music at times and coming near
sloppiness at the end.

No such problems existed when the program turned to the centerpiece of
the evening, a world premiere of enormous demands on the pianist - a
challenge Kahane met most impressively.

Jazz pianist Fred Hersch's "24 Variations on a Bach Chorale" has almost
nothing "jazzy" in it.  Rather, this 24-minute set of, yes, minute-long
variations is a brilliant, loving tribute to Bach.  Still, with its
alternating fast and slow pieces, "Variations" is neither Baroque nor
contemporary, a timeless, classical work of bravura and beauty.

Hersch's point of departure is Hassler's 16th century melody, used
repeatedly by Bach.  Best known as the St.  Matthew Passion's "O Haupt
voll Blut und Wunden," the theme is also widely known as "The Peace
Chorale," heard in high schools, in recordings by the Weavers or Peter,
Paul and Mary.

Hersch's meditative variations are all successful, many of the fast (and
brutally demanding) pieces are jewel-like, but some of the latter may
need some more work, especially a couple of excessively, "humorously"
percussive ones.  But for the whole work, it's Czerny, Scriabin and,
yes, Bach emulated, felt, combined, made to sing.  On Sunday, Kahane
will give its East Coast premiere, at the National Gallery of Art.

The Herbst recital concluded with etudes by Ligeti and Debussy, followed
by two short works by Chopin.

Janos Gereben/SF
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