Pianist Davidovich Returns to Ambassador

Bella Davidovich gave yet another demonstration of admirable piano playing this week--the kind of demonstration she first brought to us in November, 1979--when she returned to Ambassador Auditorium.

But it was mostly only that, an exhibition. In very few moments did the beloved, 62-year-old musician make real musical connections with her adoring public--which seemed to fill the 1,200-seat hall Wednesday night. Coolness, not warmth, remains one of Davidovich’s signature virtues at the keyboard. Coolness, reserve and a certain distance from feeling.

Nevertheless, one must admire this pianist. Her dynamic extremes may not span the full range of louds and softs available on large concert grands. Her actual arsenal of pianistic colors and touches may not be as well-stocked as one might wish. And, unlike her great contemporaries, Ciccolini or Larrocha, for example, she does not specialize in versatility.

Still, her way with Chopin and Schumann, shown in a half-program by the Polish master and in a post-intermission devoted entirely to “Carnaval,” is one of tremendous authority.

She knows and projects these composers’ styles, commands the power, fluency and stamina for their larger and smaller canvases. And her magisterial address at the piano holds this repertory easily in its grasp.

For one listener, however, her Chopin group, beginning with the F-minor Fantasy and ending with the B-minor Scherzo, fell short of full emotional identification and remained at a room temperature--well below ideal Chopin heat.

Davidovich brought considerably more energy and thrust, if not exactly spontaneity, to “Carnaval,” though few of its multiple movements showed her their indisputable champion. Much of it emerged sculptured and beauteous; none of it broke hearts.

At the end, there were two encores: Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G-sharp minor and Chopin’s posthumous E-minor Waltz.