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Yes she was very good. There are two Steinways - one more soft and darker (number 300) and other more louder open and bright (479). Besides there is one Fazioli 308, one Yamaha CFX and one Shigeru.
Maybe I had no luck, but so far I have not seen any competitor to play on CFX, but seen already few on Kawai. Most popular in Steinway 300. Fazioli is also used quite often.
BTW, in the recent stream they are denoting the Fazioli as model F278 Previously it was denoted as model 308. I am confused. Could anybody identify which Fazioli is actually used.
I think it's description mistake, however I bet on 308 as the piano looks really big.
I am waiting for Steingraeber and Bosendorfer VC and new Bechstein to be possible (instead for example Kawai and second Steinway).
But most choose Steinway as most probably they are mostly practicing on them in conservatories. Noone will risk unknown piano with different characteristics.
You are absolutely right. Indeed 308 has four pedals.
From the Fazioli website:
Quote
It is endowed with a fourth pedal invented by Fazioli. Located to the left of the three traditional pedals, it reduces the hammer-blow distance THUS reducing the volume without modifying the timbre, at the same time facilitating the performance of glissandos, pianissimos, rapid passages and legatos.
Thank you for the clarification that they are actually both model F278 and it was a typo error on their side. They seem to have corrected it now.
Today is the last day of the prelims! Caught a little of the morning session so far and some of the evening session yesterday. It's increasingly clear that some competitors are just on another level than the others, who are still very accomplished. Chelsea Guo played beautifully, as did Riko Imai (very convincing starting with the etudes). Today, Khozyainov was fantastic and super controlled and played the best set of Etudes so far (he recorded the complete Chopin on his YT page). I liked Aimi's playing, but her stage presence seemed too cool for school (barely acknowledging the audience). Today's morning session was overall the strongest.
What did you guys think of Eva Gevorgyan? I liked her playing best. Her scherzo was out of this world.
She is a wonderful pianist with a fabulous technique. I actually thought she should have won the Cliburn junior. However, I'm not sure Chopin is really her schtick, partly for the reason Brendan cited. Her scherzo was too fast for my tastes and she clipped quite a few phrase endings. I liked her nocturne more and her etudes were all there technically. But I hated her some of her mannerisms, which she didn't have in the Cliburn, particularly the standing up every time she got excited. Very distracting. I remember someone doing the same thing during a master class with (Darth) Veda Kapinsky at PianoTexas in 2018. Veda was having none of it and really grilled the poor girl as to what she thought she was accomplishing by standing up while performing. Of course there was no good answer.
Khozyainov was fantastic and super controlled and played the best set of Etudes so far (he recorded the complete Chopin on his YT page).
Yes, he seems almost in a class by himself in terms of maturity and finesse, not to mention a fabulous technique. I thought the 4th Ballade was absolutely outstanding. I'll be surprised if he doesn't at least make the finals.
Sandwiched between Khozyainov and Aimi Kobayashi was Su Yeon Kim, who got eliminated in '15 after Stage 3. She played well also and returned to the stage during the applause. (Back in July this year at the Preliminary I was actually rooting for another S. Korea contestant Chi-Ho Han, who was also axed after Stage 3 in 2015 and in some ways I felt he played better than Kim at the Prelim. But he didn't make the cut this time.)
What happened to Anastasia Yasko? Was she distracted (phone?)?
Op. 10 No. 2 happened to her. She seemed terrified before starting it. Nobody should program that nightmare of a piece unless they can play it forwards, backwards, upside down, and inside out.
According to people who saw it live, Kobayashi had a chair issue. It was too low. She said she was picked out the right chair but it wasn’t it. They brought in another one but it was exactly the same type. So she wound up playing on the first one that she rejected. To a Japanese interviewer right after the performance, she said that the instance broke concentration. She said that she did not know how she played. When she finally regained herself, it was already over. She said her stomach was twisting and churning. Her face was flushed and looked in pain. I think that is probably why she did not answer audience.
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