Simone Dinnerstein I Piano
Critical Acclaim
Critical Acclaim
“Among the other things that might be said is that she is a forceful player but also a thoughtful one,
and if those qualities seem at odds, each of her performances showed how they can work. In the
Copland [Piano Variations], for example, she outlined the opening theme with a steely clarity and the
sharpest definition, and in the most extroverted variations she produced a titanic, sharp-edged
sound that evoked the work’s modernist provenance. Yet in variations that demanded a sense of
mystery, her timbre was gauzy and veiled, and, most crucially, she used silence as eloquently as
volume and color… These same characteristics, offered on a much broader canvas and greatly
magnified in execution, were at the heart of Ms. Dinnerstein’s performance of Beethoven’s final
sonata. She played the opening movement with a Lisztian boldness, but even at its most dramatic
and rumbling, Ms. Dinnerstein kept the music’s textures transparent and its structure clear. And in
the work’s closing pages, she drew on a delicate, almost whispered timbre that proved the most
moving moment of the performance.”
-Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, 11/22/06
“Emotionally, intellectually and technically, this music [Beethoven Sonata No. 32, Op. 111] couldn’t be
more demanding, and Dinnerstein’s performance was in a league with any of the great Beethoven
pianists of our time…the music’s mercurial qualities weren’t outbursts so much as a musical
landscape with endless possibilities and no boundaries. I’ve heard Dinnerstein play fine
performances, but none with the thunderbolt-hurling confidence of this one.”
-David Patrick Stearns, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/24/07
“The piano concerto is often taken as a pure display piece, an example of Liszt's very worst
tendencies. Often played as a vehicle for virtuoso pianists with cursory attention to an orchestral
score (which does indeed show how much Liszt would learn about orchestration as his work
developed) it appears shallow and even gimmicky—above all with that silly triangle in the finale! I
won't say that it is an unrecognized masterpiece, but Simone Dinnerstein and Mr. [Leon] Botstein
[with American Symphony Orchestra] did it all the justice they could. In this performance the
orchestral parts were immaculate and well balanced with the piano. The interchanges between soloist
and orchestra could not have been more lively, exploring subtle variations in tone colors as they
were batted about between them. As the dreaded triangle introduced the last movement, its master
and Ms. Dinnerstein played in the wispiests of pp's, producing a truly amazing sound, which they
continued to develop as the movement progressed through a range of interesting sonorities. I
shouldn't slight Totentanz, which is a fascinating piece in itself. As in the concerto, Mrs Dinnerstein
brought just the right balance of supreme virtuosity and musical understanding to bear, and the
result was triumphant.”
-Michael Miller, BerkshireFineArts.com, 11/07/06
“Looking toward greatness….poised for a breakthrough…”
- Daniel J. Wakin The New York Times, 9/10/06
“Add a modern piano to the equation – in Ms. Dinnerstein’s case, a 1910 Hamburg Steinway – and
there can be a level of coloration beyond the palette Bach knew. A listener could argue that Ms.
Dinnerstein’s penchant for shading effects and for contrasts in articulation (from velvety in one
variation to jackhammer-like in the next) and in dynamics (from whispered pianissimos to ferocious
fortissimos) is anachronistic. But that would be beside the point. This was a thoughtfully conceived,
thoroughly modern performance that seemed to take into account the development of Western art
music since Bach. Bach’s accent and language dominated, unquestionably, but there was a hint of
Prokofiev in her sharply accented reading of Variation No. 14 and her steely No. 27, a touch of
Beethoven in her forceful account of No. 29 and perhaps even a trace of Tchaikovsky in the ringing,
gracefully pedaled sound she created in No. 28… there was something in the slight pauses she took
between repeated sections, or between halves of variations, and something in her pacing of the set
as a whole, that so completely evoked the image of a journey that Schubert’s Winterreise kept
coming to mind. It may not be the way you want to hear the Goldbergs every time, but it was certainly
an individual, compelling performance.”
– Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, 11/30/05
“Dinnerstein’s inspired interpretation had many wonderful surprises in store… her harmonic intensity
left an indelible mark on this mesmerized listener… Dinnerstein deftly maintained symmetry while
managing somehow to free herself (and Bach’s music) of its potential strictures. She changed
tempos within variations, but musically, naturally, and unobtrusively. Often, she used a bold Roualt-
like expressionism to underline moments of high drama.”
- Harris Goldsmith, American Record Guide, March/April, 2006
“[Dinnerstein] played [Bach’s Goldberg Variation’s] opening aria at an expansive tempo with each
note glistening in the air. Most of the variations come with repeats, and Dinnerstein’s treatment of
them grew more introspective, even daringly so, as if the music were being whispered into the listener’
s ear.”
–David Patrick Stearns, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/30/05
“Reminiscent of Martha Argerich in its gracefulness, Simone Dinnerstein’s first recording highlights
her generous, sincere and voluptuous technique, and her visceral and organic impetus, rich in
spellbinding emotion. Without forcing the keys, Ms. Dinnerstein’s interpretation impresses the
listener for its feminine and masculine inter-twinings so unusual among today’s young interpreters.
Hers is a rendition blending pathos and pleasure, and aiming towards a nuanced freshness. The
recording is full of vitality and concreteness which challenges the senses of body and soul; it
expresses the kind of rebirth in which there is no room for melancholy and the sadness of the world.”
- Mauricio Gregorini, Italia, 7/01
“A highlight was the composer’s [Aaron Copland] serious modernist side as shown in the Piano
Variations of 1930, a tough and rewarding piece that was excellently played by Simone Dinnerstein.”
– Anne Midgette, The New York Times, 8/05
“This was my first in-person encounter with pianist Simone Dinnerstein, and if it’s possible for
Mozartean refinement to be startling, it is with her. Refinement can also seem retiring, but there’s a
clarion energy about her playing that also allows her to be leonine.”
-David Patrick Stearns, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/10/04
“Her abilities and talents were evident from the first chord and continued to grow and expand as the
composition proceeded. Very clean and crisp articulation was heard throughout and dynamics were
handled in a very sensitive manner. Tempos were breathtaking and balanced – all contributing to
excellent tone and color. Contrasts and nuances were present in a first rate manner. Her
passionate interpretation made this reviewer feel he was hearing the great Wanda Landowska, who
is thought to be one of the greatest interpreters and performers of the music of Bach.”
-John T. Prestwood, El Paso Times, 4/6/04
“She took listeners on the best kind of joy ride – one fueled by virtuosity and attention to tone,
mathematical exactitude as well as passion…the most remarkable trait of Dinnerstein’s playing is the
connectiveness between notes, a gorgeous blend of power and finesse.”
-Peter Dobrin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/17/03
“Not a lot of pianists could make the transition from the bravura start [of Busoni’s cadenzas in Mozart’
s Piano Concerto No. 21] to the sweet music-box section to a crafty inching-up to Beethoven and
then an unusual transition back into the concerto itself. But Dinnerstein shaped the adventure
smartly...[she] made a lovely, ringing sound with perfectly formed articulation. There’s no question
about the direction of every phrase, and she found that Mozart of grace, precision and intelligence
that only the best pianists know lies beneath some of the simple-seeming notes on the page.”
– Peter Dobrin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/19/02
Critical acclaim for CD of Beethoven Sonatas for Piano and Cello, Op. 5, No. 1-2, and Op. 69
Zuill Bailey, cello and Simone Dinnerstein, piano
“A fine musical duo offer some magical moments in their first Beethoven set…Cellist Zuill Bailey and
pianist Simone Dinnerstein exhibit remarkable chemistry, with a flexible, conversational approach to
the score. Born out of this relaxed yet musical treatment, sudden bursts of creativity stand in relief.”
-Andrew Druckenbrod, Gramophone, 3/07
“The bywords here are subtlety and drama -- both very important adjuncts to Beethoven’s sound
world. I have seldom heard such attention paid to follow-through of dynamics, general balance
between instruments, and a willingness to pile on the volume come what may— or to whisper when it’
s called for. The variety of tonal expression the part of both artists is remarkable, and so is the
subtle use of rubato.”
-David Moore, American Record Guide, March/April, 2007
“There's the sign of a promising Beethoven cello sonata cycle when the early works don't make you
want to skip to the later ones. So it is in this first in a two-volume set of Beethoven cello/piano works -
partly because Zuill Bailey and Simone Dinnerstein are able to access the music's youthful energy,
partly because the performers have true charisma in their surface sound and a hyper-alert way with
a phrase.
And once you do get to the great Op. 69 cello sonata, Bailey and Dinnerstein show themselves to be
one of the most fascinating chamber-music duos anywhere, in performances that are practically
bursting with heart and soul. They take chances at every turn, with results that consistently take you
deeper into the music. Those who have heard Dinnerstein's local concerts, sponsored by Astral
Artistic Services, could mistake her for having a miniaturist's temperament. Not here. Sound and
gestures are big; the vision is even bigger.”
-David Patrick Stearns, Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/06
and if those qualities seem at odds, each of her performances showed how they can work. In the
Copland [Piano Variations], for example, she outlined the opening theme with a steely clarity and the
sharpest definition, and in the most extroverted variations she produced a titanic, sharp-edged
sound that evoked the work’s modernist provenance. Yet in variations that demanded a sense of
mystery, her timbre was gauzy and veiled, and, most crucially, she used silence as eloquently as
volume and color… These same characteristics, offered on a much broader canvas and greatly
magnified in execution, were at the heart of Ms. Dinnerstein’s performance of Beethoven’s final
sonata. She played the opening movement with a Lisztian boldness, but even at its most dramatic
and rumbling, Ms. Dinnerstein kept the music’s textures transparent and its structure clear. And in
the work’s closing pages, she drew on a delicate, almost whispered timbre that proved the most
moving moment of the performance.”
-Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, 11/22/06
“Emotionally, intellectually and technically, this music [Beethoven Sonata No. 32, Op. 111] couldn’t be
more demanding, and Dinnerstein’s performance was in a league with any of the great Beethoven
pianists of our time…the music’s mercurial qualities weren’t outbursts so much as a musical
landscape with endless possibilities and no boundaries. I’ve heard Dinnerstein play fine
performances, but none with the thunderbolt-hurling confidence of this one.”
-David Patrick Stearns, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/24/07
“The piano concerto is often taken as a pure display piece, an example of Liszt's very worst
tendencies. Often played as a vehicle for virtuoso pianists with cursory attention to an orchestral
score (which does indeed show how much Liszt would learn about orchestration as his work
developed) it appears shallow and even gimmicky—above all with that silly triangle in the finale! I
won't say that it is an unrecognized masterpiece, but Simone Dinnerstein and Mr. [Leon] Botstein
[with American Symphony Orchestra] did it all the justice they could. In this performance the
orchestral parts were immaculate and well balanced with the piano. The interchanges between soloist
and orchestra could not have been more lively, exploring subtle variations in tone colors as they
were batted about between them. As the dreaded triangle introduced the last movement, its master
and Ms. Dinnerstein played in the wispiests of pp's, producing a truly amazing sound, which they
continued to develop as the movement progressed through a range of interesting sonorities. I
shouldn't slight Totentanz, which is a fascinating piece in itself. As in the concerto, Mrs Dinnerstein
brought just the right balance of supreme virtuosity and musical understanding to bear, and the
result was triumphant.”
-Michael Miller, BerkshireFineArts.com, 11/07/06
“Looking toward greatness….poised for a breakthrough…”
- Daniel J. Wakin The New York Times, 9/10/06
“Add a modern piano to the equation – in Ms. Dinnerstein’s case, a 1910 Hamburg Steinway – and
there can be a level of coloration beyond the palette Bach knew. A listener could argue that Ms.
Dinnerstein’s penchant for shading effects and for contrasts in articulation (from velvety in one
variation to jackhammer-like in the next) and in dynamics (from whispered pianissimos to ferocious
fortissimos) is anachronistic. But that would be beside the point. This was a thoughtfully conceived,
thoroughly modern performance that seemed to take into account the development of Western art
music since Bach. Bach’s accent and language dominated, unquestionably, but there was a hint of
Prokofiev in her sharply accented reading of Variation No. 14 and her steely No. 27, a touch of
Beethoven in her forceful account of No. 29 and perhaps even a trace of Tchaikovsky in the ringing,
gracefully pedaled sound she created in No. 28… there was something in the slight pauses she took
between repeated sections, or between halves of variations, and something in her pacing of the set
as a whole, that so completely evoked the image of a journey that Schubert’s Winterreise kept
coming to mind. It may not be the way you want to hear the Goldbergs every time, but it was certainly
an individual, compelling performance.”
– Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, 11/30/05
“Dinnerstein’s inspired interpretation had many wonderful surprises in store… her harmonic intensity
left an indelible mark on this mesmerized listener… Dinnerstein deftly maintained symmetry while
managing somehow to free herself (and Bach’s music) of its potential strictures. She changed
tempos within variations, but musically, naturally, and unobtrusively. Often, she used a bold Roualt-
like expressionism to underline moments of high drama.”
- Harris Goldsmith, American Record Guide, March/April, 2006
“[Dinnerstein] played [Bach’s Goldberg Variation’s] opening aria at an expansive tempo with each
note glistening in the air. Most of the variations come with repeats, and Dinnerstein’s treatment of
them grew more introspective, even daringly so, as if the music were being whispered into the listener’
s ear.”
–David Patrick Stearns, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/30/05
“Reminiscent of Martha Argerich in its gracefulness, Simone Dinnerstein’s first recording highlights
her generous, sincere and voluptuous technique, and her visceral and organic impetus, rich in
spellbinding emotion. Without forcing the keys, Ms. Dinnerstein’s interpretation impresses the
listener for its feminine and masculine inter-twinings so unusual among today’s young interpreters.
Hers is a rendition blending pathos and pleasure, and aiming towards a nuanced freshness. The
recording is full of vitality and concreteness which challenges the senses of body and soul; it
expresses the kind of rebirth in which there is no room for melancholy and the sadness of the world.”
- Mauricio Gregorini, Italia, 7/01
“A highlight was the composer’s [Aaron Copland] serious modernist side as shown in the Piano
Variations of 1930, a tough and rewarding piece that was excellently played by Simone Dinnerstein.”
– Anne Midgette, The New York Times, 8/05
“This was my first in-person encounter with pianist Simone Dinnerstein, and if it’s possible for
Mozartean refinement to be startling, it is with her. Refinement can also seem retiring, but there’s a
clarion energy about her playing that also allows her to be leonine.”
-David Patrick Stearns, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/10/04
“Her abilities and talents were evident from the first chord and continued to grow and expand as the
composition proceeded. Very clean and crisp articulation was heard throughout and dynamics were
handled in a very sensitive manner. Tempos were breathtaking and balanced – all contributing to
excellent tone and color. Contrasts and nuances were present in a first rate manner. Her
passionate interpretation made this reviewer feel he was hearing the great Wanda Landowska, who
is thought to be one of the greatest interpreters and performers of the music of Bach.”
-John T. Prestwood, El Paso Times, 4/6/04
“She took listeners on the best kind of joy ride – one fueled by virtuosity and attention to tone,
mathematical exactitude as well as passion…the most remarkable trait of Dinnerstein’s playing is the
connectiveness between notes, a gorgeous blend of power and finesse.”
-Peter Dobrin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/17/03
“Not a lot of pianists could make the transition from the bravura start [of Busoni’s cadenzas in Mozart’
s Piano Concerto No. 21] to the sweet music-box section to a crafty inching-up to Beethoven and
then an unusual transition back into the concerto itself. But Dinnerstein shaped the adventure
smartly...[she] made a lovely, ringing sound with perfectly formed articulation. There’s no question
about the direction of every phrase, and she found that Mozart of grace, precision and intelligence
that only the best pianists know lies beneath some of the simple-seeming notes on the page.”
– Peter Dobrin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/19/02
Critical acclaim for CD of Beethoven Sonatas for Piano and Cello, Op. 5, No. 1-2, and Op. 69
Zuill Bailey, cello and Simone Dinnerstein, piano
“A fine musical duo offer some magical moments in their first Beethoven set…Cellist Zuill Bailey and
pianist Simone Dinnerstein exhibit remarkable chemistry, with a flexible, conversational approach to
the score. Born out of this relaxed yet musical treatment, sudden bursts of creativity stand in relief.”
-Andrew Druckenbrod, Gramophone, 3/07
“The bywords here are subtlety and drama -- both very important adjuncts to Beethoven’s sound
world. I have seldom heard such attention paid to follow-through of dynamics, general balance
between instruments, and a willingness to pile on the volume come what may— or to whisper when it’
s called for. The variety of tonal expression the part of both artists is remarkable, and so is the
subtle use of rubato.”
-David Moore, American Record Guide, March/April, 2007
“There's the sign of a promising Beethoven cello sonata cycle when the early works don't make you
want to skip to the later ones. So it is in this first in a two-volume set of Beethoven cello/piano works -
partly because Zuill Bailey and Simone Dinnerstein are able to access the music's youthful energy,
partly because the performers have true charisma in their surface sound and a hyper-alert way with
a phrase.
And once you do get to the great Op. 69 cello sonata, Bailey and Dinnerstein show themselves to be
one of the most fascinating chamber-music duos anywhere, in performances that are practically
bursting with heart and soul. They take chances at every turn, with results that consistently take you
deeper into the music. Those who have heard Dinnerstein's local concerts, sponsored by Astral
Artistic Services, could mistake her for having a miniaturist's temperament. Not here. Sound and
gestures are big; the vision is even bigger.”
-David Patrick Stearns, Philadelphia Inquirer, 11/06
| Tanja Dorn l Tanja Dorn, LLC l 833 Lexington Avenue Suite 4B l New York, NY 10021 l (212) 644 0214 l info@tanjadorn.com |
as .doc file (word ducument)
as pdf (Acrobat Reader)
for more information visit:
www.simonedinnerstein.com
www.simonedinnerstein.com