The
pianist Jean Alexis Smith has, in the course of her career, performed
in recitals and concerts, has taught at colleges and universities
throughout the world (she herself has achieved degrees at Juilliard and
at Stanford), has served on juries of international piano competitions,
and has most recently concentrated on private teaching.
Now, continuing her musical journey, she has decided to focus on
recording, and a return to public performing. She has previously
released two CDs; a program of Bach transcriptions, Mendelssohn, and
Chopin (including the second Sonata), and a disc featuring music of
Liszt and Vianna da Motta. Her future plans include recordings and
performances of the Cecile Chaminade Sonata and the great Liszt b minor
Sonata, as well as the world premiere of
Ten Pieces
by the noted composer Dexter Morrill.
Her new CD, on Centaur Records, is a presentation
of the 21 Nocturnes of Frederic Chopin. Jean feels particularly close
to this music, and is a superb performer of it.
Jean's playing harks back to the "Golden Age" of pianism, when
total musical commitment, individuality of personal expression, and a
beautifully produced sound were considered the most important
objectives a pianist should strive for.
Jean has always been fond of this quote from the great cellist, Pablo
Casals:
"Willing or not, the
performer is
an interpreter and can only render the work through his own self.
Sometimes, looking at a score, I say to myself, 'what marvelous music.
But I must make it so'. What is necessary is to bring to life what is
written, to infuse life, instead of avoiding it with timidity.
"How can we expect to produce a vital performance if we don't re-create
the work every time? Each year the leaves of trees reappear with the
spring, but they are different every time. We can never exhaust the
multiplicity of nuances and subtleties which make the charm of music."
