REVIEWS
"Mark Zuckerman’s “On the Edges” (1996), a solo piano work given a vigorous reading by Peter Vinograde, applied an almost ragtime sensibility to Bachian themes and suggested an otherworldly common ground between those distant influences."
Allan Kozinn, New York Times, 6/17/10
“Bach’s Toccata in D major (BWV 912) and Beethoven’s Les Adieux Sonata (Op. 81a) bristled with brio, bolstered by an almost orchestral approach to sound production that vibrantly resonated within the hall. The shorter pieces by Canadian composer Michael Matthews, and further Études by Chopin (Op.25 No.1) and Rachmaninov (Op.33 No.6) also gleamed like sparkling gems.” Straits Times, Singapore, 6/26/09
"Peter Vinograde took charge of Mozart's Piano Concerto #25 in C Major".."Vinograde displayed a brilliance seldom experienced in other Mozart performances. 'Thrilling' is the key word here. Of special note was the original cadenza section in the first movement composed by the artist. Being faithful to the style of the composer, Vinograde incorporated his own showpiece into the concerto as seamlessly as though Mozart himself had placed it there in 1786."
Lafayette (Indiana) Courier and Journal, 1/14/09
A Virtuoso's Tribute to the Brilliance of Bach
"Purely and simply, with distinct clarity of style, he wended his way through the opening melody" (of the Goldberg Variations). "Then he was off. Taking us with him every note of the way, Vinograde brought us on a voyage through Bach's imaginative brilliance, as surely as if he had taken us by the hand. Playful scampers across the keyboard, demonstrating the lightest, nimblest touch; powerful transitions, with what were revolutionary harmonies in their time; fiery passages with hands crossing over one another, all were packed into this 30-variation work. Vinograde approached this marathon with selfless honesty, excellent balance and, when called for, a fluid vocal quality.
The second half of the program featured the F minor and D minor piano concerti." Vinograde "truly shone in these works, displaying thrilling technique, musicality and enthusiasm, making for the best live performance this reviewer has heard to date. The much-loved Largo in BWV 1056 was a true chef d'oeuvre. Taken at the perfect flowing tempo, with pristine pizzicato backing from the VCP, Vinograde's exquisite ornamentation and sonorous bass accompaniment from Nagelberg, it was captivating. Happy Birthday, Johann!"
Winnipeg Free Press, 3/31/08
Vinograde's "wonderful clarity of articulation and sensitivity of phrase was a delight to hear."
The Business Times, Singapore, 7/1/05 (Recital with Midori)
"Striking clarity (Bach)..Exquisitely sultry playing (Albeniz)..It was playing always musical, always intelligent, and panoramic in scope. There was no question of technique, really; the fire and fury consumed everything in sight. For doing things in his own way, he has few peers."
L.A.Times
Manchester Music Festival Shines: "fine performers were found for each of the pieces," including "pianist Peter Vinograde...The MMF cultivates and reflects the warmth and friendliness of its whole creation and it shows in the performances. The Schubert five-movement 'Trout' quintet, which ended the evening, was a good example of this; first-rate players enjoying each other's playing as well as the music. It was a familiar piece but ever delightful."
Bennington (Vermont) Banner, 7/30/08
"The mystical skills of pianist Peter Vinograde as he performed Beethoven's Concerto #3 in C minor.."
St. George (UT) Spectrum and Daily News, 6/4/06
"It would be hard to imagine anyone nodding off during Vinograde's incendiary performances. It's not simply that the clarity of the textures, the focus of his gestures, and the searing precision of his articulation give every measure a distinctive profile. Beyond that, the punch of his rhythms (try the staggering toccata sections of the Zuckerman or the more extreme moments in the Copland Piano Fantasy) gives the music, even at its thickest, a rugged sense of linear progress, and his imposing left hand gives the climaxes a pulverizing sense of culmination. The results can be almost harrowing in their concentrated intensity, but they inevitably sweep you along. In sum, this is astounding pianism."
Rabinowitz, Fanfare
" Vinograde's more muscular, more incisive, and (when called for) faster playing makes for more excitement and strength and imparts more monumentality to the work. I find it thrilling, especially in Phoenix's spacious, high-impact sonics" (comparison of Copland Fantasy recordings).
Lehman, American Record Guide
"The premiere of Flagello's Piano Concerto #3 was absolutely superb by any possible measure. Vinograde was perfectly comfortable in his role as protagonist for the late composer, as were Palmer and the OSO as they led the audience through three movements of high 'verismo' drama in a style not unlike that of Puccini and a mystery akin to that of Bartok."
Owensboro (KY) Messenger-Inquirer
Erich Itor Kahn's Chaconne in Time of War (1943) "was very moving and expertly played by pianist Peter Vinograde..."
(Bard Schoenberg Festival)
Le Concertographe
'The highlight of the symphony's performance was the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #3..Vinograde didn't falter..he attacked the frenzied presto passages with fiery passion and precision..an immense talent."
Dubuque (IA) Herald
"Instantly impressed as a pianist with a big technique, a lively mind, and a passionate commitment to the music"
Joseph Horowitz, The New York Times
"The American music was highly interesting, rich with delicately colored effects and full of misty, late-Romantic fervor. Mr. Vinograde was also a graceful Bach player..the overlapping, interweaving voices were carefully separated and intelligently defined."
Bernard Holland, New York Times
Allan Kozinn, New York Times, 6/17/10
“Bach’s Toccata in D major (BWV 912) and Beethoven’s Les Adieux Sonata (Op. 81a) bristled with brio, bolstered by an almost orchestral approach to sound production that vibrantly resonated within the hall. The shorter pieces by Canadian composer Michael Matthews, and further Études by Chopin (Op.25 No.1) and Rachmaninov (Op.33 No.6) also gleamed like sparkling gems.” Straits Times, Singapore, 6/26/09
"Peter Vinograde took charge of Mozart's Piano Concerto #25 in C Major".."Vinograde displayed a brilliance seldom experienced in other Mozart performances. 'Thrilling' is the key word here. Of special note was the original cadenza section in the first movement composed by the artist. Being faithful to the style of the composer, Vinograde incorporated his own showpiece into the concerto as seamlessly as though Mozart himself had placed it there in 1786."
Lafayette (Indiana) Courier and Journal, 1/14/09
A Virtuoso's Tribute to the Brilliance of Bach
"Purely and simply, with distinct clarity of style, he wended his way through the opening melody" (of the Goldberg Variations). "Then he was off. Taking us with him every note of the way, Vinograde brought us on a voyage through Bach's imaginative brilliance, as surely as if he had taken us by the hand. Playful scampers across the keyboard, demonstrating the lightest, nimblest touch; powerful transitions, with what were revolutionary harmonies in their time; fiery passages with hands crossing over one another, all were packed into this 30-variation work. Vinograde approached this marathon with selfless honesty, excellent balance and, when called for, a fluid vocal quality.
The second half of the program featured the F minor and D minor piano concerti." Vinograde "truly shone in these works, displaying thrilling technique, musicality and enthusiasm, making for the best live performance this reviewer has heard to date. The much-loved Largo in BWV 1056 was a true chef d'oeuvre. Taken at the perfect flowing tempo, with pristine pizzicato backing from the VCP, Vinograde's exquisite ornamentation and sonorous bass accompaniment from Nagelberg, it was captivating. Happy Birthday, Johann!"
Winnipeg Free Press, 3/31/08
Vinograde's "wonderful clarity of articulation and sensitivity of phrase was a delight to hear."
The Business Times, Singapore, 7/1/05 (Recital with Midori)
"Striking clarity (Bach)..Exquisitely sultry playing (Albeniz)..It was playing always musical, always intelligent, and panoramic in scope. There was no question of technique, really; the fire and fury consumed everything in sight. For doing things in his own way, he has few peers."
L.A.Times
Manchester Music Festival Shines: "fine performers were found for each of the pieces," including "pianist Peter Vinograde...The MMF cultivates and reflects the warmth and friendliness of its whole creation and it shows in the performances. The Schubert five-movement 'Trout' quintet, which ended the evening, was a good example of this; first-rate players enjoying each other's playing as well as the music. It was a familiar piece but ever delightful."
Bennington (Vermont) Banner, 7/30/08
"The mystical skills of pianist Peter Vinograde as he performed Beethoven's Concerto #3 in C minor.."
St. George (UT) Spectrum and Daily News, 6/4/06
"It would be hard to imagine anyone nodding off during Vinograde's incendiary performances. It's not simply that the clarity of the textures, the focus of his gestures, and the searing precision of his articulation give every measure a distinctive profile. Beyond that, the punch of his rhythms (try the staggering toccata sections of the Zuckerman or the more extreme moments in the Copland Piano Fantasy) gives the music, even at its thickest, a rugged sense of linear progress, and his imposing left hand gives the climaxes a pulverizing sense of culmination. The results can be almost harrowing in their concentrated intensity, but they inevitably sweep you along. In sum, this is astounding pianism."
Rabinowitz, Fanfare
" Vinograde's more muscular, more incisive, and (when called for) faster playing makes for more excitement and strength and imparts more monumentality to the work. I find it thrilling, especially in Phoenix's spacious, high-impact sonics" (comparison of Copland Fantasy recordings).
Lehman, American Record Guide
"The premiere of Flagello's Piano Concerto #3 was absolutely superb by any possible measure. Vinograde was perfectly comfortable in his role as protagonist for the late composer, as were Palmer and the OSO as they led the audience through three movements of high 'verismo' drama in a style not unlike that of Puccini and a mystery akin to that of Bartok."
Owensboro (KY) Messenger-Inquirer
Erich Itor Kahn's Chaconne in Time of War (1943) "was very moving and expertly played by pianist Peter Vinograde..."
(Bard Schoenberg Festival)
Le Concertographe
'The highlight of the symphony's performance was the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #3..Vinograde didn't falter..he attacked the frenzied presto passages with fiery passion and precision..an immense talent."
Dubuque (IA) Herald
"Instantly impressed as a pianist with a big technique, a lively mind, and a passionate commitment to the music"
Joseph Horowitz, The New York Times
"The American music was highly interesting, rich with delicately colored effects and full of misty, late-Romantic fervor. Mr. Vinograde was also a graceful Bach player..the overlapping, interweaving voices were carefully separated and intelligently defined."
Bernard Holland, New York Times