Author's summary: Review of Stage 2, Day 4 performances.
The 19-year-old Polish pianist Yehuda Prokopowicz initiated the final day of Stage 2 performances.
I enjoyed the songful repose he brought to the Second Ballade’s lyrical sections.
However, I wanted more contrast in the Op 17 Mazurkas than this pianist was willing to concede.
Eventually I lost interest in his similarly easy-going and uneventful selections from the Preludes, Op 28, and the Rondo à la Mazur, Op 5.
Back in the 2021 Warsaw Competition the 17-year-old Hao Rao’s freshness and enthusiasm held their own among his formidable colleagues in both the semi-final and final rounds.