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Trierischer Volksfreund – Culture – October 10, 2006 Mature, All-Pervasive Musicality Kölnische Rundschau January 31, 2006 "... The highlight of the evening was the pianist Isabel Gabbe, who conferred warm colours and clear lines on her solo part of the piano concerto. Her virtuoso passages never came across as mechanical, but always lively and inspirited. Simple and elegant the song-like "larghetto", and dark and thrusting the finale of the variations. As an encore the pianist rounded her performance off with a surprising work: "Castilla", a summery piece of salon music written by Isaak Albéniz and played in a brisk and sparkling manner." Kölner Stadtanzeiger February 1, 2006 "… the soloist's performance was both robust and musical: in the piano concerto in C minor Isabel Gabbe produced a beautiful, unobtrusive sound, in which all her ostensible virtuosity was presented in the cadenzas in a self-assured manner. The solo introduction in the first movement did indeed reveal a touch of her unbridled imagination, with the wide leaps in the main theme resounding with the requisite inner tension and the virtuoso passages with a self-evident fluency. Isabel Gabbe responded to the enthusiastic applause of the audience by playing an Albéniz encore..." Trierischer Volksfreund November 20, 2005 "… Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's variations on "Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman" were played with such effortlessness that it was difficult to believe that they had been created over 220 years ago and had not just seen the light of day for the first time in the form of an improvisation..." "In addition to her splendid virtuosity, her touch that underlined the sumptuousness of the notes and only occasionally suffered due to the inferior quality of the grand piano, Isabel Gabbe presented a degree of empathy which is very rare indeed. Florestan's passion and Eusebius’ reticence, their pleasure and sorrow faced one another within touching distance in the Fürstensaal before parting again in their perpetual confrontation, only to reach the familiar result that both of these souls do indeed reside in the same breast. Prolonged applause, interspersed with "bravos", marked this highlight of the Mozart Weeks." OTZ February 24, 2003 "... The Piano Concerto no. 3 in G minor was played by the young lady from Munich Isabel Gabbe with great sensitivity and inner compassion. It had long been maintained that such a piece could only be played by Ignaz Moscheles (1794-1870) himself, who was better known as a piano virtuoso. With technical brilliance and fantastic dexterity, this winner of many awards - including the German "Young Musician" - displayed her wonderful talent with the sensitive support of the Vogtland Philharmonie and Doron Salomon. After the heartfelt encore, which was played in response to the tremendous ovations from the audience, there was an emotional silence which subsequently gave way again to enthusiastic applause." Kreiszeitung Bremen June 29, 2001 "... And the pianist? It was not in an evening dress but a tailcoat that Isabel Gabbe appeared on the stage – and this tailcoat became more and more appropriate from bar to bar. Self-confident and straightforward, pulsatingly vibrant, transparent yet always listening closely to the work – this was an impressive interpretation by the young pianist. During her encore, the sarabande from Bach's first French Suite, it would have been possible to hear the proverbial pin drop." Kieler Nachrichten April 2001 “... At the grand piano the young hands overcome with ease the hurdles presented by Mozart, while Isabel Gabbe's eyes remain in permanent contact with the orchestra and conductor. They understand one another - this is evident for all to see during this first joint rehearsal. The details are worked out without any sense of pressure: this fermata here could be a little longer, there a crescendo with slightly more accentuation, the orchestra also a little more sustained during the colla parte for the piano, and there one could bring out the harmonic structure better by applying ever-so-subtle nuances to the dynamics. The constructive suggestions pass spontaneously between the conductor's desk and the piano. With her original interpretation, Isabel Gabbe provides some wonderful touches or - with the critical score still in her hand - some interesting interpretations. When one listens to this pianist who graduated from the Salzburg Mozarteum with distinction, she appears to be predestined for this composer..." Der Neue Tag / KulturApril 8, 2003 "... With her prodigious richness of sounds and colours and her faultless and impeccable playing technique, Isabel Gabbe threw herself into the eighteen Dances of the League of David by Robert Schumann. Here, in the conflicting temperaments of the short-tempered Florestan and the calm Eusebius - as well as their commingling - the performer was able to remain analytically unambiguous at all times, both in terms of detail and over the entire piece, without any obscure hotchpotch of the full range of emotions .....“ Märkische Allgemeine May 8, 2003 "... The start of the performance with the D 784 Sonata in A minor was also the highlight. Isabel Gabbe played with very restrained emotion, dynamic and resolute with respect to the drama of the composition, and wonderfully simple wherever a touching melody presented itself. No emotions were added by the pianist herself, but rather she placed her trust in the work, whose alternating harmonics are some of the most harrowing impressions in music. This is how one would always like to experience Schubert's piano sonata!..." BNN October 29, 2003 "... In an arrangement for piano and castanets that was as ingenious as it was virtuosic, the two movements “Castilla" and "Asturias" from Isaak Albéniz’s Suite Espagnola were performed. Isabel Gabbe was outstanding on the grand piano, an Erard made by Rabus, enthusing the audience both here and as an accompanist with her discreet and polished touch..." "... The climax of the evening were the songs by Xavier Monsalvatge (born in 1912), who makes more use of South American and Cuban rhythms than Andalusian folk music. Isabel Gabbe accompanied the intricate rhythms and harmonies brilliantly, igniting a cascade of fireworks on the piano and providing Marina Bollain with the opportunity to give a most expressive vocal performance – there were two encores for an enraptured audience." FAZ December 5, 2002 "...In the pianist Isabel Gabbe she had an inspired and resolute partner who was able to play to the gallery even better in the forte sections of the Brahms F Major Cello Sonata when the grand piano was finally opened. A further striking feature was the grasp of the different requirements placed on pianists by chamber music and songs."
“...Cordelia Höfer [...] threw herself with Isabel Gabbe into the "Souvenirs de Bayreuth". Gabriel Fauré and André Messager reacted to their festival experiences as Parisians so love to do: they made fun of music dramas with a four-handed paraphrase in the style of a cabaret. The two pianists celebrated this French Wagnerian ragout on Sunday to the general amusement of all, as did the entire salon ensemble with the Waltz Suite from the “Rosenkavalier”...” |