Ben Nyberg, arts critic

American Pianist Simone Dinnerstein, gorgeously clad in flowing gown with trailing gossamer attachments a la Isadora Duncan, presented a program of works by Chopin, Daniel Felsenfeld, Brahms, Schumann, and J. S. Bach for a scant McCain Auditorium gathering of some 350 persons this past Thursday evening.

No question about Dinnerstein's having both talent and conviction, and she applies both to undeniable effect. Her ability to integrate and articulate multiple musical lines, voicing each beautifully even at high speed, is likewise indisputable, which helps explain why her Bach is mostly so very satisfying.

At age 39 she's still a young performer, especially given that concert pianists tend to keep going into their 80s, 90s, even 100s (think Horszowski), and what's troubling is that the wave of international success she's currently riding may solidify her commitment to the highly individualized interpretive style that has taken her so far. 

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