The composer and pianist Dominique Salloum at the Saint Maron Church in Gemmayzeh in a program entirely devoted to Chopin. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Dominique Salloum’s piano recital was a singular event, devoted entirely to Chopin — fittingly so, since the chosen theme was “Chopin and Exile,” inaugurating the "Musical Thursdays" at Saint-Maron Church in Gemmayzeh.
Among the works performed, the mazurkas best captured the essence of that exile and a career as distinguished as Salloum’s. The simplicity, tenderness and gentleness with which his fingers — capable of mastering the most daunting technical challenges — served these masterpieces of intimate poetry were remarkable.
Salloum is an exceptional pianist. His playing shows great maturity — not contrived, artificial or overly delicate. Playing Chopin is not granted to everyone.
He displays none of the faults of a “Chopinist”: no sentimentality, no mawkishness, no bad taste, no false passion, no hesitation. He plays Chopin as a man with a powerful touch and iron speed — in the combative spirit that was also Chopin’s, even in illness. His playing is passionate, yet it carries pain, hope and despair, each transfigured through the music.
One had to hear him in the three ballades — masterpieces of piano literature in which Chopin asserts himself through bold harmonies that anticipate both Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. Through these daring strokes, Chopin bares his soul, and by highlighting them so powerfully, Salloum allows that soul to shine through.
“It is manly and it is profound,” said Alfred de Musset of Molière’s cheerfulness. Here, it is passion and spiritual gravity.
The Polonaise No. 2, which closed the first half, stood out for its refinement and simplicity — refinement of touch, sensitivity and sound, and especially in the seamless transitions between contrasting sections. Its phrasing remained natural and forward-moving, following a clear path.
The recital ended with two Nocturnes — full of tenderness, simplicity and infinite gentleness — each introduced by brief commentary. As an encore, Salloum offered one of his own compositions: a trio for voice, violin and piano based on a text by Khalil Gibran, “al-Chouhrour,” performed with soprano Marianne Said and violinist Ramzy Kandalaft.
Robert Schumann once wrote that Chopin’s mazurkas were “cannons hidden beneath flowers.” The same could be said of Salloum’s playing.
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