Tuesday May 18 4.0 pm
Edward Leung (piano)
Rameau: ‘Les Tendres Plaintes’ from Suite in D
Couperin: ‘Les Barricades Mystérieuses’ from Second livre de pièces de clavecin
Pachulski: Polonaise in E flat Op 5
Chopin: Polonaise-Fantaisie in A flat Op 61
Granados: ‘El Amor y la muerte: Balade’ from Goyescas Op 11
Scriabin: Five Preludes Op 16
Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody no 2 in C sharp minor S 244
Edward in pensive mood today with playing of sumptuous beauty and introspection.
A lament by Rameau of great delicacy with crystal clear ornaments and Couperin of unusually moving intensity.Such deep nostalgia and beautiful luminous sounds for Granados’s sultry depiction of Love and Death.Scriabin too ,five miniature preludes op 16 of whispered meditative sounds of ravishing beauty.
But it was in the little Polonaise by Pachulski, the little known contemporary of Chopin who chose the Russian rather than the Parisian escape from his homeland ,that suddenly ignited the hidden passion and sumptuous pianism of Edward.Played with a rhythmic energy and real involvement together with such rich sounds.
It was this change of character from Eusebius to Florestan that gave such shape to Chopin’s last Polonaise op 61 that he himself described as more of a fantasy than Polonaise.The opening chords were made to vibrate as they spread across the entire keyboard and he brought a beautiful cantabile to the long architectural line that brings us to the final tumultuous Polonaise ending.Here finally Edward let Florestan take over bringing this fantasy to a tumultuous ending with playing of great authority.
It was the same transcendental control and intelligence that he brought to Liszt’s most famous Hungarian Rhapsody .From the opening fanfare through the delicious traditional Hungarian dances played with a beguiling sense of delicacy and colour before the explosion of the entire orchestra in which Edward’s infallible technical command brought us to a triumphant ending.
A recital of great delicacy and passion from a pianist who puts himself at the service of music with an intelligence and technical command that is rare indeed.
Lauded as one of ’16 Incredibly Impressive Students at Princeton University’ by Business Insider , American pianist Edward Leung has performed in concert halls across North America, Europe, and Asia. Highlights of the current season include concerto performances with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra of the Swan; debuts at the Wigmore Hall and Laieszhalle in Hamburg; recitals in London, Winchester, Wiltshire, Ulverston, and Wye Valley, and a debut commercial recording with violinist Usha Kapoor for Resonus Classics. A 2019 – 2020 Live Music Now artist, he has swept all the major prizes at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, including the Piano Prize, Donohoe Gold Medal, Andrew Downes Performance Prize, Delia Hall Accompaniment Prize, Herbert Lumby Prize, and Sheila and Colina Hodge Memorial Prize. After receiving a Master of Music from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, he continues his studies in the Advanced Postgraduate Diploma programme with Pascal Nemirovski. He is gratefully supported by the Keyboard Charitable Trust.
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 
Una risposta a "Edward Leung beauty and introspection at St Mary’s"