Whilst Evelyne Beresovsky was seducing us in Rome https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.wordpress.com/2022/02/25/evelyne-berezovsky-seduction-in-rome/. Cristian Sandrin was holding the fort in Florence with his superb Beethoven Trilogy.His playing was recently compared to Lipatti and Haskill as Florence would have discovered in the Harold Acton Library yesterday thanks to Simon Gammell and his Music at the British series.

Here is the review I wrote of the same performance a few weeks ago in London there is also a link to the recording of that performance https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.wordpress.com/2022/02/03/cristian-sandrin-the-beethoven-trilogy-birth-of-a-great-artist/

All this thanks to Noretta Conci-Leech whose 91st birthday was celebrated this week and who thanks together with her beloved husband John Leech have created a worldwide circuit of friends and colleagues offering concerts to these amazing young talents who have dedicated their youth to art ( whatever next!!)and just crave an audience to share their joy of music with.

Rome and Florence were certainly blessed last night.
‘Biaciato dal sole’ one might say whilst bombs were flying elsewhere.
A message of Hope and Peace launched by a Russian and Romanian on Italian soil promoted by the Keyboard Charitable Trust of London.
Music has no barriers as the beautiful messages sent to me during the concert in Florence prove.

The composer/ piano technician in Florence so moved by the message hidden in the music for all those that have the ‘anima’ to feel it sent me these beautiful words.

‘La musica metafisica di Beethoven in queste sonate, è l’amore intenso che ama la musica ed i musicisti,stando insieme a loro per la vita artistica ed intima. Come una fedele compagna, ama con pazienza fino alla sublimazione del sentimento. È giovane nella gioventù, matura nella maturità, anziana nella stagione delle foglie, che un soave vento toglie dai rami dei nostri alberi guerrieri. Ho ascoltato in meditazione la prova del giovane Cristian che ora è in concerto. Il suo animo svela il sentimento di Beethoven. La melode 109,110,111,è nella vis interpretativa di Cristian e sta volando verso chi ascolta.

Sentire questa musica di sentimento e preghiera divina, accarezza il cuore e lo protegge dalla paura, dallo sgomento e dal profondo dolore per la maledetta guerra cominciata. Intesa l’arietta che apre un canto corale e melodico con sviluppo di armonie struggenti che nascono una nella vita dell’altra….una perpetua narrazione si muove in una potente rapsodia che tutto cambia nella speranza di ritornare in se stessa’ Michele Padovano
Impossible to translate such poetry from a Florentine in the city that is the cradle of our culture.

I can only add the last words my wife uttered on stage struck down by an aneurism whilst playing Hecuba in her own theatre next to S.Peters Square.How prophetic they are!