Recording a recital thanks the generosity of Steinway Hall for the Keyboard Trust today.It will be streamed in the near future with Emanuil Ivanov ,Premio Busoni 2019 playing and includes a fascinating interview with Christopher Axworthy in which he talks about his eclectic programme choices and his early training from the Russian school of Daskalova and Kurtev in Bulgaria to his advanced studies with Pascal Nevirowski and Anthony Hewitt at the Royal Birmingham Conservatory.
The only presence allowed was for the venerable founders of the Trust who in their 90’s had ventured out to greet the young twenty year old pianist who they had heard winning the Busoni competition in Bolzano in 2019.A prize which for some years also includes the Keyboard Trust Career Development Prize.
Some truly phenomenal playing not least of the Hamelin studies but also the rarely played ‘Il Lamento’ by Liszt-the poor relation of his set of Three concert studies of which La leggerezza and Un sospiro are it’s glittering companions.
A towering performance of the Norma Fantasy that I have not even heard so thrillingly played from Emanuil’s idol Marc André Hamelin.
Ornaments in Rameau on this magnificent Steinway D that were just as clearly articulated as only Sokolov has shown us in the past.
Arpeggiando chords in Beethoven?
Why play on historic instruments when the modern one’s have so much more to offer especially in the vast halls like La Scala?
Exciting future projects including Saint Saens 5th concerto and a monumental contemporary work lasting 75 minutes that he will perform in February.
In the meantime he is on his was to a tour of Puglia with this programme including also the Brahms Handel variations that we had admired in Bolzano.
All freely discussed with simplicity and humility from this young twenty three year old musician just happy to be sharing his music with others at last and playing for the KCT after many postponements due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control – better known as Pandemic COVID 19!
Jean-Philippe Rameau – From Suite in Sol (Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin): “L’Enharmonique”, “L’Egyptienne”, “Les Sauvages”
Marc André Hamelin – Etude n. 11 “Minuetto”, etude n. 12 “Prelude and Fugue”
Franz Liszt – Trois études de concert, S. 144: Il lamento, La leggierezza, Un sospiro & Réminiscences de Norma, S. 394
https://www.facebook.com/christopher.axworthy/posts/10227268516961326
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 
Una risposta a "Emanuil Ivanov at Steinway Hall for the Keyboard Trust"