Saturday 26 November 12 noon – 6 pm
The Liszt Society Annual Day and Competition
Some superb playing from this young ‘local lad ‘.His temperament and artistry were evident from the very first notes of Schubert’s Impromptu in E flat.The streams of notes that flowed from his fingers with such ease were shaped with infinite care and with a fluidity and washes of colour that contrasted with the second episode with its driving forward movement and dramatic ending.The beautiful G flat impromptu was played with a sumptuous sense of balance that gave the melodic line great poignancy as it rode on an accompaniment of such fluidity.It was the same ease and shape that he gave to the shimmering streams of notes in the fourth impromptu.A middle episode played with passion and temperament with the deep bass notes allowed to appear and sustain with great effect.
There was beauty too in Schubert’s Standchen with the shadowing of the melodic line in Liszt’s beautiful transcription played with ravishing sound and utmost delicacy.There was much busy weaving in Liszt’s Bagatelle sans tonalità with a technical control and architectural shape that made one wonder why this work is not more often heard in the concert hall.
It led without a break into the ‘Dante’Sonata that was given a performance that was remarkable for the sense of character he gave to each of the episodes.From the dramatic imperious opening to the hauntingly beautiful central episode.He gave the work a dynamic sweep with an extraordinary technical control that conquered all Liszt’s demonic passages with such ease.A vision of the whole work that gave weight and importance to the architectural shape and drama that was being enacted.Performances of superb technical control but above all of artistry and musical intelligence allied to a temperament that was totally convinced as it was convincing .
Connor Heraghty was awarded a place to study piano performance at the Purcell School of Music sponsored by scholarships from the government’s Music and Dance Scheme and the Mackintosh Foundation. He went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama where he completed the BMus (Hons), MMus and MPerf postgraduate degrees followed by the Artist Diploma (2019-21).Concerts have included recitals at the Fazioli Concert Hall in Venice, in London at the Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the Fields, St James’s Church Piccadilly, Milton Court Barbican, Drapers’ Hall and Buckingham Palace in the presence of Prince Charles. During his studies at the Guildhall Connor studied with Senior Professor of Piano, Joan Havill and he has also enjoyed participation in masterclasses given by such artists as Sa Chen, Peter Frankl and Stephen Hough.His studies all through have been supported by scholarships from the Guildhall Trust, Leverhulme Arts Trust, Countess of Munster and the Alec Beecheno Bursary Award. During 2021/22 Connor is the Guildhall Artist Fellowship holder of the keyboard department and is sponsored by Talent Unlimited
Shuri Masuda (Japan)
Danse macabre (Saint-Saëns) S.555
Rapsodie espagnole S.254
Thanh Nhat Vu (Vietnam)
Études d’exécution transcendante No.12 “Chasse-neige” S.139
Ballade No.2 in B minor S.171
Miriam Gómez-Morán (Spain)
Un sospiro S.144/3
Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude S.173/3
William Bracken (UK)
Sonetto del Petrarca 104 (from Années de pèlerinage II: Italie, S.161)
Sonetto del Petrarca 123 (from Années de pèlerinage II: Italie, S.161)
La lugubre gondola II S.200
Sposalizio (from Années de pèlerinage II: Italie, S. 161)
William Bracken 1st ;Miriam Gòmez -Moràn 2nd;Shuri Masada and Thanh Nhat Vu joint 3rd
https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.wordpress.com/2019/12/01/liszt-comes-to-perivale/
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 