Emanuil Ivanov in Florence last night for the series of Busoni winners in the Harold Acton Library at the British Institute of Florence.
In partnership with the Keyboard Trust he astonished in Scarlatti and seduced and overwhelmed with Rachmaninov.(a detailed review of his performances are reproduced here from month ago in London:https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2023/02/15/emanuil-ivanov-sensational-recital-of-technical-assurance-and-refined-intelligence/)
But it was his own theme and variations inspired and dedicated to his fiancé with ‘sincerity and loving expression’ that moved and thrilled us even more.
Even his encore of Trenet’s ‘April in Paris’ in the transcription of his fellow Bulgarian Alexis Weissenberg could not move us to tears as the delicacy and ravishing beauty of his own piece.
His first encore was ‘My Joys’ the song by Chopin in the all too rarely played transcription by Liszt and what rays of joy he beguiled us with.A pianism of another age,the Golden age of subtlety and supreme artistry so rare to experience in these times of immediacy and clockwork precision.A make believe world of innuendo and ravishing jeux perlé- perchance to dream!
Love was in the air -wedding bells are already ringing.
It was a revelation to see a Busoni winner from four years ago who has turned from a superbly trained young pianist into an artist of great stature.
Spring is in the air in Florence and as Rostropovich rightly said it is the museum of the world.A room with a view indeed!
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 