I doubt that the piano has ever sounded so beautiful as today in the sensitive hands of Steven Osborne.A poet who sculptures in sound and an artist who has a story to tell of wondrous lands and magic arabesques.
Now I understand his insistence with his students of having a story to tell. Stories in his hands today that took us to places we have rarely been before.Matthay must be looking on with a glint in his eye as at last there comes a disciple who can find infinite gradations of sound in every note.Playing of a fluidity as though without being tied down to bar lines.There were moments of astonishing dynamic drive and energy where the keys seemed almost red hot as he shied away for fear of getting burnt ! Writing this in the interval and imagining that Eusebius has had the stage until now and looking at the programme I expect this will be time for the entry of Florestan with Keith Jarrett,Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson on stage . An artist of Florestan and Eusebius personality no wonder his Schumann was the most wondrous I have ever heard …..this was indeed the Poet speaking!

What a programme, that was a picture in sound that Steven had wanted to share with us,asking the audience not to break the spell with applause until after the Debussy.There was a wonderful flowing tempo to the Schumann Arabeske with a timeless beauty where bar lines were of no significance.A fluidity with a magical sense of colour where sounds would glitter and gleam as never before in the midst of this seemingly innocuous rondo melody .In lesser hands it can seem very repetitive but in Steven’s hands we never wanted it to finish.He subtly doubled the melodic line from the tenor register and took our breath away when the bass suddenly appeared from his genial palette of ravishing colours.A pointillism in sound. The Minore II that so often breaks the spell of even the most sensitive performances was here simply Florestan commenting and Eusebius replying before we overheard what seemed like the rondo in the distance.It was even more tenderly played but always remaining on the same wave that was to carry us so naturally from the first glorious note to the last.And what notes they were with the coda ‘Zum Schluss’ of such breathtaking beauty like a song where words are just not enough and where Schumann and Schubert could transport us into a world of dreams.The gentle forte of the last note was allowed to reverberated with the gently stroked final notes held in the pedal as the wondrous sounds of the ‘snow is dancing’ filled this perfumed air.The spell was set and I have rarely felt as today an audience drawn in to the performer like the Pied Piper from the very first notes of a recital.The snow ‘doux et estompe’ now we know what ‘estompe’ really means!Melodies that suddenly appeared and disappeared all within a framework of luminous ‘featherlight’ sounds that disappeared into infinity at the end where they are probably still sounding to the joy of the angels!At this point ‘Jimbo’ entered ‘doux et un peu gauche’ .Not a little but tiptoeing very carefully to an ending over cluttered with Debussy beseeching us not to believe our ears that such a clumsy beast could be so delicate!We did believe it today as the music in Steven’s wondrous hands spoke so much louder than any hieroglyphics the composer might add in desperation!The Serenade just wafted in with charm and fluidity.I have the magical performance of Horowitz always in my heart and soul from his live return to Carnegie Hall but after tonight Mr Horowitz can sit on the wall as Mr Osborne has filled that special place !The final notes reaching right to the end of the keyboard that we followed with baited breath to the final barely whispered top E .’The little Shepherd’ was played with a haunting beauty of desolation interrupted by the melancholic look over his shoulder at what he was missing – magic was still in the air as Steven just blew on the final notes – sounds – the word note already seems so positive for something that was indeed so etherial.The First Arabesque by Debussy just wafted in as the sounds rose and fell like some calm waves lapping on the seashore and was followed by the French elegance and charm of the sparkling precision like jewels of the second. The audience were now set free to release this magic bubble created by a master magician with mundane but truly sincere applause.

This is where I just sat back and relished the concert without even trying to describe the wonders that were being revealed by this genial poet of the piano.Comparative performances are not for me I listen to every performance with fresh ears waiting for what very rarely happens – je sens ,je joue je trasmets .All I can say is that the simplicity and beauty of Kinderscenen today was as revealing as Curzon or Cortot.

Poetry in sound with wondrous ‘foreign lands and peoples’ such a curious story of revealing artistry.Art that conceals art – Blind man’s bluff played with a jeux perlé that only the greatest of masters of the keyboard can match.A desperately beseeching child who in the end seemed happy enough until the grandeur and enormous sonorities of such an Important Event.Perchance to dream – if only all dreams were made of this sitting by the beautiful fireside as the Hobby horse rocked with such gentle persuasion.The technical finesse in frightening was indeed enough to scare any other pianists from thinking this was too easy for real virtuosi .But it was Steven’s insistence on underlining the left hand in ‘falling asleep’ that will remain with me for long to come ……and that final note …was to die for.A Poet Speaks of course we had been aware of that since the very first note of this wondrous event!

After the interval enter Mr Florestan! But not before the beauty of White Birches by a certain Marion Eugenie Bauer delighted us with a Chaminade type morsel of simple delight.Then the fun began with a gentle throbbing of Meredith Monk’s Railroad that collided with Rzewski’s Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues where Steven’s delicate fingers were now given over to his fists and arms.A tumultuous build up of sounds of Reich proportions that was an exhilarating release from the intense perfumed sounds that Eusebius had treated us to.An improvisation like pianists of another age who would improvise from one piece to to another liking them together by key relationships .These were gentle sounds that suddenly revealed – with a promised knowing look from our compère – to the simple beauty of Keith Jarrett’s ‘My Song’ followed by Bill Evan’s arrangement of Gershwin’s ‘I loves you Porgy ‘.

How apposite as we had been totally seduced by now but were even more astonished by the virtuosity and crazy drive of Oscar Peterson’s Indiana.This made Messiaen’s Spirit of Joy sound like a five finger exercise.Steven now let his hair down to give an all or nothing performance of incredible pyrotechnics and animal enjoyment.

This was indeed X certificate stuff and I think if it had carried on any longer the piano would have found a way of getting off stage quick! It reminds me of that famous caricature of Liszt.

Getting his and our breath back and in reply to an ovation , rarely heard even at the Wigmore Hall,Eusebius came back to show us it had all been a dream, with a ravishing and touching melody by Keith Jarrett.

Steven Osborne Masterclass at the Guildhall

Steven Osborne in the spotlight ‘ The secret world of a supremely sensitive artist’