A fascinating and varied programme of ‘something old and something new’. The works of Mendelssohn have been unjustly neglected these days and I remember Murray Perahia playing the Sonata op 106 as part of the programme that brought him to victory and world wide recognition in one of the first Leeds Piano Competitions. Rudolf Serkin too used to regularly include the Preludes and Fugues in his programmes. So it was refreshing to be able to hear the Fantasy in F sharp minor that the 25 year old Mendelssohn penned obviously for his own concerts. It is a work of scintillating brilliance contrasted with a mellifluous outpouring of the sentiment of its time and one that made Mendelssohn a favourite at the court of Queen Victoria. A work in one movement, sometimes known as ‘Sonata Écossaise’, but divided into three episodes like a sonata .The central episode was of a simplicity and charm and the last with a dynamic drive and noble brilliance of beauty and exhilaration. Simone played it with delicacy and subtlety with a jeux perlé of sparkling exuberance and ‘joie se vivre’ as he delved deep into the heartstrings for the melancholic outpourings of Mendelssohn’s genial melodic invention.

The transcription by Moszkowski of the Nocturne from Mendelssohn’s Midsummer night’s dream is a rarity in the concert hall where the Rachmaninov scherzo is more often heard. A beautiful work played by Simone with a chiselled beauty of sumptuous richness and poignant meaning.

The Busoni ‘Berceuse’ I have only heard in the concert hall played by Serkin who combined it with the Toccata. It is a deeply brooding piece with the very particular sound world of Busoni seemingly without any tonal centre and leaving us suspended in an air of uncertainty. I did play it once in Empoli, where Busoni was born, as it was particularly requested by the organisers, and it was very interesting after all these years to hear it again played so beautifully. Simone played it with refined beauty and an architectural line that was very impressive.

It was linked with Busoni’s famous reworking of the Bach ‘Chaconne’. Simone began with a good flowing tempo but allowed the tempo to fluctuate too often and the chords and octaves were played rather without the weight necessary for such a monumental work.Substituting monumental for brilliance in a rather romantic revisitation that in many ways was very beautiful but lacked the overall architectural shape of one of the most important and ingenious works ever written by J.S. Bach.

Rachmaninov’s beautiful D major prelude op 23 was coupled with the monumental Second Sonata in B flat minor op 36.The world of Rachmaninov suited Simone’s sumptuous sound world and romantic temperament.The prelude was enriched with the sonorous accompaniment on which the melody emerged with strength and beauty in a performance of flowing simplicity.

There was passion and a kaleidoscope of colour in the sonata with an architectural shape that linked all three movements into one unified whole of radiant beauty. There were sumptuous rich sounds with an outpouring of notes of exhilaration and excitement. Simone brought his musicianship to bear in a performance that if it did not have the reserves of more animalistic virtuosi it did have the aristocratic musicianship of intelligence and passionate involvement.

Simone Alessandro Tavoni has given recitals internationally across Europe and U.S in venue such the Purcell room, Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, St Martin in the Fields St.John’s Smith Square, Steinway Hall, St.Mary Perivale in London, Liszt Museum in Budapest, Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona, the Aarhus concert hall, The Tallin Philarmonia ( Estonia ) and the Florence Conservatory hall. In 2019, Simone has been selected as a Parklane Group Artist, as Keyboard Charitable Trust Artist and received the Luciano and Giancarla Berti full-ride scholarship to attend the Aspen Music Festival and School studying with renowned professor Fabio Bidini.  Graduated at Royal College of Music with professor Andrew Ball, and Simone has recently attained an Artist Diploma at Trinity Laban Conservatoire with professors Deniz Gelenbe and Peter Tuite. He began his musical education in Italy with professor Marco Podesta’ and pursue his studies at the Liszt Academy of Budapest with Dr.Kecskes Balazs and in Germany at the Hochschule fur Musik un Darstellende of Stuttgart with Dr,Peter Nagy. In 2016 was selected for the BBC pathway scheme and he is a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and School. He is generously assisted by HSH Dr.Donatus Prince of Hohenzollern.

 

Simone Tavoni triumphs on the Italian tour for the Keyboard Trust – part 1 Florence – part 2 Venice and Padua
https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2022/01/27/simone-tavoni-triumphs-on-the-italian-tour-for-the-keyboard-trust-part-1-florence/

Simone Tavoni at Livorno Classica flying high with poetic reasoning and with Dinosaurs overhead
https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2023/03/24/simone-tavoni-at-livorno-classica-flying-high-with-dinosaurs-with-poetic-reasoning/