There are never two without three is an Italian saying, and so it turned out this afternoon that two pianist whose playing I know were preceded by one I had never heard play, although I had met him many times at concerts with his colleagues. Three pianists with graduation recitals, and three established artists there to add their comments on their performances as they come of age with many friends and family to cheer them on !

Bach, Beethoven and Liszt was the programme for Radu who immediately showed his artistry and musicality with a performance of luminosity and glowing delicacy with a poignant ending of great nobility to Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in B flat minor Book 1 .

The main work on the programme was Beethoven’s penultimate sonata which as there were no programmes I was told was to be op 31 but what a wonderful surprise that it turned out to be the 31st sonata! A pleasant surprise to hear the opening especially when played with the radiance and beauty of sensitive playing maintaining always scrupulous attention to Beethoven’s very precise indications . There were beautiful caressing hand movements that allowed for a natural flow without any percussiveness of one of Beethoven’s most pastoral creations . It was the same natural fluidity that he brought to the ‘Scherzo’ where the notorious leaps in the ‘Trio’ held no terror for someone who was so involved in making music . A beauty of sound to the ‘Adagio’ where Beethoven’s pedalling was understood and incorporated into a performance of poignant significance. This was one long song played with great sensitivity and if Beethoven’s heart missed a beat or two it was because of the intensity with which Radu was involved .The ‘Fugue’ too was played with great intensity and very telling contrasts in dynamics with a heart that beat almost too passionately as he allowed the final pages to finish with the triumph of a fervent believer . Radu at this point adding a few pianistic tricks to the final exhilarating flourish .

Two pieces by Liszt showed off Radu’s sense of style and quite considerable pianistic mastery . ‘ La Leggerezza’ was played with ravishing whispered sounds with a sense of colour and phrasing of beguiling delicacy. A great fluidity and anchored by a bass that gave a great sense of architectural shape to his ravishing jeu perlé playing .

‘ Don Juan ‘paraphrase by Liszt is one of the most notorious of all his paraphrases . Liszt the greatest showman the piano world has ever known would seduce the sedate ladies of the Parisian salons and turn them into a hysterical mob grabbing souvenirs of their idol to take home, perchance to dream . This is also a paraphrase much admired by great intellectuals like Busoni and Rosen for its ingenious construction . Radu rose to the challenge with remarkable mastery, a sense of balance and style that he sometimes obscured unnecessarily with too much pedal . However it was a fearless performance from a true stylist.