Daniel Lebhardt a star shining brightly amidst the Planets at the Royal Albert Hall today . What a genial impresario Raymond Gubbay is to give the chance to young artists of playing with major orchestras and to 6000 people all blissfully happy to applaud these young artists.
Great authority from a pianist raised in the Hungarian School that is based above all on musical values .A technical preparation that is of the natural use of the body and creates beautiful flowing sounds that are never hard or ungrateful. It is this early training that has given Daniel an authority and fluidity that is based on a musical imagination gained from years of study mentored by Pascal Nemirovski. He has become a true interpreter delving deeply into the scores to find the inspiration behind the`well annotated notes. Nowhere was this more evident than in the ‘Adagio sostenuto’ that was played with glowing simplicity as Daniel conversed with the superb players of the Royal Philharmonic. Fearless virtuosity too in the ‘Allegro scherzando’ where Daniel in collaboration with the very fine young conductor, Lee Reynold, could drive the music forward with passionate intensity. A sumptuous ending of aristocratic grandeur and Hollywood style effusions. There had been refined beauty to the opening as Daniel allowed the solo chords to build in intensity until joined by the orchestra in a sumptuous outpouring of romantic intensity.
A collaboration between musicians as was later demonstrated by a performance of Holst’s Planets that was a kaleidoscope of chameleonic character and colour. The final notes intoned from the ‘Gods’ by the Bach Choir was a beautiful way to end an afternoon of sumptuous music making from two young musicians on the crest of a wave . I remember Victor Hochauser’s Tchaikovsky nights on Sunday evenings where the two concerti for violin and piano were to be heard with artist such as Peter Katin, Jerome Rose and Manoug Parikian but from the gallery were to be heard the cannons of the 1812 overture that were today replaced by a celestial choir.
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 