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Beethoven the Emperor

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A four hour concert at the end of an intensive three days with that master musician Peter Frankl.

Beethoven Chamber Music Masterclass with some real master musicians all British trained for the BPSE,PTS and EPTA under the eagle eye of Alberto Portugheis and Julian Jacobson.

Peter recently celebrated his 80th birthday at Yale where he has been a much cherished mentor of so many distinguished students.Not many people realise,though, that he is actually based in London because we never get a chance to hear him in London any more these days .He is in fact playing all over the world but his adopted city has sadly and unbelievably neglected him .

It is thanks to Alberto Portugheis (about to share his 75th birthday concert with his old friend Martha Argerich at the Wigmore Hall on the 12th December)who was able to convince Peter to catch the bus down to Steinway Hall to share his invaluable experience and musical insight with some extraordinarily talented young musicians.

Four hours of absolute bliss- well almost- in the company of Beethoven in the hands of some remarkable young musical personalities.
An extraordinary young violinist from Guildhall (student of David Takano)Jonel Manciu in the Kreutzer Sonata .As Peter said at the end that although this was a chamber music prize concert such a strong important presence must be recognised with a very special mention .
Of course the finest duo playing of the evening was in fact the last to play Amarins Wierdsma and Edward Liddall both from the Guildhall ( in fact it is not a coincidence that Amarins is in the Barbican Quartet with Jonel Manciu and both students of David Takano).
Demonstrating real duo work in which intense listening to each other and also great physical participation was paramount, like two birds swooping in on each other .It led inevitably to a totally convincing performance of the Sonata for piano and violin Op.30 n.1
Some very fine trio playing with Alexander Kirk (a student of Norma Fisher at the RCM) who lent all his refined musicianship and temperament to his two very fine partners in Beethoven’s surprisingly mature op.1 n.3 Trio.
It is hard and unfair to pick out individual players from such a distinguished group but maybe Tamila Salimdjanova ( a student of Dmitri Alexeev at the RCM) could be singled out for her extraordinary sound and rythmic energy.
It was ,in fact,the ” lads” from Manchester,who had to dash off early to get their last bus home ,who swept us all off our feet with an extraordinarily exhilarating “Ghost” trio.
These three very young youths had digested the rules and regulations and barely needing to even glance at the score were so intent on playing the game, passing the ball from one to another, giving us, the lucky people  present ,an exhilarating exhibition of youthful exuberance and passionate involvement.It was a real lesson to all present on what chamber music is about – a real intense musical discourse amongst equals.
Listening intensely to each other ,not only with their ears but also their eyes and their whole bodies .It was a riveting experience where the visual and aural became one and was indeed the performance that literally swept the board .

foto di Christopher Axworthy.
foto di Christopher Axworthy.
foto di Christopher Axworthy.
foto di Christopher Axworthy.
foto di Christopher Axworthy.
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Keyboard Trust Silver Jubilee

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A very distinguished gathering for the Silver Jubilee of the Keyboard Charitable Trust in the hallowed surroundings of the Reform Club.

Hosted by Richard and Elena Bridges ,trustee and one of the artistic directors respectively.
As Richard eloquently pointed out a heartfelt celebration for the twenty five years since John Leech decided to consolidate the missionary work of his wife Noretta Conci in spotting,helping and promoting young pianist of exceptional talent.
Her sixtieth birthday present was the official founding of the Keyboard Charitable Trust.
Amazingly this Romeo and Juliet couple are still as active as ever and were at the centre of the celebrations last night.In the presence too of their Patron Sir Anthony Pappano,a great and affectionate admirer of this remarkable couple.
Delighted as Geoffrey Shindler,the chairman, pointed out in his thank you speech,to take a busman’s holiday inbetween a tour of South America with his S,Cecilia Orchestra and his remarkable young protogee Beatrice Rana ,and Mahler Sixth at the Barbican on Thursday with the LSO.
What better way to celebrate, amongst all the distinguished guests gathered to pay homage to them,than a showcase recital for two highly gifted young musicians Mihai Ritivoiu and Emanuel Rimoldi.

Mihai flying in especially from Bucharest where he was performing Prokofiev 3rd piano concerto to substitute his collegue unable to obtain a Russian visa for the occasion .
Emanuel flown in that morning from Miami where he was chosen ,via a chance hearing on streaming from the Tchaikowsky Competition,to play in this very prestigeous series .

Another unexpected event that had the magnificent Steinway of the Reform Club out of order and although a fine old Bechstein as substitute was found it did not have the power or response needed or expected to be able to appreciate to the full our two valiant young musicians.

Mihais refined musicianship carried him through a difficult programme of Schumann op 28 and Ravel Pavane and Gaspard although the instrument not always allowing us to appreciate the subtle artistry that we have come to admire in this young artist.

It was difficult too to fully appreciate the funambulistic pianism of Emanuel in a programme of Liszt’s extremely subtle Aida paraphrase or the ten preludes by Rachmaninov .

However many things to admire from both and much appreciated by the large audience gathered .
An encore of the Rumanian Rhapsody by Emanuel brought the evening to a magnificent end.

A delightful,witty and intelligent speech from Geoffrey Schindler,new chairman of the KCT thanking of course Richard and Elena Bridges and hoping that like all good and noble traditions,that it would continue well into the distant future.
A special thank you to Sir Anthony Pappano ,seated between Noretta and another affectionate admirer Gabriella Bassatne, visibly enjoying his day off to the full.

One should not forget the new venture established by Geoffrey of the collaboration with the renowned Manchester Camerata which will see three of our young lions- Emanuel,Alex Ullman and Iyad I. Sughayer in a series of concerts with the musicians of the celebrated Manchester Camerata,

No stopping the Keyboard Trust that is going from strength to strength since giving a helping hand to its first artist Paul Lewis- now recognised as one of the most distinguished British pianist of his generation .
John ad  Noretta have a lot to answer for and we were all happy to assemble to celebrate and say thank you to this remarkable ” young” couple- recently recognised by the Queen with a much deserved and dare I say long overdue MBE.Long may they reign over us

foto di Christopher Axworthy.
foto di Christopher Axworthy.
foto di Christopher Axworthy.
foto di Christopher Axworthy.
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Piano Competitions a consideration

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A consideration comes to mind on reading of Peter Donohoe`s perfectly correct remark about the Queen Elizabeth of Belgium competition going almost unnoticed as compared to the remarks,comments and discussions in the Warsaw,Moscow and Bolzano competitions.
Of course the mass media are more interested in mass murders, political gossip and football than they are in culture.
Belgium seems an exception that quite rightly Peter points out.
Not only are the rounds sold out but are also presided over by the Royal Family and all around the world via their exemplary streaming.

In short it is a National Treasure that fills all of us seeming minority with the hope to be reassured in knowing that history ,education and culture are the only sure ways to overcome prejudice and isolation.

Hats off to Barenboim for proving so eloquently with that extraordinary person Edward Said and their extraordinary West Divan orchestra .
But is the social media and relative sites of Norman Lebrecht etc the place to discuss seriously the jury,the contestants and the final judgments?
I personally from experience prefer not to get involved in this gossip but I think it is better to talk ,be talked about and fought over rather than the usual indifference and ignorance that is more often demonstrated.
Usually time has shown that the distinguished juries asssembled in most competitions get it right .

But what about the hundreds of wonderful talents that do not win this lottery~ maybe because they are not ready or maybe they are not the competing kind.
Andras Schiff,Mitsuko Uchida,Angela Hewitt,Paul Lewis,Janina Fialkowska all great artists playing before us today who had not won Tchaikowsky,Chopin,Busoni,Brussels !
There is no alternative to the International Piano Competition that I can think of for showing off the magnificent array of talent that is there for all that have eyes to see.All dedicating their youth to art, with the sole wish of having an audience with which to share their lifetime passion.
So it is with this in mind that streaming of all the contestants is so important and indeed in my opinion the raison d`etre of the “Piano Competition Circuit”.

I hear the price for Medici Streaming of Moscow was in the millions and maybe the other competitions too.But I have seen smaller less ambitious streaming from smaller venues that obviously could not and had not entered into that sort of budget.
Two examples in my experience come to mind, and I expect many more elsewhere, of a pianist in the rounds being heard worlwide and offered help and all important engagements.

Bolai Cao an extraordinary 17 year old at the Busoni came in fifth because  the jury had had the difficult task of taking many rounds into consideration.

Bolai was heard on streaming and taken under the wing of the Keyboard Trust and offered concerts all over the USA and Europe whilst monitoring his very considerable talent.

Emanuel Rimoldi many thought should have passed into the second round in Moscow but was heard by a very discerning impresario in Miami and offered a very prestigeous engagement.

Julian Brocal played a remarkable Carnaval in Monza and was taken under the wing of the very remarkable and generous lady Marie Joao Pires who actually shares the platform with him .As does that other very remarkable lady Martha Argerich with her friends.

Did not Rubinstein do the same for Janina Fialkowska at his first Competition in Israel.
I cannot stress how important it is for the world to be able to partecipate at this remarkable array of talent.So at this point it is not only the chosen and just one who is the winner but it is also the talent that is the overall decisive factor in the end.

Talent will out.Should and must be the motto.

Thus getting away from the competitive football type mentality that can plague an institution where many illustrious musicians ,our own Peter Donohoe at the helm,give up their precious time to help future generations,and should be lauded and venerated instead of being accused and sometimes on social media, at least, abused.

https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2023/08/13/all-the-fun-of-the-circus-the-busoni-competition/

Stefano Greco at the Quirinale in Rome

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Stefano Greco at the Presidents Palace – Quirinale in Rome this morning .
I first heard Stefano in London giving a masterclass on Bach for Alberto Portugheis in a small venue to a few enthusiastic souls .
His talk and performance of the Art of Fugue after an intensive class was nothing short of inspiring .
So this year I was happy to be able to hear him do a much more amplified lecture recital to a packed S.Cecilia Hall in Rome where he is rightly revered as a Bach scholar of singular importance . It was fascinating to hear him reasoning as to why Bach had left this work incomplete and much more beside. The performance ,all from memory ,a feat in itself ,was quite superb.
Later at the request of Mrs Maazel,as were her late husband’s wishes , he flew under the auspices of the Keyboard Trust and Nicola Bulgari to play the Goldberg Variations at Lorin Maazels Memorial Concert at his home in Castletown Virginia.( Where by coincidence another Keyboard Trust artist Bolai Cao was playing today).
So it was with great interest that I tuned into the 3rd Programme to listen to the live broadcast from the Cappella Paolina at the Quirinale in Rome.
An all french programme that I was not expecting from this renowned Bach specialist . But it was from the French Baroque of Rameau to their revisitation by Debussy and Ravel. Not only could Stefano talk so calmly and intelligently before affronting such an intricate programme but also inbetween works too.Specifying that he wanted to dedicate this recital to Aldo Ciccolini his recently deceased teacher and renowned specialist in the french repertoire .
Remarkably crystal clear playing in the Rameau with some really stylish ornamentation that only added to the expressive line and allowed him to maintain such rythmic energy without ever resorting to making us realise that this was other than an instrument that Rameau would have totally approved of. No mean feat ,but one that Stefano had explained in his short interview beforehand that a modern piano can and should be used for baroque music but only when one has fully understood the original sound world.Fascinating to hear his words mirrored by his performance and to realise that he can bring it off as he has acquired the right to a Baroque driving license!(As Graham Johnson said to me one day when I asked how he got away with playing with the piano lid fully open ,an unusual occurence with singers who more often than not travel with their” book”to prop the lid open at a suitable height.It’s alright if you know how to drive ,was the simple and proven reply!
Not sure what the piano was but I would guess from the remarkably clear beautiful sounds produced that it may have been a Fazioli.
Of course a completely different sound world for Debussy’s Hommage a Rameau from Images . As he explained this is Debussy’s impression on visiting the tomb of Rameau.Much slower that I am used to hearing had me running to the score to find exactly as Stefano had played Lent e grave.
Finishing with Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin again explaining that it was written during the first world war and every movement is dedicated to a friend of the composer who had fallen in the war.The first performance by Marguerite Long in 1919 to whose husband,also fallen in the war is dedicated the final Toccata. Ravel played with that aristocratic french sound typical of a Rubinstein or Ciccolini.Clear with expression and sentiment but never with sentimentality . Strange that the ornaments were not so convincing in the little Menuet but fascinating to be taken on such a journey from Rameau to Ravel by Stefano . The presenter of the programme was hoping that as an encore Stefano would offer again his superb rendering of Le Rappel des Oiseaux from the Rameau Suite in E minor(1724) but he had a different idea and so we were treated to the 13th variation from the Goldbergs. Stefano in his introductory interview had spoken so eloquently about his study of the Goldberg Variations and his video programmes one a week dedicated to each variation in turn.
I believe there is also a Facebook opened by Stefano entitled Goldberg Variations that I for one will be scouring for information immediately.
A remarkable morning that I was fortunate enough to be able to enjoy in the shadow of Mount Circeo in the wonderful Italian countryside with only the spring song of the birds to add to the wonders from the Radio………..Rappel des Oiseaux indeed!

Maria Joao Pires at Rome University

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Partitura Project with Maria João Pires and Kaito Kobayashi at Rome University “La Sapienza” .
It is very apposite that in Busoni’s 150 anniversary year one should be reminded twice in the same week of his statement that “the pedal is the soul of the piano”.Nowhere could that have been more evident than at Krystian Zimerman’s recital of Schubert’s last two Sonatas in London a few days ago and now even more evident with Pires in Beethoven’s last two Sonatas op110 and op.111.The pedal used as voice in its own right . Now to open up the sound in the piano almost as a percussion instrument in order to make the piano sound like a full orchestra and now to give a sheen and luminous sound. Reminiscent of the great almost forgotten Wilhelm Kempff especially in his later years. We are a taught from an early age to practise without pedal and to join the notes with ones fingers , not to rely on the pedal but to a certain extent to add the pedal after this work has been done. But are we ever made aware that the pedal ( I am talking about all three pedals ) in the hands of a real thinking musician is another voice in its own right? And so it was as Maria Joao Pires stepped onto the platform with a very fine twenty one year old disciple whom she had decided to share the concert with fifty fifty.TheJapanese pianist Kaito Kobayashi. Last time I saw her she share the concert with Julien Brocal ,a young french pianist whom I had heard and admired at the Monza Competition a few years ago. There she played the Mozart double with him and a series of shared recitals all over the north of Italy . When I went backstage,in Oxford, to thank her for all she is doing to help these marvellous young musicians she replied with a very sweet genuine modesty that it was they that helped her!
Very similar to that other great , generous lady Martha Argerich.A table to one side with a chair for the attentive listener awaiting their turn to play.It was hardly fair for Kaito to follow Pires’s opening op 110 with Beethovens Funeral March Sonata op 26 . Clean and clear a fine musicianly account of op 26 some very beautiful things indeed but when Pires opened opn 110 there was a sheen and luminosity to the sound that was quite unique . The simple but extreme attention to sound no where more evident than in the last chord of the first movement that seemed to disintigrate before our very eyes( just infact as another great magician of sound Shura Cherkassky would have done) The second movement with all the rhythmic energy necessary but without that usual heavy not always legato chord playing that we are so used to hearing. Leading to a final movement of such majesty and beauty . Can the melodic line ever have sounded so beautiful with the rock solid but never heavy repeated chords underneath? Wonderful sense of balance and of holding back the sound until the climax before the explosion of arpeggiated chords and the gentle almost murmured return of the fugue in inversion this time leading to the real climax and triumphant ending of this masterpiece.Here the almost percussive use of the pedal to open up the full rich sound that is hidden away in that black box of tricks. A beautiful Steinway from Alfonsi lovingly tuned by that master Mauro Buccitti. Follow that! After the interval Kaito gave a very fine performance of Mozart A minor Sonata …the last movement,of course,too fast , as always not allowing a real legato and giving the beautiful middle section a chance to have time to sing and breath. The first movement on the other hand magnificently played with the right sound and majesty with a real sense of colour and rhythmic energy leading to a beautifully shaped slow movement. All this appreciated from the lady seated at the table by the piano awaiting her turn to play. And play she did ! Beethoven’s last Sonata . And if ,unexpectedly, she played the opening octaves with two hands it was always with the intended struggle in mind. If the first movement did not always seem as rock solid as it probably could ,it was remarkable for the sheen and overall homogenious sense of sound sometimes again resorting to almost jumping on the sustaining pedal to open up the sound to give us that full orchestral sound that obviously Beethoven ,who was totally deaf, had envisage. But who could have imagined the visionary performance of the last movement from the very opening. Beauty without sentimentality so difficult to transmit in this piece. And whereas the most notable thing about this small, sparrow like master was the stillness when she played . But suddenly in the middle jazz like variation she became a jazz star moving just as one would expect from a keyboards player in some dive , with an almost infectious dance like movement . But all this to lead to the most serene and sublime final pages imaginable leading ,in turn, to the triumphant climax always( with that luminous and sometimes rich full sound ) Discending to the final pages of the trills that I have never heard played so beautifully. The technical feat of playing in itself a continuous trill with two fingers of one hand whilst using the others have to play the most etherial appearance of the theme . All this whilst the left hand has a magic all of its own . We were not made aware of the difficulty such were the magic sounds produced ……it was as though Beethoven had anticipated the Impressionist and that in his imagination he could have imagined what the remarkable Madame Pires miraculously achieved. To end the concert suddenly two stools appeared and our two artists played this time as one a beautiful piece for four hands by Grieg . A big queue in the Green Room to thank Madame Pires for the lesson of humility,sensitivity and humanity that she had brought to us. Many fine pianists in the queue for it was they, above all ,that were able to appreciate the state of perfection that she had achieved . Beatrice Rana ,fresh from a recital in Leipzig,had even forsaken an evening’s rest in order not to miss Pires before flying off the following morning on a South American tour with Pappano (Tchaikowsky n.1 S.Cecilia Orchestra) .In the queue with many others to meet and thank this remarkable lady.

The Prince of Pianists- Zimerman at the RFH

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And so we were sorry to hear that Mitsuko Uchida was ill and unable to play tonight at the Festival Hall in London but amazed that at such short notice Krystian Zimerman was able to take her place. The last two great Sonatas by Schubert in A major and B flat and four mazurkas by Szymanowski in programme. I still remember Zimermans performance, in this very hall,twenty years ago of the other Sonata in the trilogy .The Sonata in C minor, and it has remained in my memory as one of the most intimate but at the same time forceful interpretations I have ever heard.
And so it was tonight it came to mind Joan Chisell’s title of a review of a Rubinstein recital in the ’70’s :”The Prince of Pianists”. For here never have I heard,since Rubinstein, the piano sound so beautiful but also expressive with all that that implies. All the emotions and intelligence were there and one is reminded of the ” canons covered in flowers ” reference to Chopin’s Polonaises.
The A major Sonata has never sounded so grand and at the same time so beautiful .Gone is the usual hard edged Beethoven sound because here we are in the very particular sound world all Schuberts own. From the opening cascading arpeggios to the beseeching counterpoint on the return of the melody in the slow movement. Never has the hesitant final theme in the last movement sounded so nostalgic .
And so it was after the interval .Four Szymanowski mazurkas just as his mentor Rubinstein would do in the middle of an all Chopin recital like a sorbet before continuing.with the cordon bleu plate placed before us. And what a plate probably one of the most beautifully coherent performances this hall has witnessed of Schubert`s last great Sonata. I remember Rubinstein bringing his own piano to the recording studio in Rome trying to find that very special sound world that this work inhabits. Barenboim too had designed recently a single stringed instrument based on one he had found in Siena , and reproduced by Roberto Valli under his name , in the search for that elusive sound. Here Zimerman also aided by his faithful italian technician,Tonino Rappoccio, had been able to find on his own Steinway, I presume, that special mellow but full singing sound. I believe recently they even fished out an old piano backstage in Macerata and after working on it used it for this very recital programme in that city. Much to the cities delight and amazement they found they had a concert piano actually of their own. Interesting use of the pedal in the repeated single note that announces the last movement . As in the slow movement of the A major sonata before the interval. A sort of double escapement (as in Carnaval)which obviously comes from Zimermans knowledge and study of the capability and limits of the pianos of Schuberts time So many wonderful things but not just for their sake but incorporated in an intelligent ,knowledgeable discourse(with the score always visible and ready to be reinterpreted on top of the piano) that kept the vast audience in silent rapture. Three encores , real baubles turned into gems by this magician. Could they have been Medtner or even early Szymanowski?Indeed grazie Tonino per la conferma di tre Preludi op 1 di Szymanowski. No importance as it held us all in raptures well into the foyer where all our young lions were enchanted and not a little bewildered but indeed bewitched by the great lesson of intelligence, beauty and simplicity that we had all been privileged to witness.

The Joy of Music with Badura Skoda

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A real joyful encounter with Paul Badura Skoda tonight in St James`s Paddington . As Bryce Morrison said in his programme notes Badura Skoda, like his teacher Edwin Fisher, is from the school where the piano prefers to be played rather than hit,coaxed rather than bullied into life,the block buster world of the ultra virtuoso,alien territory.
And so it was this evening where many of the details and note picking accuracy were instead replaced by an immediate simple musicality that allowed the music to speak for itself .
An eventful evening in many ways where one of the public was taken ill and unknown to the artist ,as to most of the audience lost in the world of sublime world of Schuberts four Impromptus op 90
An ambulance was called and it all looked so hopeless,until during the G flat Impromptu the miracle occured and the man who had slithered under his pew was resucitated by the immediate help offered from St Marys nearby …….I like to think that Badura Skoda’s Schubert had much to do with it too.
Not satisfied with offering a large programme of Mozart D minor Fantasy,Haydn C minor Sonata ,Schubert Four Impromptus and Beethoven’s last sonata .
After an interval, that the pianist had to pass on foot with the public, as in the confusion his green room had been locked and people were more intent on their Champagne that what our 88 year artist was doing!.
However after the interval Badura Skoda moved his stool nearer to the large public that had gathered to hear this legendary musician ,as he wanted to explain the piece by Frank Martin ,that had been dedicated to him , by the relatively unknown Swiss composer.
Charming very amusing and informative ” chat” about the Fantasy on Flamenco Rhythms . The clear lines of op.111 after made us realised how privileged we were to hear this musician from another age .
A beautiful little piece for glass harmonica by Mozart ( played with unbelievable cristalline sound on this “Boston” piano) was the perfect encore for a memorable evening
The age of the complete Viennese musician whose only preoccupation was to be the direct go between,between the composer and the audience.
I well remember when Paul played for us at the Ghione Theatre in Rome and during the rehearsal he had the whole piano works in his lap . When I found him he explained that there were some notes that needed injecting with a liquid he had been given by Bob Glazebrook at Steinways. Rather alarmed I immediately rang Glazebrook in London who reassured me that the bottle contained water as they could not allow Maestro Badura Skoda to ruin all the pianos in Europe!
And Perlemuter telling me of this jury member at the Casagrande competition in Terni, a small industrial town created by Mussolini outside Rome, who jumped down from his post to tune the piano when it became unbearably out of tune.
Wonderful to see him in such good form and know that the great Viennese school is alive and well in his hands and being shared with the numerous young musicians who flock to him for his invaluable advice and comradship.
Carlo Grante in particular often passes days comparing scores and playing the numerous antique instruments that make up the Badura Skoda household in Vienna.

Happy Birthday Ginastera and welcome back Barbara Nissman

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Wonderful to meet Barbara Nissman at last for her centenary celebration concert of Ginastera at Kings Place in London. Also billed as Prokofiev`s 125th,Bartok`s 135th and Liszt`s 205.
This to show the direct link between the composers.Something she expertly spoke about as she began with Liszt`s Dance at the village inn .Followed by Bartok`s percussive Allegro Barbaro before arriving at Prokofiev and Ginastera .
Originally the idea to write a concerto for piano and percussion after her much admired performance of his first concerto lead to a very moving portrayal of her friend Ginastera who wrote his 3rd Sonata for her in its place from his hospital bed in 1982.
Infact this was his last work dedicated to Barbara Nissman and bears the inscription “Thanks be to God”.
Although living in Switzerland he always thought of himself as a man of South America.
Ending her remarkable recital with Ginastera’s masterpiece his first sonata written thirty years earlier.
Such energy and transcendental piano playing left us all breathless,but certainly not Barbara who at the end greeted all her numerous illustrious friends and admirers and one felt she could have easily started all over again. Over the years I feel she has become a close friend ,in a correspondence that has lasted over twenty years, from the day her dear friends Rosalyn Tureck and teacher Gyorgy Sandor spoke about her to me on their regular annual visits to Rome.
We had never actually met in person but her numerous CDs would happily arrive regularly in my office at the Teatro Ghione and we even shared our grief over loosing our beloved spouses.
So it was a very poignant meeting at her astonishing performance today in London.
Oh for the next twenty years of happy correspondence together.

That Nightingale in Westminster Square

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A nightingale sang at the Chopin society today in the form of Piers Lane. Such a spell was set with the exquisite sounds he spun in Chopin’s nocturne op 27 n.2 that at the end not a breath was heard until the magic was broken by an enthusiastic public that had been regaled by almost two hours of some of Chopin’s best known works. Some unexpected embelishments that Piers had found in the original edition in Warsaw showed what a complete thinking musician we were privileged to hear. But above all such a sense of balance that allowed the piano to sing as rarely it can these days. An impassioned performance of the F sharp minor polonaise made the beseeching mazurka in A minor even more poignant. Asked by the pianist not to clap between pieces so that we could savour his refined choice of the different keys of some of Chopins most famous pieces.Op29,49,10n.3,47,44,55,62 . Ending of course with the sublime Barcarolle which Cortot likened to being in heaven and Ravel admired so much . I well remember listening to someone playing a piano transcription of “A nightingale sings in Berkeley Square” on BBC radio 3 and being overwhelmed by the beauty of the sound I just had to stop and listen. It was,of course,Piers Lane. Alas there are very few these days that can make the piano sing as purely and simply as that nightingale by the name of Piers Lane .

Mishka Rushdie Momen at St Barnabas

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Some exquisite piano playing from Mishka Rushdie Momen at St Barnabas today. Schubert`s Wanderer Fantasy and Schumann`s Waldszenen given remarkably mature readings with such refined musicianship it made you wish that the Florestan element in her playing could have been brought more to the fore to provide more rhythmic contrasts. But this was a real poet speaking intent on sharing her dream with us as was obvious from the Janacek “In the mist ” offered to an insistent and surprisingly numerous public. Ideally suited to the sound world of Schumann where Eusebius is predominant in these late Schumann pieces some really beautiful sounds had the audience almost evesdropping on these poetic musings. The Beethovenian Schubert of the “Wanderer” although musicianly shaped with some really beautiful moments particularly in the very Wanderer movement lacked the rhythmic drive and impulse so much part of this particular work. Hats off to Hugh Mather and his remarkable team that have assembled such a discerning and loyal public that allow him to offer engagements to some remarkable artists and give them the much needed concert experience. Also for discovering some of the more extraordinary talents from those now frequenting our Academies. Next concert on Sunday at 15 of another remarkable pianist very much in view Ashley Fripp and following closely on Dinara Klinton,Evgeny Genchev and Tessa Uys with Ben Schoeman