ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary

“World class” exclaimed an exulted Hugh Mather at the end of the extraordinary recital by the Cuban pianist Marcos Madrigal today.

Playing in collaboration with the Keyboard Charitable Trust in the most remarkable series of great young pianists in London.

“on a cold day like this he has brought some Spanish sunshine into our lives” enthused a very excited Hugh,who has certainly seen some great young pianists in his time.

And much more besides, dear Hugh, as we were all witness today.

Right from the first note of the Chopin Nocturne in C Sharp minor op.posth,the penetrating luminosity of the sound gave us some indication that we were in the presence of a master. Perfect trills all with such clarity and allowed to sing thanks to this musicians wonderful sense of balance.

Musician…..magician yes – on the piano,and on this not easy Yamaha grand he was able to convince us that the sounds can live forever just like the human voice.

A juggling act indeed when one knows as soon as you play a note on a percussion instrument it begins to die away…unless you have found the secret of a Rubinstein,Zimerman,Perahia or a Curzon.

It is an art that conceals art and requires above all talent,but also dedication ,passion and work. Was it not Curzon,himself, who when asked his secret declared it was ninety per cent work and ten per cent talent. What talent though!

Following with another nocturne the almost” ballade” like one in C minor op 48 n.1 The wonderful cantabile sound but the subtle sense of colour and a rubato of such good taste one was not even aware of it. The music spoke as Chopin must have imagined it . The tumultuous middle section was kept under control with all the sense of line and shape paramount.No fireworks here as is often the case in lesser hands . The return of the melody above a shimmering accompaniment played with real passion and sentiment disappearing into the final expressive flourish so perfectly timed and with such poise .

Little did the audience expect the onslaught that followed with one of Prokofiev’s “War Sonatas” .The seventh in B flat op 83 He threw himself into the fray ” my kingdom for a horse indeed” …no blood on the keys but we certainly got the idea in this inspired performance. The second movement with its beautiful melody so sumptuously played with such ravishing sound a real magic trick indeed the violent passionate eruptions coming as even more of a contrast than expected. The last movement “Precipitato”.was just that . The insistent rhythmic pulse maintained with a tenacious magnetism ending in the most violently rhythmic onslaught that brought him a standing ovation . Rarely has that much heard sonata been heard in such a coherent full blooded but also passionate and tender performance I imagine since Richter’s premiere performance.

And so after the storm the sun came out in a selection of pieces by his compatriot Lecuona . Charmingly introduced by Marcos explaining the Cuban,Spanish,African influence and proceeding to charm and seduce us as only a true Cuban can. Was not Jorge Bolet the most seductive of pianists too . And so the colours the complicated syncopated rhythms all flowed from his fingertips seemingly so naturally . A Gitaneiras with such transcendental fingerwork -knotty twine indeed – but no knots here just pure simple sunshine thrown off with the ease of someone who lives in the country where manyana reigns . Malaguena ,of course was played to the manner born and from a beseeching public our charming magnificent pianist treated us to Goodbye Cuba . Arrivederci I think you mean dear Marcos as Hugh was reaching for his diary before this young man could get to the door.

A star is born…..Mariam Batsashvili at the Wigmore Hall.

There has certainly been a line up of great pianists this week with the winners of the Leeds,Santander competitions and Beatrice Rana`s magnificent Goldbergs for the BBC but what we heard this morning may be likened to the reverence with which the great pianists of the past spoke about the legendary Leopold Godowsky.

There was magic in the air from the very first note.

A phenomenal sense of balance that allowed the melodic line to sing with such purity allied to a complete immersion in the style together with a subtle sense of rhythmic energy.

The Concerto in D minor BWV.974 by Marcello in the transcription of J.S.Bach was played with just such subtle sense of rhythm and colour . The Adagio displayed her artistry to the full where the melodic line was allowed to whisper thanks to the amazing control of the left hand. But a sound of such beauty that it was projected even to the back of the hall. The infectious rhythm of the Presto with all its stylistic shading was indeed a very rare thing.

But even in the Liszt arrangement of Handel’s Sarabande and Chaconne from Almira S181 she displayed her wonderful sense of colour that she was able to transmit not only in the quiet melodic passages but also in the overwhelmingly full but never percussive fortissimo passages that abound in this very rarely heard Liszt transcription.

 Beethoven`s youthful “Rage over a lost penny” had all the “tongue in cheek ” humour allied to an amazing pianistic control as she threw herself into it at breakneck speed.

But even at this speed the music spoke with such subtle good taste and control that I would certainly not have thought it possible until hearing it today in Mariam’s golden hands.

 With all the half light “will`o the wisp “shading this was what virtuosity really means as Godowskys illustrious colleagues were well aware and were only too happy to bow to a superior being as many of the very fine pianists present today certainly were.

Leslie Howard the legendary Liszt authority was present and it was thanks to him and the Utrecht/Liszt Competition that we were able to witness the London debut of this twenty three year old future star .

Such subtle colours together with an infectious rhythmic pulse in the Allegro Barbaro by Bartok but completely different from the previous works such was her identification with this unique sound world.

 Enormous sonorities at the end of Liszt`s 13th Hungarian Rhapsody defied belief not only because of the sparrow type stature of this great artist but because of the enormous sound without the slightest hardness that she was able to produce. Such subtle rubato and aristocratic good taste in what can so often vulgarly demean these masterpieces .

  This led to the Tarantella from Venezia e Napoli where the delicate return of the melody was of such sublime beauty I just thank God that I was present today to witness it.

Her double octaves at the end were of “Horowitz”proportions.

After that an encore would have been unthinkable for lesser mortals but not for our “`gal “who treated us to the fourth Paganini study of such subtle charm and quiet virtuosity especially having only at the end ,on the way to the Green Room, noticed it was on a Yamaha grand.