[pianotech] Glasgow Concert Halls: The Piano

[David Boyce]

 From 16th to 25th November, Glasgow Concert halls held a special 
concert/recital series, "The Piano".  A super series with many fine 
pianists. Kudos to Glasgow for holding this!

I attended five recitals: Alexandre Tharaud, Richard Goode, Dan Tepfer, 
Daniil Trifonov and Alex Beatson.

All were excellent, a wonderful standard throughout.  Tharaud played 
Scarlatti, Ravel, Mahler (his own arrangement for piano of the Adagio 
from Symphony number 5) and Beethoven Sonata Op 57. Goode played the 
last three Betthoven sonatas and bagatelles Op 19.  Tepfer played Bach's 
Goldberg Variations with his own short improvisations between each 
variation - excellent. Trifonov played Scriabin Sonata No2 Liszt Sonata 
in B minor and Chopin 24 preludes Op 28.  Beatson played Mozart 
Variations in G, Schubert's Wanderer fantasy, three Lizst 
Shubert/Schumann song arrangements.

The son of friends of mine has just started a music degree at Glasgow 
University and there were special student/young person rates for all the 
concerts and recitals, so he attended most of the ones I was at, and we 
were able to 'compare notes' afterwards.

We both agreed that there was something very special indeed about the 
Daniil Trifonov recital.  I have been to a lot of concerts and recitals 
in my time, and heard some great (and some not so great) music-making.  
There was some very special communication from Trifonov.  It is hard to 
give an exact description of an audience feeling, but there was a 
certain something, with the audience, a collective impression or 
sensation - a raptness of attention, a sense that we were collectively 
exposed, not to a "performace", but to an exploration of the music, 
which conveyed strongly that the pianist LOVED it.  And I don't of 
course mean histrionics - no swooning about and waving of elbows.  All 
the communication took place via the hands on the piano,

Check him out on Youtube folks. eg 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUI90rbdUBU

Due praise must also be given to the technician looking after the three 
pianos I heard - all Steinway D.  I think it's a fellow called Alasdair 
MLean.  So nice to hear "gourmet tunings" (to co-opt Dan Levitan's phrase).

Best regards,

David.
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