Concert Note: Kirill Gerstein

Feb 11, 2018, Town Hall
Kirill Gerstein Recital
Bach - Debussy - Chopin - Ades - Brahms

A short note on a concert I had forgotten to enter in this blog.

It's been a long time since I last heard Kirill Gerstein, who had many years ago appeared with the HKPO. I remember him as a barnstorming virtuoso, so this recital, part of NY's wonderfully egalitarian Peoples' Symphony Concerts, came as a surprise.

Concert opened with a rarity, Bach Four Duets, which received a controlled reading that lacked a little flair. Gerstein's very straightforward way worked wonders with Debussy's Preludes, Book I. No mist, nothing vague, but still atmospheric and well-sculpted.

The second half opened with Three Waltzes of Chopin, followed by Three Mazurkas of Thomas Ades. All were played with sensitivity and coherence. But the crowning jewel of the evening, one which revealed the towering stature of the pianist, was the marvelously architectural reading of the rarely heard Brahms Sonata No.2.

Superb!