Concert Review: Yevgeny Sudbin recital19 Jan, 2011
Concert Hall, Academy of Performing Arts
Scarlatti-Shostakovich-Chopin-Liszt-Ravel
Sudbin first caught my attention on the BIS CDs available in the HKPL. Hearing his 2009 recital in NYC affirmed my belief he is destined for greatness.
The HK recital is part of a series organized by Premiere Performances. I'd urge you to pay attention to this organization's offerings, all artists of the highest caliber (last Ning Feng recital too). There is a discount for subscription. The staff is small, and executive assistant Sharon Lam mans the telephone herself and was very helpful to our needs. Many thanks.
Sharon told us that booking a venue was difficult, but I was glad they ended up in the APA concert hall, an acoustically wondrous small venue, packed on this night.
Like the NYC recital, program opened with 3 Scarlatti sonatas. I think this time he allowed a little more play and humor to come across. It also struck me by his clean playing he tried to emulate the harpsichord, more successfully than some.
Following with 4 classically based Shostakovich Preludes was logical. His complete understanding of the quirkiness of the music and rhythmically masterful playing was a sheer delight. I think that was the best of the evening.
Despite the virtuosity, Chopin's Ballades 3 and 4 were objective and symphonic, finely held together but lacking just a little in poetry and heroism (brought out more successfully in the SZ recital of Zhang Haocheng in recent memory) .
The second half began with a beautifully atmospheric Liszt Transcendental etude, "Harmonies du Soir". Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit followed, played with staggering technique and aplomb.
The program notes by Sudbin himself were uncommonly fine, pointing out many relationships, not least between Chopin's Ballade No. 3 and Ravel's Ondine.
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