Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | English | Berceuse in D flat major, Op.57

Mystified by the headline? Then read on for a partial view of Maurizio Pollini's latest recital, celebrating his 80th birthday.

Pollini's love for Chopin and Debussy was evident throughout an intimate recital as part of the Southbank Centre's in the International Piano Series.

With plenty of sparkle and spritz, Pollini laces his performances of Schumann and Chopin with intimacy and introspection in a programme of contrasting emotions.

At Carnegie Hall, a lion in winter focuses on Chopin.

I had three things to be excited about on Friday evening: seeing Fazıl Say in a solo recital – which I hadn’t done in 4 years, going to Zorlu Center – Istanbul’s newest and, according to reports, most modern and acoustically pleasing concert hall. The third is private.As it turns out, all but one of them turned out to be worth the anticipation.

If you recognize how Maurizio Pollini walks onto the stage, you can probably gauge his mood – which this evening was particularly restless. I have always wondered why he reaches the piano so quickly and almost immediately begins to play. Invariably, he has a puzzled expression on his face, as if he were wondering what all these spectators are doing in the hall – I love this shyness.

This was Nikolay Khozyainov’s first return visit to Dublin after having deservedly won first prize in the Dublin International Piano Competition last year. I particularly recall a brilliant and compelling interpretation of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto no. 3 in the final. Consequently, expectations were very high for this evening’s performance.

Lars Vogt’s unorthodox pianism knocks at Glenn Gould’s door without ever daring to fully enter his outlandish realm, and since there can only be one Glenn Gould that is perhaps just as well. In addition to the counterintuitive articulation and other Gouldian stylings his performances offer masterful soft playing and, when convincingly maintained, a taut sense of drama.

German-born pianist Lars Vogt has an established reputation as a concerto soloist, a recitalist, and a committed chamber musician, enjoying partnerships with esteemed musicians such as Christian Tetzlaff and Thomas Quasthoff. He is involved in many festivals, including one in a power station (with the power turned off) in the German town of Heimbach.