En direct, Vidéo: Rechercher des critiques de musique classique, opéra et ballet | Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland - chorale prelude in G Minor, BWV659

Am Eröffnungswochenende des Gstaad Menuhin Festivals stellte sich der Schweizer Pianist, diesjähriger Artist in Residence, mit zwei Giganten der Klavierliteratur vor. Man darf gespannt sein auf die Fortsetzung.   

Francesco Piemontesi delivered with enthusiasm a programme of intensely warm Bach, colourful Debussy and turbulent Rachmaninov. 

Superb pianism in unexpected repertoire from Paul Lewis, while the Beethoven with which he made his name doesn't quite stack up.

Coupling Busoni's arrangements of Bach with Beethoven and Liszt with Mussorgsky, Paul Lewis's programme ranged from inward contemplation to thrilling drama. Despite his elegant lyricism and nuanced readings, the recital was slightly marred by some surprising technical flaws.

It is a sign of the times that a celebrated Bach interpreter like Angela Hewitt should have begun her recital with a series of arrangements of Johann Sebastian’s music.

I must admit that Bach through Brass, as this concert was entitled, filled me with a certain amount of trepidation. Bach, on instruments for which the music in the programme was not designed, on instruments which were not even around in Bach’s time (at least not in their modern-day form), did not sound immediately appealing; nevertheless, something drew me in, and I was pleasantly surprised.

The second of this year’s Proms organ recitals was given by Thierry Escaich, the organist of St-Étienne-du-Mont in Paris, a performer continuing the centuries-long tradition of Parisian organist composers whose work is grounded in improvisation.