Pianist Llŷr Williams offers lyrical and profound Beethoven

By Linda Holt, 13 February 2020

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“powerful dynamics, spectacular runs, as though sparks and stars were shooting from the keys”

Reviewed at Kimmel Center, Perelman Theater, Philadelphia on 12 February 2020

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 2 in A major, Op.2 no.2

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 20 in G major, Op.49 no.2

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 7 in D major, Op.10 no.3

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 17 in D minor "Tempest", Op.31 no.2

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 18 in E flat major "Hunt", Op.31 no.3

Llŷr Williams, Piano

“Welsh national hero” Llŷr Williams dazzles in Rachmaninov and Liszt

Phil Parker, 21st October

An almost perfect evening of keyboard works in which God and the Devil share the best tunes, in portraits of heroism, love, faith and devilish seduction.

****1

The sacred and the secular at Cadogan Hall

Alexander Hall, 24th October

A Haydn choral sandwich and meaty Mozart filling served up by the RPO, the pianist Llŷr Williams, City of London Choir and Hilary Davan Wetton.

***11

Llŷr Williams continues thought-provoking Beethoven cycle

Mark Thomas, 19th April

Freshness and intensity were brought to Beethoven's later piano sonatas, including a convincing Hammerklavier, together with a welcome performance of his last work for solo piano.

****1

Timeless Beethoven from Llŷr Williams in Edinburgh

Alan Coady, 15th January

Three concertos and a symphony; three soloists and an ever-expanding chamber orchestra; the SCO in Stravinsky, Mozart and Beethoven.

****1

SCO and Llŷr Williams: a programme of concertos

Alan Coady, 6th November

Llŷr Williams, Alexander Janiczek and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in a triple concerto evening.

****1

Llŷr Williams: Britten

Philip May, 22nd November

Tonight, on Benjamin Britten’s birthday 100 years to the day, Llŷr Williams performed a selection of Britten’s piano music alongside works by Haydn, Bridge and Schubert, in a concert concluding the Gregynog Festival.

*****

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Linda Holt

Linda Holt writes about classical music for broadstreetreview.com and newyorkclassicalreview.com, with a special interest in the life and works of Beethoven. She has a doctorate in arts-and-letters from Drew University (U.S.), studied music theory and history at Rider University, and teaches humanities courses. She is president of the Princeton Research Forum ( princetonresearchforum.org ) and member of the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society and American Beethoven Society. As L.L. Holt, she is the author of two acclaimed novels based on Beethoven’s early years: Invictus (Harvard Square Editions, 2019) and The Black Spaniard (Unsolicited Press, 2016).