Virtuosic command and intimate focus

By Nick Boston, 05 October 2016

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“never allowing the virtuosic showmanship to overpower”

Reviewed at Smith Square Hall, London on 4 October 2016

Mozart, Piano Sonata no. 13 in B flat major, "Linz", K333 (K315c)

Chopin, Piano Sonata no. 2 in B flat minor 'Funeral March', Op.35

Scriabin, Piano Sonata no. 2 "Sonata Fantasy" in G sharp minor, Op.19

Granados, Goyescas: Los Requiebros (The Compliments)

Granados, Goyescas: El fandango de candil

Liszt, Rhapsodie espagnole, S 254

Moskowski, Étude de Virtuosité in A flat major, Op.72 no. 11

Benjamin Grosvenor, Piano

Petrenko’s searing Shostakovich overshadows Grosvenor’s Beethoven

Nick Boston, 3rd February

Stylish Beethoven from Benjamin Grosvenor and dramatic Ustvolskaya from Yuriy Yurchuk, but Petrenko and the RPO’s blistering Shostakovich steals the show.

****1

Sinfonia of London makes international debut at the Concertgebouw

Clare Varney, 25th November

British pianist Ben Grosvenor joins the Sinfonia of London in Amsterdam for Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto showcasing the very best of British talent

****1

Benjamin Grosvenor plays Pictures at an Exhibition at the Southbank

Roy Westbrook, 24th October

Benjamin Grosvenor tackles pianistic beasts by Chopin, Ravel and Mussorgsky in his Queen Elizabeth Hall recital.

****1

Nail-biting Shostakovich from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales

Dominic Lowe, 15th August

Before a searing performance of Shostakovich's Thirteenth from Ryan Bancroft and his Welsh forces, Benjamin Grosvenor delivers a terrific performance of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major.

****1

Benjamin Grosvenor’s Ravel sparkles in Montreal

Ian Cochrane, 1st May

The British are coming! An exciting evening of Ravel and Vaughan Williams with conductor Andrew Manze and pianist Benjamin Grosvenor in Montreal.

****1

High voltage Shostakovich 10 from Elim Chan and the BBCSO

Mark Pullinger, 28th February

In the 50th anniversary year of Shostakovich's death, you'll be hard pushed to hear a more thrilling rendition of the Tenth Symphony.

****1

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Nick Boston

Nick has an MA in Music, specialising in performance and repertoire. His particular passions are choral music, chamber music and opera, with a particular interest in early music. He sings in a number of choirs in the south east of England, plays the piano and occasionally dusts off the violin. He writes about music here.

Virtuosic command and intimate focus from Benjamin Grosvenor