Intrigue and emotion in Evgeny Kissin’s captivating Barbican recital

Evgeny Kissin

By Marat Ingeldeev, 19 February 2024

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“hushed melodies skating atop frozen chordal resonance”

Reviewed at Barbican Hall, London on 17 February 2024

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 27 in E minor, Op.90

Chopin, Nocturne no. 14 in F sharp minor, Op.48 no.2

Chopin, Fantaisie in F minor, Op.49

Brahms, 4 Ballades for piano, Op.10

Prokofiev, Piano Sonata no. 2 in D minor, Op.14

Chopin, Mazurka in A minor, Op.67 no.4

Prokofiev, The Love for Three Oranges: March

Brahms, Waltzes for Piano, Op.39 (no.15 in A flat major)

Evgeny Kissin, Piano

Kevin Wells, 25th April

Andrey Boreyko makes an impressive debut with the Boston Symphony, where Evgeny Kissin performs in not one, but two piano concertos.

****1

Christopher Woodley, 31st March

With a spring in his step, Evgeny Kissin returns to Barbican Hall and gives well-wrought accounts of Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt and Schumann.

****1

Edward Sava-Segal, 31st May

A chamber programme of Shostakovich’s private idioms and public masks

****1

Sam Jacobson, 7th May

Anchored by the piano music of Shostakovich, Evgeny Kissin’s Cleveland recital also explores works of Bach and Chopin.

****1

Michelle Assay, 20th April

Evgeny Kissin delights an overwhelmingly enthusiastic San Francisco audience with Chopin and Shostakovich, but his Bach is less convincing.

****1

Cameron Kelsall, 14th April

A program of Schumann and Brahms fails to cohere due to fussy mannerisms and tentative playing.

**111

Marat Ingeldeev is a London-based music journalist, critic, researcher & podcaster. For more information on Marat and his projects, click here.