Powerful Chopin and commanding Beethoven from François-Frédéric Guy

By Alexander Hall, 04 October 2022

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“thundering octaves impressive, the mood purposeful and aspirational”

Reviewed at Wigmore Hall, London on 3 October 2022

Chopin, Nocturne no. 13 in C minor, Op.48 no.1

Chopin, Ballade no. 1 in G minor, Op.23

Chopin, Piano Sonata no. 3 in B minor, Op.58

Murail, Impression, soleil levant

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 32 in C minor, Op.111

François-Frédéric Guy, Piano

A tale of two pianists: the HK Sinfonietta at La Roque

David Karlin, 22nd July

Yip Wing-sie and the HK Sinfonietta show admirable qualities in their Beethoven cycle. François-Frédéric Guy plays a splendid Third Piano Concerto but Anne Queffélec is disconnected from the orchestra in the Fourth.

****1

Spectacular Vaughan Williams from the BBC SO and Ryan Wigglesworth

Roy Westbrook, 13th May

Will this centenary year yield a finer Vaughan Williams symphony performance than this account of the Fourth?

****1

Xavier Phillips and François-Frédéric Guy in Beethoven at Wigmore Hall

Zoltán Szabó, 6th July

A (nearly) complete set of Beethoven’s works for cello and piano from the French friends in London.

***11

Beethoven cello sonatas à la française

David Karlin, 18th February

Phillips and Guy produce a French-accented rendering of three cello sonatas, favouring elegance and crystal clarity over overt romantics.

****1

High-powered pianism from Guy and Bavouzet

Frances Wilson, 13th June

French pianists François-Fréderic Guy and Jean-Efflam Bavouzet returned to London’s Wigmore Hall to present a programme of three 20th century orchestral scores transcribed for two pianos.

****1

Epic, romantic Liszt from François-Frédéric Guy

David Pinedo, 31st May

Outside of the opera pit, Marc Albrecht and his Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra demonstrated their magic at the Concertgebouw.

****1

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Alexander Hall

Alexander Hall divides his time between London and Hamburg, where he had a career in academic administration and teaching. He reviews for Bachtrack and Opera Today, and has also reviewed for Classical Source. A connoisseur of the great orchestras of the world, his musical memories stretch back to Karajan/Berlin Phil, Mravinsky/Leningrad Phil, Bernstein/Vienna Phil, and he has seen most of the great conductors from the past, including Böhm, Klemperer, Kubelik, Ormandy and Szell.

Powerful Chopin and commanding Beethoven from François-Frédéric Guy at Wigmore Hall