A polished London debut recital from George Li

By Mark Pullinger, 21 March 2018

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“the Chanson bohème from Carmen... stamped, teased and pouted in equal measure”

Reviewed at Smith Square Hall, London on 20 March 2018

Beethoven, Piano Sonata no. 6 in F major, Op.10 no. 2

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

Rachmaninov, Variations on a theme of Corelli in D minor for piano, Op.42

Liszt, Consolation no. 3 in D flat major, S 172

Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 in C sharp minor, S 244/2

Gluck, Melodie (Arr. Sgambati)

Horowitz, Carmen Variations

George Li, Piano

Narratives in motion: George Li at Caramoor

Edward Sava-Segal, 19th July

George Li's belief in storytelling shows in his Caramoor programme of Schumann, Ravel and Mussorgsky.

****1

A musical trip with Matthias Pintscher and the Kansas City Symphony

Hilary Stroh, 4th March

Matthias Pintscher revels in Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy, once described as a “bath of ice, cocaine and rainbows”, while George Li plays Ravel.

*****

Marked by Schumann’s shadow: George Li at Zankel Hall

Edward Sava-Segal, 9th December

George Li brings forward unexpected connections in masterly interpretations of works by Ravel and Stravinsky.

****1

George Li is a class act at the Tsinandali Festival

James Imam, 9th September

Chinese American Li, once another purveyor of typically scorching performances, is better known these days for his sensitivity and nuance.

****1

Michael Tilson Thomas Makes His Montreal Debut

Ian Cochrane, 23rd May

Michael Tilson Thomas had a spectacular debut with Montreal's Orchestre Symphonique. George Li's performance of Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 was breath-taking.

*****

A blaze of brassy glory in Vasily Petrenko's Walton 1

Chris Garlick, 27th March

Walton’s First Symphony from 1935 rounded off the evening in a blaze of brassy glory. Petrenko approached the work in a full-blooded fashion, which didn’t always hit the mark, but was ultimately thrilling.

****1

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.