Understated bravado: Leon McCawley at Wigmore Hall

Sublime and satirical Russian music served to an appreciative but less than capacity audience at the Anvil. 

As London became a vision in white and all went quiet, the Southbank Centre was abuzz with all manner of arts-related activities. One rail replacement bus and a brisk walk behind me, I had made it to see the Philharmonia Orchestra’s matinee concert of 20th-century English music, framed around John Ireland’s Piano Concerto.

A lunchtime recital at the Wigmore Hall is always a pleasure, and a welcome opportunity to pause for an hour or so to enjoy exceptionally high-quality music in a fine setting, and today’s concert, given by pianist Leon McCawley was no exception.

In the cultural oasis of King’s Place, only five minutes from the noisy, bustling King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, British pianist Leon McCawley performed the complete piano sonatas of Mozart in a series of four recitals over one weekend. McCawley’s unassuming manner belies an impressive c.v.

Saturday 16th April's audience received the full advantages of the chronological programming of the sonatas in Leon McCawley's Mozart Marathon at Kings Place this weekend. The five sonatas in the programme span some of the most critical events and emotional highs and lows in Mozart's life, reflected in this music.

Viktoria Mullova is a superb soloist in Brahms' Violin Concerto, while an orchestra full of soloists play Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra with Kahchun Wong presiding.