Thursday 13 January 2011

I am officially in love...

...with Nikolai Lugansky (again). By damn, he is brilliant.

He gave a recital at the Queen Elizabeth hall on Tuesday night and it is hard to put into words just how beautifully he played. Ravishingly wholehearted romanticism and absolute technical clarity and precision, held together in a perfect balance... It was simply stunning.

I know I tend to wax lyrical at the drop of a hat - my enthusiasm for performing artists I admire is probably rather comical, looked at from the outside. But Mr Lugansky reduced me to tears (and that was with the Brahms, which is quiet and introspective music in comparison with the far more obviously emotional Chopin and Liszt that made up the rest of the programme). I do not think I'll hear finer piano playing for a long time. The holy art of music is well-served in this man.

2 comments:

Miss Robyn said...

sounds like you enjoyed yourself then!

[and thanks for naming the orange flowers.. they are a weed here..]

Imogen said...

Naturalised crocosmia are a weed in large parts of southern Britain, too; but a weed I'm rather fond of (uncomplaining, a cheerful colour and will grow in dry conditions!).