Programme Suggestions
Concerto Repertoire

The inclusion of Liszt's monumental B minor Sonata is of course relevant to the year 2011, the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth. But within this programme there are also strong links of a motivic and harmonic nature. Both halves of the recital begin with arresting, bare octaves of G, immediately creating a sense of harmonic ambiguity and tension.
The final impromptu and the subsequent song transcription "Auf dem Wasser zu singen", both in the key of A flat major, have the unusual distinction of beginning in the tonic minor key and progressing to the more radiant major.
The final work of the first half, Der Erlkönig, yet again beginning with G octaves, evokes the demonic and highly dramatic nature of Liszt's sonata with its pulsating repeated notes and surging crescendi.



I presented this programme for the opening concert in this year's Rosetti Festival in Germany. I love Rosetti's music. It is very operatic in character, full of catchy melodies, exuberance and joy. His first two sonatas are very short consisting of only two movements. As I experienced in my recital in Bavaria, they immediately put the audience in a good mood.
Their cheerful, light character contrasts beautifully with the tragic C minor of the main two works of the programme. It is interesting to put Mozart's C minor Sonata alongside the Pathetique as it is immediately evident to what extent the former influenced the latter. I have rarely performed such a satisfying programme - the audience is delighted by hearing something new and so immediately accessible, and also by hearing two familiar classical masterpieces and their strong relationship.



Gosh - there's so much to write about this programme! I love to begin a recital with the Alkan Barcarolle. Its simple beauty contrasts with his mainly highly virtuosic and demanding works. Its romantic style coupled with the liberal sprinkling of jazzy "blue" notes, prompted someone to write that "it surely qualifies as the piece of Mendelssohn Gershwin forgot to write". It sits well next to Chopin's famous Barcarolle, especially as they were neighbours for a time in Paris.
John Field is said to have invented the Nocturne, and his brooding C minor example sits well with my favourite nocturne of all, Chopin's sublimely beautiful Op 27 No 2.
I became aquainted with the music of Julius Isserlis through Steven Isserlis, with whom I often play. I have since made an edition of all the works we could find of his, including a first edition of a little piece I found in a drawer at the house of George Isserlis, the son of the composer, and Steven's father. The Ballade, very Russian in character, has generated a lot of interest wherever I have performed it.
After my favourite Chopin Ballade, I have chosen an intruiging selection of rare Chopin miniatures, including a fugue, a possible hommage to his hero Bach. My arrangement of the Polish Christmas carol highlights its inclusion in Chopin's first Scherzo.
To finish I have chosen two works which were originally written for piano with orchestra. You can hear my arrangement of the Romance here




CONCERTI


Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No 3 in C minor Op 37
Piano Concerto No 5 in E flat major Op (Emperor)

Johannes Brahms
Piano Concerto No 1 in D minor Op 15
Piano Concerto No 2 in B flat major Op 83

Frederic Chopin
Piano Concerto No 1 in E minor Op 11
Piano Concerto No 2 in F minor Op 21

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto No 12 in A major KV414
Piano Concerto No 14 in E flat major KV 449
Piano Concerto No 20 in D minor KV466
Piano Concerto No 21 in C major KV467

Sergei Rachmaninoff
Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor Op 18
Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor Op 30

Camille Saint-Saens
Piano Concerto No 2 in G minor Op 22

Piotr Tchaikovsky
Piano Concerto No 1 in B flat minor Op 23

Maurice Ravel
Piano Concerto in G major

Robert Schumann
Piano Concerto in A minor Op 54