Yevgeny Sudbin :

Poetic momentum that Chopin surely intended

By Gwen Herat at the Royal Festival Hall, London

The spring is in the air and the youthful exuberance of the seasons, spreads magic all over. The bite of cold caressing my face prelude to summer has impacted a spell on the Royal Festival Hall as well. Watching music lovers streaming in their colourful clothes adds a sense of festivity. Like me, they are all there to see the young Russian pianist, Yevgeny, Sudbin debuting tonight. The atmosphere is electric with over-bearing impatience. As the footlight comes up, there is a hush and a murmer somewhere but everyone in silent is anticipation.

The highly polished solitary piano is centre-staged and a powerful spotlight, gleams over black and white.

And Yevgeny Sudbin appears.

The audience rises as he takes a bow. Tall, dapper, very Russian, cool and collected, he strides towards his beloved piano.

Electrifying the keyboard; The young Virtuoso Russian pianist, Yevgeny Sudbin.

Potentially one of the greatest pianists of the 21st century, Sudbin is a blend of inspirational reasoning. Perhaps, Chopin is formidable with prodigious technique and powerful intellect that has appealed to Sudbin for him to play the great composer tonight. He plays Chopin with clarity of texture within stasis that any composer desires. For young as he is, Sudbin plays with unaffected guest and powerful lyrical impulse. It is easy for me to immerse myself in what the youthful Russian is playing. It is as though Sudbin is spell binding one and all with the pieces he is playing, like a music-theatre. He exercises a patiently prepared passionate climax with speed draped over prolonged crescendos, at time.s. Not necessarily an exhibitionist, he runs his fingers across the keyboard with gentle and soft caress.

Lauded worldwide for his sensitivity, originality and imagination, he has chosen for his debut recital in The International Piano Series, an all-Chopin first half in glittering context with transcriptions and tributes to Chopin by Liszt along with the marvellous Ronald Stevenson, concluding with another transcription which is the version of Liszt's adaptation of Saint-Sains' Donse-Macabre.

As difficult as some of them are, Sudbin plays with ease and watching him from where I am, it is sensational. Those tapering fingers, bringing to life the beloved works of one of the world's best loved Masters. He plays with a rare sense of ease.

As the resounding stillness of his Fantasia in F minor echoes through the hall and from huge spectacular opening chords the first melody, all the way to the fiery finale.

A born-again Chopin, Sudbin is almost equal to the Master's virtuosity. After studying Chopin's original piano pieces, I can safely declare Sudbin to the his most gifted interpreter of Chopin music. And very wisely he has opted Chopin for his Royal Festival Hall debut.

Chopin has been at the centre of this superb Russian paints's career and tonight he performs some lively scores of the Master that are tender and soft. They are sumptuous, symphonic and evocative. This energetic performance acknowledges the musical heritage of Chopin. The idea of fate sharpens innate art of music and it is apparent that. Sudbin has surrendered his soul for its cause the way his spirit applies to his spectacular playing.

Sudbin presents us with a beautiful, unalloyed elegance of Chopin that very few living pianists can achieve. Touchingly, he reveals what Chopin intended. His idiomatic interpretations of a wide breadth of repertoire is made of shimmering harmonies. Tonight, Sudbin plays-:

CHOPIN - Fantasia in F minor Op 49, Impromptu in A flat Op 29, Impromptu in F sharp, Op 36, Impromptu in G flat Op 51, Fantasie-impromptu in C sharp minor Op 66 and Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op 52

RONALD STEVENSON - FUGUE on a fragment of Chopin

CHOPIN-LISZT - Maiden's wish and My Darling

LISZT - Sonetto 104 del Petraca

SAINT-SAINE/LISZT/HOROWITZ - Danse Macabre