Returning from a nine-city recital tour of Australia and Singapore presented by Musica Viva Australia and Altenburg Arts, reviewers have been unanimous in their praise for Kirill Gerstein’s performances. His thoughtfully curated programme demonstrated his virtuosity and unparalleled technique in works such as Liszt’s Polonaise No. 2 in E major and Schumann’s Carnival of Vienna, whilst exploring the deep profundity of Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-Flat. Gerstein also performed music by Brad Mehldau and a world premiere of British-Australian composer Liza Lim’s Transcendental Etude.
“Celebrated for his formidable technique and idiosyncratic phrasing, Gerstein has the ability to make even the most terrifyingly difficult compositions look like a piece of cake…His relaxed demeanour and obvious enjoyment often appeared at odds with the technical demands of the work. Indeed, he appeared to be singing to himself as he tossed off the virtuosic runs.” – Bill Stephens, Canberra City News
“The mood changed with Poulenc’s Three Intermezzi – sharp, bright, witty and haunting by turns – all played with peerless control of expression, dynamic and seamless technique.” – Steve Moffatt, The Daily Telegraph
“He commands a superb technique combined with a remarkable variety of touch, dynamic range and feeling for textural variety in the piano sound…The Liszt Polonaise was thrilling in its flashing virtuosity and imaginative phrasing while the Schumann was beautifully shaped and warmly rendered with the musical contrasts masterfully navigated.” – Peter Donnelly, Limelight
” ‘Vivace’, the Italian word for ‘spirited and lively’ in the vocabulary of music, is perhaps the most concise way to summarise Kirill Gerstein’s playing. Armed with a lifetime of practice and dedication to piano, the Russian-American virtuoso manages to combine the bravado of classical and romantic period pieces with the freshness of contemporary piano-playing styles…Clocking in at 90 minutes, the period-spanning performance leaves one reflecting on the dedication Gerstein has for this artform, and wondering how he manages to understand all of it so richly.” – Joshua So, Arts Hub
“Gerstein’s pianistic style is highly individualistic, marked by a rare command of contrapuntal interplay, luminously enticing tone colorations and an incisive rhythmic style that may be a reflection of his dual skill in jazz and classical repertoire.” – Anthony Halliday, Classic Melbourne
“Gerstein’s playing and his excellently chosen program (everything seemed to complement everything else so well) made for an evening of well-rounded talent and beauty. The performance flowed like a river speckled with eddies but with a strong current of Gerstein’s skill and obvious love for the Romantic era. In mixing this with Meldhau and Lim’s recent works, he gave the audience a panoply of sound, a romp through both the canon and the cutting edge.” – Lachlan Griffiths, Honi Soit
Following the conclusion of his Australian tour, Gerstein returned to Singapore to perform a recital at Victoria Concert Hall on 27 June. Chang Tou Liang from The Straits Times wrote, “Frederic Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasie In A Flat Major (Op. 61) – one of the Pole’s more complex and discursive late works – opened the recital. Its elaborate introduction was well delineated, the playing crisp and clear-headed, and soon, the characteristic polonaise rhythm was sensed…The second half almost replicated the first by beginning with Chopin, this time his Fantasy In F Minor (Op. 49)…Gerstein’s technique was unimpeachable, delivering its grand climaxes with the force of personality the music deserved.”
Kirill Gerstein is managed in association with Enticott Music Management.
Photo Credit: Marco Borggreve
