Review | Pianist Igor Levit outstanding in memorable all-Beethoven Hong Kong debut recital, with a ‘Waldstein’ sonata for the books
- Russian-born German’s distinct musical voice won over his audience, his performance restless, edgy and not without flaws, but ultimately persuasive
- His touch was by turns delicate and thunderous, his lyricism in slow movements beguiling, his sense of the music’s shifting moods acute
Concerts that stand out from the rest are often memorable for the unity between performer, programme and audience. The Hong Kong piano recital by Igor Levit was one such concert.
It was Levit’s distinct musical voice that ultimately won hearts in Hong Kong in an all-Beethoven evening that featured four piano sonatas chosen from the composer’s early and middle periods.
In true Levit style, his performance was marked by restlessness and edginess. He seemed to relish and thrive on it. This was no more evident than in his reading of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 17 in D minor – known as the “Tempest”.
Even if the composer had precious little to do with the bulk of the nicknames given to his sonatas, the stormy and tumultuous aspects that Levit brought to the fore helped show its title is a worthy one.
