Franz Schubert              Sonata in B flat, D 960

Frederyk Chopin          The Four Ballades

 

James Lisney – piano

 

Over four decades, James Lisney’s musical integrity and pianistic command have fuelled a career that has taken him seamlessly from concerto and recital soloist – to chamber musician and pianist director. Initiatives, such as his highly acclaimed Beethoven Project in Amsterdam, Leipzig, and Berlin - or his many recordings - have provided a platform for his wide-ranging musical sympathies.

 

Schubert has always been at the centre of his repertoire; he has performed Schubert cycles in many of Europe’s finest halls and was the first to do so on the Indian subcontinent. For his return to the Stamford Ballroom, he performs the final sonata, a lyrical masterpiece conceived on the first anniversary of Beethoven’s death. Chopin’s epic Ballades complete the programme, music of extraordinary narrative power and amongst the most taxing in the piano repertoire.

 

“I've nothing but praise for James Lisney`s piano playing; he combines velvet touch and wide range of colour with complete understanding of phrasing and dynamic shading. This is someone who can really give the mechanical box of wires and wood a singing soul” The Telegraph

“It was the twentieth anniversary of James Lisney’s Wigmore Hall debut on July 4 2006, and he marked it with a triumphant tribute to his great, great grand-teacher, Chopin… I couldn’t fault Lisney’s technically and musically perfect playing. This, mixed with the thoughtfully planned programme, produced a gem of a concert that will stay in the memory for a long time to come. Five stars”  MusicOmh.com