Leslie Howard ReviewsEven though one expects an extraordinary evening from a world class virtuoso such as Leslie Howard, it is still an uplifting and surprising delight to experience the fact. Such was the sensation at his recital on March 25 to a capacity audience at St Peter’s Eaton Square, part of a new series. A specialist in the Romantic repertoire, with a new double CD of Liszt premieres to add to his vast discography, Howard produced ravishing orchestral colours from the pristine Fazioli grand resonating in the high-ceilinged spaces of the refurbished church, leading us on inspiring musical journeys. As an opener, Beethoven’s Variations in F Op. 34 were sharply characterized, though they also were somewhat over rigid in their phrasing. Howard found his true form in the less often played Troisième année of Liszt’s Années de Pelerinage, weaving the seven exploratory pieces into a compelling architectural unity. Searching rhetoric in the first three pieces led to luminous splendour in the central ‘Les jeux d’eau a la Villa d’Este’, its swirling filigree effortlessly bubbly and flowing. Most impressive were Howard’s dramatic transformations of mood in each piece, from silences and fragmentary gestures, through bold bass rumbles, glistening high octave melodies suspended over pulsating chords, opening vistas like crevices in a rockface, leading through ravines to radiant outpourings. Howard was fully immersed in Liszt’s unusual harmonic language infused at times with dissonant chromaticism, and the final piece ‘Sursum corda’ with its whole-tone passages in massive chordal blocs came across as a musical equivalent of one of the wonders of the world. More astonishing pianism followed in Tchaikovsky’s seldom played Grande Sonate, the symphonic grandeur of which Leslie Howard projected with orchestral richness, the fanfares of the opening movement and their delicate contrasting subjects developed into a massive climax. The expressive heart was the slow movement’s yearning semi-tonal theme, but for me the breathtaking highlight was th Scherzo, propelled with fleet-fingered wizardry, elegantly choreographed in the hands. The leonine finale surpassed all in its electrifying contrasts and colours bringing this attractive work to a memorable conclusion. It would have been enough, had Howard’s encore not lifted us into even higher realms with Liszt’s Nocturne based on Chopin’s Polish song ‘My Joys’, in which he interspersed the broad lyrical phrases and dancing motives with generous sprinklings of Lisztian stardust that shimmered into the evening air. Malcolm Miller, Musical Opinion 2010 Wigmore Hall 2009 The prize for the performance of the year should surely be awarded to Leslie Howard for his playing of Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata Opus 106 at the Wigmore Hall on November 8. Intellectually, physically, virtuosically and emotionally this was a towering performance...Opus No 6 is the Mount Everest of music; very few pianists can achieve the perfection that Howard exposed for us.. Leslie Howard is an amazing performer. John Amis, Musical Opinion 2010 Cadogan Hall 2009 "One wonderful and unexpected moment occurred during Act II, at Orlofsky's party with a real performance on stage of Liszt's Hungarian Fantasies as part of the entertainment provided by the Prince for his guests. The Royal Philharmonic and Madeleine Lovell were joined on stage by the great pianist and scholar Leslie Howard. His performance of Liszt's fiendishly difficult piece was lively, colorful and stylish displaying an understated but dazzling virtuosity which grabbed one's attention. Mr Howard delivered an outstanding performance, perhaps the greatest highlight of the evening." Seen & Heard 2009 Cadogan Hall 2009 "The mystery guest was not a star singer, not a star pianist, Leslie Howard, who continued the Hungarian theme with a performance with the Royal Philharmonic orchestra of Liszt's Hungarian Fantasy, thrillingly played by this great Liszt virtuoso. It sat rather oddly within the context of champagne and decadence but who cares? It's a terrific piece." Opera Magazine, September 2009 Virtuoso Howard has a masterclass Leslie Howard’s Recitals Australia concert was a masterclass in the art of making great music. In Howard’s capable hands, it also fairly might be said that it was an exercise in making music great. Beethoven’s Six Variations Op. 34 is a fairly rigid affair, doing the right things and arguably lacking the ease of his later excursions into variation form including the Eroica variations which followed. It nonetheless is a deserving piece, from which Howard coaxed much charm. Charm also is present, if occasionally over-present, in Borodin’s Petite Suite, especially in the dancing mazurkas, though the suite is not without its serious side. Glazunov’s Piano Sonata in B flat minor may have been composed in the 20th century but harkens back to an earlier era - even recalling, in the closing pages, Tchaikovsky’s famous concerto in the same key. Inventive without being inspired, its virtuosity is rather more overwrought than dazzling but it made for a terrific closer. By a fair measure, the pick of the program was the third and final of Liszt’s Annees de Pelerinage (Years of Pilgrimage) suites. None of the ostentation so often seen in Liszt, this is introspective stuff, a sombre look back on a life shot through with imperfection. Howard’s was a performance of stunning intensity, as might be expected from the undisputed master of this repertoire. Peter Burdon - Adelaide Advertiser, July 2009 Wigmore Hall 2008 It was a measure of the compelling nature of Leslie Howard’s artistry that a large audience was drawn to Wigmore Hall, and made up of many distinguished musicians and pianists from amongst the cognoscenti, attracted by the prospect of great pianism allied to musicianship that was as breathtaking in its virtuosity as it was revelatory in its grasp of the music. Beethoven’s six short Minuets, dating from his early years in Vienna, can surely never have been offered as a concert item in the 213 years since they were composed. At once, with this fine pianist, we were drawn into Beethoven’s world, a world which demonstrated beyond argument that even in these tiny works, suggested no doubt by an aspect of the prevailing Viennese social world, that Beethoven could never be other than Beethoven. In this regard, Leslie Howard proved himself the ideal interpreter. One remains astonished that these are not better-known, except No.2, beloved of all amateurs who have tackled “Beethoven’s Celebrated Minuet in G”. The F major Variations are more familiar, but are not as frequently encountered as such quality demands; a truly remarkable set, and – mindful of Schnabel’s pioneering recording from the 1930s – one doubted if any pianist currently before the public could have embraced the range of expression in this work as did Howard in this performance. Yet it is with Liszt that Leslie Howard is synonymous, and – ending his recital on a completely different tack – we had the Twelve Transcendental Studies. From the opening gesture we were left in no doubt of Howard’s complete virtuosity in music that, truth to tell, at times exhibits characteristics of the circus but which, under the surface glitter, offers so much more in depth of musical experience. The awesome technical difficulties of this music forbid frequent live performance, but Howard proved conclusively that there is much more in this astounding collection than many pianists are minded to discover. For examples, ‘Paysage’ and ‘Mazeppa’ – the latter demanding the most comprehensive of virtuoso techniques – were outstandingly well played to a level that one would be hard pressed to name another pianist who could equal, let along surpass, Howard’s playing throughout on this occasion. This was comprehensively flawless pianism from a true master of the instrument. More than mere virtuosity, this seemed to recreate the very inspiration that originally brought this music into being. After such towering music-making, Howard’s two encores, from Czerny’s School of Velocity (Opus 299), subtly bridged the gap between Beethoven and Liszt – Beethoven taught Czerny who in turn taught Liszt. It was equally revelatory to hear these pieces at the right tempo – they almost never are, despite Czerny having gone to the trouble of affixing metronome marks. Robert Matthew-Walker Classical Source 2008 Wigmore Hall 2007 Leslie Howard is a pianist endowed with a truly questing mentality. How else could he have put down the monumental 97-disc Hyperion Liszt conspectus? Or, for that matter, constructed a programme such as this – full of discovery and delight? B flat minor hung heavily at this Wigmore Hall recital, with all three sonatas sharing this key. But there was not a trace of monotony. Howard gave each work its own intrinsic character to deliver a varied and supremely satisfying evening. His belief in these pieces shone through his playing, resulting in a never less than stimulating experience Balakirev's Second Scherzo is hardly known (there are only a handful of recordings). Howard made us wonder how this could be so. The deep, sonorous flourishes of the opening led to a typical Russian melody, projected here perfectly without a trace of undue highlighting. The Wigmore acoustic is tricky for pianists, and it would seem Howard judges it better than most. A telling single line just before the work's close was one of the more notable moments. The Borodin needs a small amount of explanation. Howard followed the French edition in including the A flat Scherzo. Further, he followed Glazunov's example (when the latter orchestrated the work) and inserted the ‘Nocturne’ as a trio section. It worked perfectly, Howard demonstrating his expert ear for sonority throughout. The pair of ‘Mazurkas’ that make up the third and fourth numbers were most appealing; only the ‘Rêverie’ seemed to wonder aimlessly. The flickering, helter-skelter ‘Scherzo’ with its flickering ‘Nocturne’ effectively destroyed all doubts, though. Glazunov's First Sonata is dedicated to Rimsky-Korsakov's wife and was premiered by Siloti. It is a smouldering work from the pen of a master who still has to receive his full due. Glazunov's sonatas were written just before his Seventh Symphony, when the composer was at a creative apex. Howard pedalled wonderfully in the first movement, exhibiting a similarly sensitive way with phrasing. Did he deliberately highlight the kinship of some passages to Rachmaninov? Only one passage stood out for any sort of qualified comment – a passage that in Howard's hands sounded as if Glazunov was over-relying on the use of sequence (Stephen Coombs on his Hyperion recording avoids this). The lovely decorations of the Andante gave way to the champagne glitter of the finale (so technically difficult it is no wonder this piece is not played more often!). An all-Rachmaninov second half pitted three little-known pieces from 1917 against the mighty Second Sonata, rightly restored to its Original Version. The first of the Pieces, an Andante con moto, is surprisingly Scriabinesque, while the second is surely the closest Rachmaninov's famously serious face got to smiling. The final piece, imply called 'Fragments', seemed remarkably similar to the E minor Prelude from Opus 32 (interestingly, one of Howard's encores was the G sharp minor Prelude from that opus). Interesting that when Hélène Grimaud presented the Second Sonata in London (Royal Festival Hall, February 2005) and on her linked release (DG 477 5325) she felt it necessary to present a hybrid version – presumably to save Rachmaninov from his own bombast. Howard found the solution in the original score itself. His scaling was perfect – the opening gestures were striking but not exaggerated. By fore-grounding Rachmaninov's exploratory stance (and also making the work's kinship with the 1917 pieces clear), Howard seemed to make it all fall into place. Rachmaninov's famous allusions to bells were clear and sonorous; the concentration in the Lento was such that one could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Howard even found a partner for the finale in Ravel's La valse in his sheer exhilaration. Magnificent! Colin Clark - Classical Source May 2007 Wigmore Hall 2007 The public’s perception of the career of Leslie Howard in the past 20 years or so has been dominated by the astonishing achievement of his dedication to the music of Liszt, culminating in the thus far 98 CDs of the composer’s complete solo piano music released on the Hyperion label. But the range of Leslie Howard’s prodigious interests is much greater than specialising in Liszt, as was demonstrated by his solo recital at the Wigmore Hall on 24 April. The programme, entirely of Russian music, drew a very large audience indeed. They were rewarded by playing of the highest order, as those who have followed Leslie Howard’s recent career have come to expect. The first half began with rarely heard pieces by Balakirev and Borodin and ended with Glazunov’s First Sonata of 1901. The second half was all Rachmaninov, the three posthumously published pieces from 1917 to the original version of the Second Sonata of 1913. Throughout, Leslie Howard played with the greatest possible strength and delicacy, allied to a profound musical grasp of the music he had chosen. At times, especially in the Glazunov and Rachmaninov pieces, the audience must have felt it was uncannily present at the very acts if creation. It is rare for a Wigmore Hall audience to give an artist ovations at the end of both halves of a recital but the extended cheers and standing applause which greeted Leslie Howard’s projection of these works was exceptional in concert going terms and fully deserved. Robert Matthew-Walker - Musical Opinion 2007 A Superhuman Technician, In the Flesh Leslie Howard sometimes seems more myth than man. He is known as a pianist with a monster technique, a superhuman technique, a technique that should be physically impossible. And on Friday night, we saw — and heard — that the myth is true. Mr. Howard really does have that kind of technique. And he is a strong musician, to boot. Mr. Howard comes from Australia, but has spent his adult life in London. He shares the name of the British actor Leslie Howard, who died in World War II, when the Germans shot down the commercial airliner in which he was travelling. The circumstances of that flight, and that attack, are mysterious. In any case, the pianist is known for playing absurdly hard pieces from the Romantic period. He has recorded the complete piano works of Liszt, over 97 CDs (on Hyperion).That is a staggering feat. That is a lot of notes. And never were there more notes on a recital than we heard on Friday night. Mr. Howard's program brought "The Romantic Russian Piano Sonata — 1848–1907." He began with a sonata of Tchaikovsky, who wrote three for piano. This was the final one, in G major, called a "Grande Sonate" — and very grand it is, if not musically elevated. The first movement features an ocean of chords, which Mr. Howard handled exemplarily. He played those chords into the keys, resonantly. There is a great deal of bombast in this sonata — as in the others Mr. Howard performed — but this pianist knows how to trim, or manage, bombast. He is not a wild man of the keyboard. He is a smart man of the keyboard — albeit one with a circus technique. Incidentally, you may wonder whether Mr. Howard's recordings are for real: Can he play all those notes, or does he rely on technological trickery? You can trust the recordings — he really can play all those notes. And he is not all Sturm und Drang. For example, in Tchaikovsky's second movement, he produced gently rippling waves, absolutely even, and exquisite. After the Tchaikovsky, he played a sonata by Glazunov. Piano music by Glazunov? Who knew? Mr. Howard knew (and I might mention that he is a scholar as well as a performer).The composer of "The Seasons," plus nine symphonies, wrote two piano sonatas, both in the year 1901. Mr. Howard played the second of them, and did so with rhapsodic power. This is not great music, no (and the same statement applies to just about all of the music on the recital). But it shows Mr. Howard off, and he shows it off. You should have heard the blizzard of octaves with which Mr. Howard concluded this sonata. To begin the second half of the program was a sonata by Rachmaninoff — not the famous one, No .2 in B-flat minor, but its predecessor, in D minor. This work is almost never performed, and Mr. Howard did a service just by bringing it to us. The sonata has a program, a story to tell: the Faust legend, of course, composers' favourite. He closed his printed program with the Sonata No. 1 of Anton Rubinstein. This Rubinstein was one of the most famous musicians in all the world, in the second half of the 19th century. In fact, Artur Rubinstein, when he first started to concertize, had cards made up: "A. Rubinstein, Pianist — No Relation." As Mr. Howard explained in his program notes, Anton Rubinstein wrote his Sonata No. 1 in 1848 (probably), when he was 19 — and it is "of great historical interest for being almost certainly the first piano sonata written by a Russian." The sonata shows a wonderfully gifted young man, revelling in his talent. Mr. Howard laid on both the right fingers and the right spirit. What do you play for an encore, after a recital like this — something flashy? Mr. Howard might have been well served by playing a Bach sarabande. Instead, he played more Rubinstein, a waltz, in which he demonstrated — among other things — the art of the leap. Mr. Howard can travel a long way on the keyboard, very quickly, and very accurately. Jay Nordlinger - Classical Music, July 24, 2006 |