Thomas Kelly at the National Liberal Club
‘The outrageous’ virtuoso with a heart of pure gold
Amazing there is a piano genius is in our midst ……….Thomas Kelly a new Ogdon ………piano playing the like of which is a once in a lifetime experience .
Rachmaninov’s first sonata was performed in the very room where the master gave his last London performance in 1939.
It was Alexandre Kantarow who I heard recently who had found that elusive thread that weaves a maze of notes into a cauldron of potent sounds of great significance. A leit motif that appears throughout and is the thread to this up until now elusive work. Listening to Thomas Kelly recently I was overwhelmed by the importance of a work I had up until now always thought of as the poor brother of the Second Sonata. Thomas Kelly and Alexandre Kantarow had found the elusive thread that gave great cohesion and architectural shape to this early work. They also had a kaleidoscopic range of sounds and a phenomenal technical mastery.
