Edward Leung at St Mary’s Perivale
A complete artist of maturity and stature
A memorable recital from Edward Leung who has come through all the problems at the start of a career in a foreign land and has become an artist of great stature.
Fingers that like limpets caress the keys and seem to suck sounds out of radiance and beauty without ever resorting to percussive hitting of the keys .A clarity not only of sound but also of musical thought that brought to mind Charles Rosen.
A Beethoven Sonata unjustly neglected for its ‘Moonlight ‘ twin was given a performance of Arrau like stature where the return of the Adagio con espressione in the final page was of a poignancy of aristocratic musicianship.
Even Berio’s little ‘Wasserklavier’ was played with a simplicity and luminosity of sound and brought to mind Cherkassky when playing in Empoli the town where Busoni was born and where Berio lived nearby. A visit to Berio’s home to hear his star prodigy Andrea Lucchesini a pupil of Maria Tipo play these encore pieces.Shura was very impressed and soon added the ‘Wasserklavier ‘to his repertoire.
