Piotr Anderszewski – Musica Viva Australia – Newcastle

Everything about Piotr Anderszewski is extraordinary: the virtuosity, the originality, and a constant questioning of his work as a performer. The Polish-Hungarian concert pianist brings a restless curiosity to everything he does, whether as a recitalist, a recording artist, a composer or even as a film director. He can zoom in, finessing the tiniest detail while, at the same time, finding the grand architecture which underpins the work. For his first recital tour of Australia in over a decade this unconventional hero of the keyboard plays Schubert, Schumann and Bach. Schubert’s Piano Sonata in C minor is one of his late works, written in his final months and published posthumously, a grand edifice for a life cut short. Schumann’s Bunte Blätter is also a late work but, by contrast, this is a collection of memories, portraits and dreams, all shot through with flashes of gold, like autumn leaves. And then, Bach. After a lifetime immersed in his work, including three award-winning recording projects, Piotr Anderszewski reveals a whole new spectrum of nuance and expression.