Temirzhan Yerzhanov, Wigmore Hall, London

Michael Church
Wednesday 27 May 2009 13:07 BST
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When two young pianists tackle major works by Schumann in the same hall on successive days, comparisons are mandatory.

The Kazakh pianist Temirzhan Yerzhanov gave us eight pieces from Schumann’s ‘Bunte Blatter’ plus his Piano Sonata No 1, followed by Prokofiev’s ‘Visions Fugitives’ and Piano Sonata no 2.

But in his hands both composers came across as unrelievedly dark and declamatory; the encore was a Chopin nocturne, and even that was ponderous. I note that Yerzhanov records for a label called Con Brio: perhaps he should sign up with one called Dolce, because at present half his palette is missing.

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