Jonathan Biss from QEH 7.30 Tues 17 Jan

[Guest]

I expect Jonathan Biss' recital to be very good indeed. It's an interesting programme, he's a wonderful young (30ish) pianist with a very fine musical brain. Recommended.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01975xc

[gradus]

His recording of the Schumann Arabeske was played a couple of days ago on R3 and it made me want to hear more from him.

[amateur51]

Greatly looking forward to hearing this recital

[DublinJimbo]

I totally agree about Jonathan Biss. My introduction to him was when he appeared on one of Daniel Barenboim master classes, playing the final movement of Beethoven's sonata no. 32. The depth of his musicality made a huge impression on me, as did the rapt attention of both the audience and DB himself when he played the complete movement again after some pointers from the maestro. He's recently issued the first volume of a planned complete set of the Beethoven sonatas (nine discs over nine years), which I will snap up as each one comes out.

Decks will be cleared this evening for this recital. Definitely.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

ditto on the Barenboim Masterclass; highly attractive programme both for the insight of the master and the playing of Mr Biss

[amateur51]

He has an interesting website too - worth exploring:

http://www.jonathanbiss.com/

[HighlandDougie]

I have a ticket for this concert but, as I'm still in France, not London (la gastro.... either something I ate or caught from one of the many furs at the Monte Carlo Phil or maybe it was infectious botox), I'll be listening via internet radio. I heard Mr Biss at Roque d'Anthéron 18 months ago when he seemed a bit out of sorts, at least in the Schumann he played. But his Janacek was excellent and his first encore - some Mozart - was quite sublime. One of the most interesting pianists around, in my unhumble view.

[amateur51]

I have a ticket for this concert but, as I'm still in France, not London (la gastro.... either something I ate or caught from one of the many furs at the Monte Carlo Phil or maybe it was infectious botox), I'll be listening via internet radio. I heard Mr Biss at Roque d'Anthéron 18 months ago when he seemed a bit out of sorts, at least in the Schumann he played. But his Janacek was excellent and his first encore - some Mozart - was quite sublime. One of the most interesting pianists around, in my unhumble view.

Very sorry to hear about your gastroprobs, Dougie - not too unpleasant I hope & I wish you a pleasant listening experience and a speedy recovery.

I last heard the Janacek pieces some considerable time ago at the Royal Festival Hall in a recital by Krystian Zimerman and they struck me as fascinating pieces so I'll be listening in too

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Anyone miss his interview with Tom Service on last Saturday's Music Matters? Available until next Saturday on

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0195pg3

... an engaging conversationalist who thinks pretty deeply about his responsibilities as a performer without confusing profundity with pomposity. Well worth a lsten.

[amateur51]

This was an interesting concert with Jonathan Biss getting better as he progressed through his programme I felt. His performance of Beethoven Piano Sonata in E flat, Op.81a (Les Adieux) followed almost immediately after Janacek Sonata I.X.1905 (From the Street) and the juxtaposition of the two sounds worlds was very creative.

I'd not heard Biss play Chopin before and I liked the way in which he so obviously relished Chopin's individual sound worlds in both the Nocturne in E, Op.62 No.2 and Polonaise-Fantaisie in A flat, Op.61.

We even had an encore ... but you'll have to listen to the performance for that

[Pianorak]

Amateur51 - Did you go to the QEH or listen on R3?

[amateur51]

I listened to the iPlayer this morning, pianorak - I kept getting phone calls last evening during the live broadcast.

Did you listen to it?

[Panjandrum]

We even had an encore ... but you'll have to listen to the performance for that

For anyone else, like Amateur, who wasn't able to identify it, the encore was the sixth of the Schumann Kreisleriana.

[Oldcrofter]

Here is Jonathan Biss in a master class with Barenboim - you can improve your Spanish (via the subtitles) and your pianistic skills at the same time ! From 1.25 onwards:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZEk_FNH5KA&feature=related

In fact, if you put Jonathan Biss in the YouTube search box, there are lots of performances and several examples of Biss discussing works.

What a fantastic service YouTube provides !

[Pianorak]

I listened to the iPlayer this morning, pianorak - I kept getting phone calls last evening during the live broadcast.

Did you listen to it?

I listened to it on R3 last night.