Intimate and compelling: A performer at the top of his game
Maximilian Hornung, Utzon Room, Opera House, June 21
★★★★½
After the sharp-edged assertiveness of his Shostakovich Concerto No. 1 with the SSO in the Opera House Concert Hall last week, cellist Maximilian Hornung returned to the more intimate setting of the Utzon Room for a recital of solo works marked by fine-grained silken sound, masterly control and compelling musical focus.
It was a setting that allowed one to get to know his musicianship, particularly his ability to closely calibrate timbres to create a world of tonal possibilities within a confined range. Bach is the alpha and omega of solo cello music and so it was in this program, framed by the Suites in G major and C minor.
In the Prelude to the first Suite in G, Hornung varied tempo and dynamic intensity freely, avoiding obvious moments of impetuous acceleration to create an original conception. In moments like the Allemande he produced a fresh crisp sound on the string while the minor key of the second Menuet prompted dreamy expressiveness.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
