KVT – Piano performance of Jean-Gabriel Ferlan

To Be Franck

We are so lucky to have L’Espace and its wonderful policy of presenting some of the best French performers at prices that allow its wonderful auditorium to be full of Vietnamese music aficionados. This week they gave us Jean-Gabriel Ferlan, a famous, Armenian-French, mature age pianist whose great expertise allows mellow and fullsome interpretations of famous piano compositions

Beethoven’s ‘Appassionata’, the famous and tempestuous, 3 movement sonata was, as Beethoven wanted, ‘a beautifully executed display of emotion and music’. Ferlan gave us 20 plus minutes of intense listening delight.

Ferlan followed this with another intense yet beautifully interpreted piece, Chopin’s Scherzo No 3 with its technically difficult opening and main theme.

It’s always refreshing to be presented with lesser known works and transcriptions of Cesar Franck’s Choral nos 2 and 3 were beautifully, hypnotically played and well received by an appreciative audience Faure’s ‘Nocturne no 6’ was a very lovely way to end a very outstanding recital and Faure, that notoriously hard judge of virtuoso pianists, would have been impressed.

The encore was the perfect cherry on a perfectly concocted cake. One of those nights to be treasured!