George Harliono, piano – Bach, Prokofiev, Liszt: Wigmore Hall 8/12/21

Bach Flute Sonata in E flat BWV1031 – II. Siciliano (arranged by Wilhelm Kempff)[ Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor for solo violin BWV1004 (arranged by Ferruccio Busoni); Prokofiev, Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor Op. 14; Liszt, Schwanengesang S560 – Ständchen ‘Leise flehen meine Lieder’; Rhapsodie espagnole S254

George Harliono is clearly a very able young artist – this was one of the lunchtime concerts organised by the Young Classical Artists Trust. The Bach Chaconne, in the piano arrangement by Busoni, in particular was very absorbing = grand, but also carefully shaded, with a good dynamic range and with different colours in the piano sound. The Prokofiev was played with accuracy and rhythmic pointedness = in fact it was a likeable, much less spikey piece than I had assumed, and with more of the melodic profile you’d expect from the mature Prokofiev. The Liszt pieces were less interesting, as far as I was concerned – though of course the Schubert song from Schwanengesang is beautiful, but the Spanish Rhapsody seemed fairly empty note-spinning and display (but Mr Harliono did it very well). In many ways the best was last – a beautiful encore of one of the Brahms late intermezzi – 0p 118 no 2.