Internationally Renowned Pianist Vladimir Feltsman Performs Haydn, Schubert, Liszt and Scriabin

Bedford Chamber Concerts presents Russian born, American pianist Vladimir Feltsman in concert on Wednesday, April 9 at 8:00pm.  The New York Times calls Mr. Feltsman, “quite simply an amazing pianist.” The program will include works by Haydn, Schubert, Liszt and Scriabin.

Since his dramatic defection to the United States, in the 1980s, Mr. Feltsman has performed at the top-tier of his profession, building a reputation as an artist of dynamic range and a wide and varied repertoire.

The program will include “Benediction de Dieu sans la solitude,” written by Liszt in 1847.  It is the  third in a series of 10 pieces included in Liszt’s Harmonies poétiques et religieuses. The International Record Review says,“the pianistic texture of its substantial opening section must surely be one of the most gorgeous piano sonorities in the entire literature…….Notwithstanding its lyrical, ecstatic nature, ‘Bénédiction’ is very demanding pianistically, and Feltsman meets its challenges with superb accomplishment.”

Mr. Feltsman will also perform Schubert’s Sonata in A minor Op 164.  Written in 1817 when the composer was only 19, the sonata demonstrates his penchant for the dramatic and use of innovative harmonies. The piece was published posthumously, 35 years after it was written.

Additionally Mr. Feltsman will perform Scriabin’s “Vers la flamme”, written in 1914.  Scriabin continues to be one of the most controversial of the early modern composers.  According to Mr. Feltsman, “Vers la flamme is one of the most radical and unrelenting works in music history, a real masterpiece. It is a ritual enacted in real time, a ritual of self-sacrifice to the all-consuming fire from which everything originates and to which everything returns.”

The program will also include Franz Joseph Haydn’s Sonata in A flat major.  Written in the late 1760s the piece illustrates the composer’s success in evolving the piano sonata from a type of light entertainment to a far more complex form of musical expression.

Born in Moscow in 1952, Mr. Feltsman debuted with the Moscow Philharmonic at age 11. In 1969, he entered the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory of Music to study piano under the guidance of Professor Jacob Flier. He also studied conducting at both the Moscow and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) Conservatories. In 1971, Mr. Feltsman won the Grand Prix at the Marguerite Long International Piano Competition in Paris; extensive touring throughout the former Soviet Union, Europe and Japan followed this.

In 1979, because of his growing discontent with the restrictions on artistic freedom under the Soviet regime, Mr. Feltsman signaled his intention to emigrate by applying for an exit visa. In response, he was immediately banned from performing in public and his recordings were suppressed. After eight years of virtual artistic exile, he was finally granted permission to leave the Soviet Union. Upon his arrival in the United States in 1987, Mr. Feltsman was warmly greeted at the White House, where he performed his first recital in North America. That same year, his debut at Carnegie Hall established him as a major pianist on the American and international scene.

Chicago Classical Review says, “Feltsman’s remarkable virtuosity cuts to the music’s heart of darkness.”

MusicWeb-International says, “From the contrapuntal rigours of Bach, to the coruscating soul-searching of Rachmaninov, to the perfumed velleities of Chopin, Vladimir Feltsman seems to be sovereign  World No.1, Feltsman must be up there with the likes of Sokolov, Volodos, Kissin, Pollini, Zimerman, Perahia, and, so as not to be sexist, Pires and Argerich.”

Bedford Chamber Concerts performances take place in the beautiful and acoustically superior Fellowship Hall of St. Matthew’s Church, 382 Cantitoe Street in Bedford.  Tickets are $35/$10 for student tickets.

To purchase tickets or for more information visit www.bedfordchamberconcerts.org or call 914-522-5150.