Patrick Hemmerlé
10th January 2025 at 7.30pm

Click on the image titles to hear a glimpse of the concert:

One of our audience, Andrew Jackson, was moved to write the following review of the concert:

 I have a deep love of pianos and piano music which began in childhood. I listen to many pianists both on recordings and wherever possible live performances. Since 1996 that has included attending some of the preliminary rounds of the Leeds International Piano Competition. Here the young pianists are all of very high technical ability and on the whole, play their socks off; they’re in a competition. It’s exiting to listen to, but rarely do I find myself listening to a pianist whose performance entices me or entirely convinces me musically. Rarely, a pianist’s performance is totally captivating, one forgets it’s a competition, sits back and simply luxuriates in the music. Patrick Hemmerlé’s performance last night, thankfully not in competition with anyone, was one such occasion. Right from the opening chords of the Beethoven I was captivated. He characterised the playfulness and humour of this very well known sonata and made it almost like the first listening yet, in contradiction, as well as like greeting an old friend again. It’s an occult art, this, that some artists are able to conjure up. This was as if Patrick had invited a group of friends to sit around his piano and he would share with us all his enjoyment of some of the music he clearly loves. There was no showing off, there were no off-putting mannerisms (just a little vocalisation occasionally – many pianists do too), this was a relaxed performance, just playing and sharing. But saying that could make it sound as if he didn’t bother too much. Certainly that was never the case, it was more that he was able to show he could play such complex and technically demanding music with so little apparent effort, but not to show off, but simply that was his way of enjoy the music. A true respect of the composer and integrity in his whole performance outlook. His introductions were really helpful too and often amusing. He is ‘simply’ a true artist. Even in the second half, with all the fireworks in the Liszt, he remained able to clearly enjoy himself. This was captivating. It’s true sprezzatura, the art of effortless grace when performing something which should be impossible. The Réminiscences de Don Juan were a fitting climax to a wonderful evening of pianistic artistry. I have no reluctance in saying how much I enjoyed it.

Well done SNLCS for putting on such wonderful recitals.

Programme