On Saturday 18 April 2009 an appreciative audience was treated to a worthwhile evening of music as Megan Geoffrey Prins, second-year student from the University of Stellenbosch, impressed us with his exhilarating piano playing.The performance opened with one of Rachmaninov’s seven Musical Moments (No 4) – a dramatic and demanding piece, particularly for the left hand. It has a symphonic quality to it and the explosive nature of the piece clearly required the resonance of a concert grand piano. Prins displayed incredible dexterity in this and all the items in the programme, particularly in A. Volodos’s Concert Transcription of the well-known Mozart Rondo alla turka. The standing ovation that Prins received at the end at the end of the programme elicited another of Volodos’s transcriptions – Mendelssohn’s famous Wedding March from Midsummer Nights’ Dream – an equally demanding and exhilarating performance.
Other works requiring great dexterity included Liszt’s Transcendental Etude No 10. Liszt was himself a virtuosic pianist of tremendous power and while listening to the fortissimo sound produced by Prins, I pictured the apocryphal image of the piano strings snapping because of the percussive nature of Liszt’s own playing!
The highlight of the evening for me was Prins’s rendition of Beethoven’s much loved and accessible Piano Sonata, Op 57 often referred to as the Appassionata Sonata. Having exemplified his skill and dexterity in the other works he played, it was good to hear Prins display some delicacy of touch which hinted at his burgeoning musicality which most of the other works did not really allow for. There seems little doubt that with a continued commitment to music, and with maturity, he has the potential to become a noteworthy figure in the competitive world of concert pianists.
Dougie Yasbek, tenor, and Bettie Niehaus accompanist enterta
ined the audience with a series of popular songs that provided a different dimension to the evening. Yasbek’s easy stage presence, attractive voice timbre and excellent control were especially pleasing attributes.
John Stonier 21 April 2009
Other works requiring great dexterity included Liszt’s Transcendental Etude No 10. Liszt was himself a virtuosic pianist of tremendous power and while listening to the fortissimo sound produced by Prins, I pictured the apocryphal image of the piano strings snapping because of the percussive nature of Liszt’s own playing!
The highlight of the evening for me was Prins’s rendition of Beethoven’s much loved and accessible Piano Sonata, Op 57 often referred to as the Appassionata Sonata. Having exemplified his skill and dexterity in the other works he played, it was good to hear Prins display some delicacy of touch which hinted at his burgeoning musicality which most of the other works did not really allow for. There seems little doubt that with a continued commitment to music, and with maturity, he has the potential to become a noteworthy figure in the competitive world of concert pianists.
Dougie Yasbek, tenor, and Bettie Niehaus accompanist enterta
ined the audience with a series of popular songs that provided a different dimension to the evening. Yasbek’s easy stage presence, attractive voice timbre and excellent control were especially pleasing attributes.John Stonier 21 April 2009
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