Alexander Soares (piano)

Soares is a name to remember, and I’m thankful that he came to Brighton so soon after completing his doctorate, because he’s bound for international fame. Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantaisie is grand enough to finish a programme but today it just set the scene of serious virtuoso pianism. Boulez was just 20 when he composed his complex and startling ‘Douze Notations’ in 1945. I took them on trust and simply enjoyed the effects. Liszt’s graceful ‘Sposalizio’ (Marriage of the Virgin) settled me ready for Dutilleux’s monumental Piano Sonata Op.1, half an hour of musical delight. D’Anglebert’s ‘Unmeasured Prelude’ made a charming encore.

Studio Theatre, Brighton Dome, 25 May 2016

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