Ivan Hovorun in Chichester

 Ivan Hovorun, Chichester Cathedral, September 10

 

 

It seems like an age since we were last in Chichester for a lunchtime concert and, although the summer offered other good things in the meantime, it is good to be back. It is a measure of how much Chichester enjoys the musicians they have and how much they enjoy Chichester that so many are invited back and take up the invitation. Ivan Hovorun is one such.

It's easy to forget how good the Yamaha piano sounds. Either absence makes the heart grow fonder or Ivan conjures a better sound from it than many others. His first half was Chopin, the Polonaise Fantasie, op. 61, both lyrical and dramatic with dance rhythm discipline and flights of flourishes, followed by the gorgeous Berceuse, op. 57, intially a little bit Fauré and another bit Gymnopédie but that's before the decorous, glittering right hand takes our attention. A sense of Ivan's unhurried time was carried forward into the Barcarolle, op. 60.

The bigger, broader picture, though, was Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2, not entirely Liszt due to it being as arranged by Vladimir Horowitz and with cadenza by Rachmaninov. As powerful as any combination of those composers would lead us to expect, mercurial light illuminated it, too, with Ivan adding great delicacy before it becomes a real party piece, fff, and the auditory equivalent of spectacular. He readily deserved an encore but time moves on. A small, cleansing sample of some well-tempered Bach might have re-established some sang froid but Ivan is a profound musician and takes time to explain some background to his programme. He is an intellectual musician but that never detracts from the emotional charge of his playing. It is possible to be both at the same time. He remains charming, captivating and a pianist to follow.

This was an exemplary start to a new season that is packed with promise of further good things to come. It's not often we are going to be stuck for somewhere to go on a Tuesday this Autumn.