★★★★½ French piano star’s journey through the keys from C to B Minor.

Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House
November 13, 2016

An inspired last-minute change to the running order gave French pianist Cédric Tiberghien’s recital in the final of the 2016 Utzon Series a satisfying feeling of cohesion. He had planned to take his audience on a journey through Chopin’s Funeral March Sonata, followed by 16 of the 24 Preludes ending with Liszt’s B Minor Sonata. But swapping the order of the Chopin works presented a logical ascent through the keys, starting with C Major and with the 16th prelude in B Flat Major leading neatly into the composer’s second sonata in the same key.

The 41-year-old rangy Tiberghien is an intense and exciting performer, crouching low over the keyboard and slowly unfolding his frame for the more expansive passages. He is no stranger to Australian audiences, having performed Messiaen’s Turangalîla Symphony under Simone Young a few years back, and touring here with chamber music partner violinist Alina Ibragimova. This recital was a rare opportunity to get a close view of the international virtuoso.

The preludes with their quick changes of mood and tempo offer a rich range of colours for the...