High Resolution Audio Mastering generously underwritten by Linda Joyce Hodge in memory of Bruce Sutherland, a modest man, great pianist, and legendary teacher.
Performing Bach’s French Overture with the requisite precision and clarity of line, Weiss wrests from the mathematical counterpoint ephemeral moments of elegance and great beauty. Scriabin’s fiery fifth sonata showcases Mr. Weiss’s dynamism and delicacy as well as his ability to produce a breathtakingly broad range of warm, mid-keyboard colors contained within this impressionistic piece that ends as furiously (and explosively) as it begins. Switching to Mozart’s Paisiello Variations, Weiss elicits a warmer, softer, authentically Mozartian, playful Spring-like tone, while demonstrating his right hand’s extraordinary dexterity and precision on the upper reaches of the keyboard.
The recital concludes with Elliott Carter’s piano sonata (in two movements) a modern but accessible work that couldn’t be more different from, but no less enticing than, the Mozart. Who better than a confident youngster, brimming with talent and youthful vigor, to tackle this brooding, sharp-edged composition that aptly expresses the tribulations and uncertainties of today’s hectic existence?
