A wonderful selection of music perfectly complements the talents of 17 year old pianist Thomas Nickell.
This London premiere concert for the pianist certainly had plenty of variety and energy about it, making it a joy to sit and listen to throughout.
But before this, the audience were treated to an exquisite performance featuring the Orchestra of the Swan, conducted by David Curtis. Performing two pieces from Henry V, composed by William Walton, the orchestra managed to draw out every single emotion of the pieces and making the most of every note.
Curtis manages to bring out the passion, enthusiasm and respect for the music, particularly when it came to performing Johann Sebastian Bach’s Toccata and Fugue, with the orchestra really bringing out the sense of drama and powerful nature of the piece.
Meanwhile, during the performance of Bach’s Concerto No.1, Thomas Nickell’s performance reveals to the audience an exciting new talent, filled with talent and understanding for the music in which he is playing. The audience can also see the way he completely emerges himself in the music, he looks as though he is entering a completely different world that the audience is invited to join him in.
Through his performance, he manages to tell a story through the music, creating his own unique perspective on completely contrasting moments in the piece.
While it is easy to appreciate Nickell’s lightness of touch and gracefulness, there are moments which seem a little bit heavy handed, particularly during the London premiere performance of David Matthews’ Piano Concerto.Op I I I, which although is enthusiastic and passionate can also come across as aggressive and over the top.
However, Nickell and the orchestra work well together to create a beautiful evening of music that showcases a definite talent on the rise.