Phenomenal Beethoven performance at concert hall

How does he do it? How does Steven Osborne make previous performances of Beethoven sonatas almost pedestrian in comparison to his magical interpretations? Is there a Beethoven gene mysteriously implanted in his DNA? Unanswerable questions without a doubt as this man continually raises the bar to superhuman heights, writes Garry Fraser.

His performance on Sunday at the Perth Concert Hall was nothing short of phenomenal – a fantastic display of acute, in-depth interpretation and playing straight out of the top drawer.

There was a larger audience than normal, but there’s no real surprise there as his keyboard dexterity and technique are legendary in the world of solo piano performance.

His choice of the last three Beethoven sonatas would have sufficed but he cleverly interspersed them with the three Brahms op 117 Intermezzi, played in reverse order.

Little miniatures they may be, but as a way of bringing one down to earth after the futuristic brilliance and invention of Beethoven they are absolutely ideal.

Osborne called them “breathing space”, a brilliantly succinct description, with the third – or first chronologically – a delightful lullaby.

It’s impossible to choose between the three sonatas.

Was it the Prestissimo of opus 109, the fugue of opus 110 or maybe the passionate adagio of the final sonata that brings Beethoven’s contribution to keyboard music to a beautiful and soothing end?

There’s only one man who can hold a candle to Osborne – Llry Williams, whose concert tonight in Dundee’s Caird Hall will be something else to savour.