Anna Fedorova makes her lunchtime debut

Making her musically exciting debut at the Lunchtime Concert in Perth Concert Hall was Kievborn pianist multiple prizewinner Anna Fedorova, writes Ian Hunter.

Her command over the instrument was clear from the first notes of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata where melody and accompaniment changed places mesmerically.

The allegretto was of a bright-eyed innocence and the presto a properly exciting whirlwind.

Schumann’s Fantasy in C, Op.17 is at the pinnacle of romantic piano writing.

It received a performance that combined the virtuosity with sentiment.

The opening gesture, to return several times, combined its passionate tune with a rolling background then on to the dreamily lyrical second theme.

The section marked In Manner of a Legend spoke its tone and the first movement ended with poetic beauty.

The pulverizing march of the second movement had swagger, balanced by a nicely capricious trio, and, though not note perfect, the really difficult coda was done with style.

A romantic classic, the third movement began with starry contemplation.

Anna Fedorova moved its fine structure to its repeated climax with surety and refinement, before the mystical final passage.

Fedorova ended with Vladimir Horowitz’s Fantasy on Carmen, played with verve, colour and awesome technical capability.

But she was not finished, as in response to vociferous applause she returned to play the first movement of Scriabin’s SonataFantasy No 2 in G-sharp minor, with fluency and power.