When Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan performed some of the pieces in New York that make up his program he’ll be doing on Saturday at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts James R. Oestreich of the New York Times called the recital “fascinating and rewarding.” He called the program Barnatan had put together “substantial works of comparable stature.”
When reviewing a separate 2012 recital Zachary Woolfe, also of the New York Times, began his review by saying “Going to live performances beats sitting at home and listening to recordings any day.”
He is indeed correct about that. As this video of Barnatan playing music by Ravel can attest.
The announced program for Saturday night’s recital involves a combination of material not just from these two reviewed recitals, but others as well making for a truly fascinating concert.
Here is the line-up:
Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata in E minor, BWV914
George Frideric Handel: Allemande from Suite in E Major, HWV430
Jean-Philippe Rameau: Courante from Suite in A minor
François Couperin: L’Atalante
Maurice Ravel: ‘Rigaudon’ from Le tombeau de Couperin
Thomas Adès: Blanca Variations
György Ligeti: Musica Ricercata Nos. 11 and 10
Samuel Barber: Fugue from Sonata in E-flat minor
Intermission
Johannes Brahms: Variations & Fugue on a Theme by Handel
Barnatan has been awarded the 2009 Avery Fisher Career Grant and also Lincoln Center’s 2015 Martin E. Segal Award. The latter is given to “young artists of exceptional accomplishment.”
He began his tenure as the Music Director of the La Jolla Music Society Summerfest this year. That program is well worth reviewing as there is a fascinating range of music being performed and artists to do it including Conrad Tao, Cécile McLorin Salvant and The Brentano Quartet, programming cultivated by composer David Lang, a conversation about Beethoven by Alex Ross, and, of course, performances by Barnatan on both piano and harpsichord.
He’s a phenomenally talented musician with interesting ideas of programming, for both himself and the Summerfest. It won’t be too much longer before he’s exclusively playing venues like the Hollywood Bowl and you’ll regret having missed this opportunity to see him in the relative intimacy of The Wallis.
For tickets go here.
Main photo of Inon Barnatan by Marco Borggreve/Courtesy of The Wallis
