Magisterial Beethoven

A recital by young Russian pianist Denis Burstein,
reviewed by LAWRENCE BUDMEN

Few scores in the pianistic canon can equal the 32 piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827). After the graceful keyboard writing of Haydn and Mozart, Beethoven's rugged chords, extended formal structure, and daunting technical demands baffled the audiences and musicians of his day. The sheer imagination, creativity, and artistic originality of the Beethoven piano sonatas continue to challenge listeners and performers alike. Beethoven's musical journey from the classicism of the early sonatas through the poetic utterance of the Opus 27 group to the stormy Hammerklavier and other worldly serenity of the final sonatas requires a performing artist of extraordinary gifts. On 12 December 2004 at the UM Gusman Concert Hall in Coral Gables, Florida, USA, the Russian pianist Denis Burstein, a fiery young genius, essayed three of Beethoven's keyboard masterpieces in a concert presented by the Sunday Afternoons of Music series.

At 27 years of age Denis Burstein is a phenomenon. A native of Tver, Russia, Burstein made his début at Moscow's Rachmaninoff Hall at the age of fifteen. In 1998 he was appointed the youngest professor in the history of the famed Russian Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow (when he was only 21 years old). His talents extend to composition and jazz improvisation.

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