<<  -- 3 --  Julian Jacobson    AN ABSORBING DAY

The second session kicked off with the 'Waldstein' from Colin Scott from the Birmingham Conservatoire, strong-willed if perhaps needing more subtlety. From the Royal Academy, Sholpan Sharbakova gave us our second Op 110, with playing that was possibly a little too free with the rhythm at times but showed warm emotional commitment, with good sound, that won her the third prize and an equal share of the audience prize. Maya Soltan, from the London College, also had a good sound in her Op 81a ('Les Adieux'), though there was some imprecision.

The final session opened with the third and final performance of Op 110 from Gemma Beeson of the Royal Northern College. Her Bagatelle was interesting, a quite personal performance. If not everything in her sonata 'came off', it was again an interesting and involving performance that showed a performer of personality, and it won her the second prize. Finally Alissa Tavdidishvili, from Georgia and studying at Trinity College, gave us a committed C minor sonata Op 111 in which the Arietta's serene variations were perhaps more successfully realised than the first movement's taut drama; her colourful and communicative personality earned her the other 'share' of the audience prize.

An absorbing day as always, witnessing the different ways in which eight gifted young performers rise to the challenges of these invincible monuments of the classical sonata literature!