Steven Smith, piano

Reviews: United States: New York: At Merkin Recital Hall, pianist Steven Herbert Smith presented back-to-back recitals, complete with very informative program notes, consisting entirely of solo piano music written since the 1950's. Smith titled his two-evening project PIANO ENTENTE. Considering the high excellence of Smith's communicative performances, I would suggest the less modest title PIANO DETENTE to imply a "lessening of tensions" down the chain from composer to listener. (Messiaen's le Merle bleu) Here Mr. Smith summoned unsuspected reserves of color. His supple, fluid rhythm allowed Messiaen's birds to both sing and dance. The first half of the recital ended with a convincing presentation of the Scottish composer James MacMillan's Piano Sonata. From the opening tantalizingly incomplete gestures in the upper and lower ranges of the keyboard, it was clear that we were in the presence of a masterful composer, one who knows how to grab our attention and raise questions that demand answers. While alternation of slow, sustained sounds and rapid, insect-like textures might become formulaic in the wrong hands, MacMillan clearly has something to say -- Smith's empathic performance was superb. These composers are indeed fortunate to have such a sensitive, "entente-savvy" interpreter as Steven Smith, whose awareness of the entire spectrum of sound makes the written score come alive for the listener. (New York Concert Review) Washington, D.C.: (Steven Herbert Smith at the National Gallery) "proved a prodigious keyboardist with an obvious affinity for modern music, good reasons why three of the contemporary pieces had been written for him... (a) fervent performance of the Schubert Sonata (Opus Posthumous in B Flat) featured an impressive display of control of tempo and dynamics." (F. Warren O'Reilly, Washington Times) Texas: "He exhibited extreme clarity and finger agility - discerning pedaling and a fine rhythmic poise made for a convincing performance." (Fort Worth Star-Telegram) Germany: Steven Herbert Smith "mastered his task brilliantly...with huge expressive powers. Smith, who engaged himself equally in all pieces, played brilliantly." (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) "The unpretentious pianist captivated the audience immediately with the first songful bars of the F-Minor Ballade of Chopin, and reinforced this favorable impression in due course with a rich display of his significant capabilities." (Wiesbadner Tagblatt) Austria: "The pianist of the evening was Steven Smith. he played the piano Concerto in C Minor with a fully matured conception, with masculine determination, full of fire and energy, and indeed owed nothing of expression to the sensitive places." (Salzburger Volkszeitung) France: "This artist proved his exemplary authority and concentration..." (Le Journal de St. Germain) "BEAU DEBUT DE SAISON MUSICALE AVEC STEVEN SMITH MERVEILLEUX PIANISTE:" A "dazzling interpretation of the Fantasy in C Minor of Mozart"..."the 'Funeral' Sonata of Chopin was re-created for us by Steven Smith in all its tragic beauty." (Gazette des Yvelines) Piano Music By John Beall SONATA FOR PIANO (L' homme arme) Slowly, ecstatically, very expressively [1] 7:57 Fast and brilliant [2] 4:13 Interlude: slowly, deeply felt [3] 3:25 Variations on "L'homme arme" [4] 9:58 SUMMER PIECES Glass Stems of the Clouds [5] 4:27 Early One Summer [6] 1:13 Wolf of Summer [7] 6:41 PIANO FANTASY [8] 15:28 BLACK RAINDROPS [9] 5:06 Steven Herbert Smith, piano CAPRICCIO FOR PIANO 4 HANDS [10] 8:02 Carol Beau and Lucia Unrau, duo-pianists