Alon Kariv plays Chopin at Cadogan Hall

Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann Alon Kariv (piano); English Chamber Orchestra / Roberto Forés Veses (conductor). Cadogan Hall, London, 11.05.2025

Mendelssohn Overture, ‘The Hebrides,’ Op. 26 (1829) 

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 (1830) 

Schumann Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 97, ‘Rhenish’ (1850) 

It is good to hear the young, talented pianist Alon Kariv live: you can read my recent interview with him here. Core takeaways from that interview were that Kariv is a musician of intellect, integrity and talent. Huge amounts of talent, it turns out. The Chopin First Concerto on YouTube with the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music orchestra under Karl-Heinz Steffens is excellent, but hearing him live really enables appreciation of his vast range of tone and dynamic.  

There was obviously real agreement on the very nature of Chopin’s E minor concerto between soloist and conductor: the grandeur of the first movement orchestral exposition (taken at a pace which moved along nicely) was perfectly mirrored at Kariv’s entrance, full-toned, noble in the manner of the mature Claudio Arrau, but leavened with a young man’s fire. Kariv’s articulation is so clean, his pedaling so carefully considered, that Chopin’s writing positively gleams. Contrasting with this, Kariv’s legato (whether single line or chordal) is superb, his cantabile perfectly projected. In the interview, Kariv talked about a credit-debt approach to rubato (you take time, you have to it give back) and that was certainly in evidence here, resulting in a perfect sense of ebb and flow. Technically, Kariv is beyond criticism, the left-hand trills a case in point, tight, full of energy against dancing right-hand figuration (one can hear something similar in the BMSM performance, but it was more pronounced in London) 

Again, tempo was carefully chosen for the central ‘Romanze’. Chopin asks for Larghetto, and Kariv and Forés Veses found the perfect flow. The ECO’s muted strings sounded beautifully transparent at the opening. Nice to hear the bassoon solos so well projected, perfectly audible against Kariv’s traceries. The point at which everything stops ,and Chopin writes piano music from another planet was here a moment frozen in time, fantastical, unforgettable. And Kariv’s pedal clearance at the close of the movement was sublime; if only all pianists could do this!. 

The finale was underpinned, beyond doubt, by the spirit of the dance, a lovely sense of ‘lift’ inhabiting the main theme. Kariv also managed to make a link between that moment of otherworldly calm in the second movement and some of the figuration in the final movement, an idea new to me and yet compellingly convincing. Slinky plain octaves in piano were complemented by perfectly rhythmic strings. More varied in emotion than most readings of this movement, the music always had the requisite space.  

This was a phenomenal Chopin First, completely and utterly satisfying. And as an encore, some Bach, the E minor Prelude from Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier, a reflective place of repose. 

The Mendelssohn that opened the afternoon came as a surprise to some; the conductor announced the inclusion of ‘Hebrides’ from the stage (but in fairness it was already in the programme booklet, just not online). The ‘Hebrides’ Overture is of course a perennial favourite. The music is fresh and breezy, and certainly was here (for the obverse, try Celibidache’s Munich recording!). Forés Veses pinpointed the music’s heart, sculpting phrases with real affection while maintaining flow. The cello tune was lovely; balancing in the woodwind was superb (the nice and reedy bassoons of Sarah Burnett and Claire Webster to the fore). As a woodwind choir, the ECO’s winds cede to no other orchestra. Forés Vese took the music to a dynamic climax, strings digging in, while elsewhere, the clarinet solo certainly touched the heart (Anthony Pike). If there is a gripe, it is the attack of the trumpets, not quite clean enough in their lower, more restrained dynamic levels. 

It is always remarkable to me how rarely we hear Schumann’s symphonies in the concert hall. And while No. 2 is particularly deserving of attention as the underdog - one of the rare pieces in which I would recommend Toscanini above all others - it is the ‘Rhenish’ (No. 3) that is the grandest of them all. 

Forés Veses’ greatest achievement here was to convince the listener of the veracity of Schumann’s orchestration. So often pilloried (and tweaked, in one instance by no less a figure than Gustav Mahler), the scoring emerged as fresh and transparent. From the razor-sharp, dynamic opening (no doubting this was one beat to a bar, not three), this was a powerfully dynamic reading. There was heroism here, not least from the unison horns. ln the second movement, marked ‘Scherzo’ (but really a Ländler), Forés Veses found just the right amount of Schwung. There was some superb horn plying here from John Thurgood, his high range perfectly musical and with no touch of strain.

The prevalent mezzo-staccato of the third movement (‘Nicht schnell’) was perfectly judged and rehearsed, even and matching throughout the various sections of the orchestra. A special mention for principal cellist Caroline Dale, whose counterpoint to the legato main theme was beautifully delivered. This was Schumann at his most songlike, just in instrumental garb, the perfect contrast to the imposing sonic evocation of Cologne Cathedral in the fourth movement, brass nicely balanced. Forés Veses again seemed to find the perfect tempo: one really became aware of the sense not only of solemnity but also of solemn processional. Contrasts again formed the basis of the finale. There, rhythmic/metric control was staggering; but perhaps just a touch more joy would have sealed the deal?  

There is no doubt this was a fine ‘Rhenish,’ though. Forés Veses is a name to watch; his knowledge of the scores is deep, his interpretations considered, and he clearly enjoys a good rapport with his players.  

Alon Kariv’s activities, including his recordings, were discussed in the interview that acts both as companion to this concert and as independent entity. Roberto Forés Veses’ activities are no less interesting, at least on disc (this is my first acquaintance with him live): a recording of Alkan’s three Concerti da camera, Op. 10 ,with soloist Giovanni Belucci and the Orchestra di Padua e del Veneto is well worth seeking out (Brilliant Classics), while several discs on Aparté with the Orchestre d’Auvergne look mightily tempting (including music by Sibelius – a string orchestra version of the ‘Voces initimae’ quartet -  Berg, Tchaikovsky, Webern and Schreker). 

Two highly talented young gentlemen, then, in what turned out to be a Chopin marriage made in Heaven. With Mendelssohn and Schuman sandwiching that simply stunning Chopin First Concerto performance, it is difficult to think of a better way of spending a sunny Sunday afternoon. I was already watching Kariv’s career closely as one of the most fiercely talented and musical artists of his generation; now Forés Veses is added to the list.