Corriere Della Sera
Turin, Italy

La Stampa, Turino
18 February 2006
Giorgio Pestelli

Playing fot the first time for the Unione Musicale (Torino) in the recently restored hall, the English pianist Christian Blackshaw, after just a few notes made the audience realise that before them was a musician utterly sensitive to the discoursive element of the music, who can enchant with incandescance, discretion, good taste, perfection of style.

His programme eloquently provided testimony to his spiritual vision beginning with the Sonata by Mozart K.533 with the finale K.494 almost forgotten by other pianists: Mozart in full maturity, difficult, concentrated on Bachian reflections, imitations, counterpoint, freely enjoying the most loving rococo; an Andante secret and introvert which Blackshaw put through microscopic lenses of the most intimate delicacy, a left hand sonority 'quasi violincello' all touched by mysterious romantic beliefs.

A natural progression to the world of Schubert with the Sonata in C minor, D.958, one of the great last sonatas (also here, not often performed) provided a real journey of the soul which departs from Beethoven continuing to unknown regions; guided by our pianist, who descends from a Schubertian as Clifford Curzon, it was sheer joy to follow its path up to the final fantastic tarantella finale with its double face of scintillating vivacity and demonic inquietude, almost a calvacade into the abyss.

Then to the ultimate part of the programme, the Fantasie op. 17 by Schumann, well known and we are aware how most pianists interpret it: two passionate movements of colossal technical involvement followed by a finale of great spirituality.

Blackshaw, impetuous in the first two movements nevertheless made the finale the strongest point of force, the transcendental 'starry' conclusion to the whole work, the 'constellation' as Schumann first titled it; the continued emotion and poetry of these pages made a true, real conclusion to this great composition.

Notwithstanding numerous musical opportunities elsewhere, the great public of the Conservatorio enthusiastically welcomed more Schubert outside the programme.