The piano prodigy Arthur Athan

Celebration of mirth & melancholy, majestically orchestrated for a beautiful cause.

Sunday, 16 August 2015 at 4pm

Church of All Nations, 180 Palmerston Street, Carlton VIC

Genre: Classical piano

On a serene Sunday afternoon, a guiding thread of classical piano ran through the Church of All Nations beautifully knitting together ecstasy and sorrow- an awe-inspiring piano concert magically narrated by adept piano soloist Arthur Athan from Melbourne. A piano prodigy, a concert pianist, chamber musician, piano accompanist, piano teacher and music adjudicator- a multi-faceted personality, he has been widely acclaimed for his work in all the roles. He has been the winner of the 3MBS live performance series ‘The Talent 2014’ and has received many accolades including the first prize in 2015 ‘Australian Vocal and Concerto Competition’ together with the People’s Choice Award. He is a global denizen in the music fraternity as he has performed & participated in master classes across the world with the eminent pianist and pedagogues showcasing his level of being an accomplished pianist. Notable shut out was that the profits from the concert went to Wild at Heart, an organization that provides opportunities for people with disabilities and mental illness to perform in creative projects. What a beautiful cause!

Originally intended as the part of his performance in the 2015 Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition, it forms a free-standing symphonic suite in four movements. My favorite was the work inspired by Shostavich outlining the enigmatic & acerbic recital of ‘We wish you a merry Christmas’ which not only gives you goose bumps but is so enthralling that you are already giving a standing ovation in your head. Going by the audience opinion, the entire afternoon was a piano masterpiece particularly for the majestic recital of ‘Inferno’.. Dante Sonata by Liszt: a captivating juxtaposition of wailing in hell and joy in heaven. The essence of two thematically related movements was rhythmically capsulated in D minor and F-sharp major, which kept everyone fascinated and wondering upon the excellent artistry of Arthur. With Inferno being called the favorite piece, it is an outstanding compliment for Arthur highlighting his mastery, as invention of solo piano recital is attributed to Franz Liszt. Dante Sonata was the finale and it was a breathless ecstatic outpouring, a dance of transcendent joy leading to a tumultuous conclusion.

Needless to say, the entire program was a sheer exuberant celebration of Satan and Sanity. And Arthur Athan, you created one of the most exciting and uplifting concerts I have ever attended.

If you feel you missed out on a fantastic and enchanting performance, keep checking http://arthurathan.wix.com/arthurathan for the upcoming programs.

Our video report..coming soon.

Program:

Etude Op 42 No 5 by Scriabin – arguably Scriabin’s greatest etude

Prelude and Fugue in D flat major, Op 87 No 15 by Shostakovich – notable for Shostakovich’s use of the theme from ‘We wish you a merry Christmas’ in the Prelude in a sarcastic manner, showing undercurrents of resentment against Russian communism

Hungarian Rhapsody No 12 by Liszt – A showpiece bearing qualities of the ‘gypsy’ Hungarian culture with distinctive folk tunes interspersed between passages of virtuosity – all features that typified Liszt and his style of composition.

Sonata No 32 in b minor by Haydn – one of Haydn’s few sonatas in a minor key. The third movement in particular is a driven affair with fugue-like qualities with overlapping voices, very cleverly written.

Dante Sonata by Liszt:

Fearful tales of torment and pain would have haunted Liszt’s mind when the music of the Dante Sonata flowed from his pen in 1849. It was after a reading of Dante’s poem ‘Inferno’, that the terrifying musical incarnation that is Dante Sonata was born – a portrait of Dante’s journey through depths of hell and the majesty of heaven outside of it.

No doubt fresh upon Liszt’s mind would have been the countless stories of wailing sinners in hell. One such sinner was Fransesca the adulteress. Condemned to hell for of lust, Fransesca committed adultery with the brother of her husband after having been forced into marriage. Her cries and tears are audible even through the tumult of hell, where it is as if she recounts those careless days on earth, all the while lamenting her fate and eternal torment from which she cannot escape.
“Love has conducted us unto one death!…

There are the shrieks, the plaints, and the laments…

The infernal hurricane that never rests
Hurtles the spirits onward in its rapine;”

“Inferno”, Canto V ~ Dante

These program notes were written by Arthur Athan

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Host: Dheepa Awtani

Director: Dixit Awtani

Styling:

Outfit- Gstar & Giordano

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Make up- Mac Cosmetics

Accessories- Aldo, Armani Exchange (AX5134)