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Critical Acclaim "Tedeschi..the rarest of gems..cast his spell..confirming the long held belief that you can tell a true artist within five minutes. I have never heard such subtle control of line, such proportion, such a complete mastery of space.. Technically the playing was nearly faultless and refined to an unusual degree. Yes, he's musical..a technical wizard..has the brain power..his clear joy of being on stage..exquisite, motionless beauty! One way or another you will hear from him again."" "Greatness can be difficult to define but its presence is also tangible. In Simon Tedeschi's recital...there was no doubting that greatness. The music...all of it technically daunting, seemed to flow,unimpeded, through the fingers of this extraordinary, 18 year old Sydney pianist. When I last heard (this piece of music) in a concert, that pianist made everything sound terribly difficult (which the music is). With Tedeschi it all danced and glittered...brilliant and technically daunting, in this performance it was dazzling...Tedeschi never overdid his treatment...he had the measure of music in every respect. Tedeschi played it with tact and poise, all the more remarkable after the virtuosity of the two redoubtable memorial fantasies...It was a triumph for Tedeschi...Was it wild? Yes, but formidably disciplined too - an exhilarating piece played with breathless flair, for a breathless audience. True greatness."" ""...(his) command of the keyboard and musical insight continue to grow and impress...enormous technical fluency and a wry sense of humor...Tedeschi made the virtuosic passages seem like child's play, but never let this most articulate music to become childish gobbledygook...an enchanting account...the pianist's feeling for colour, sonority and poise never deserted his performance, an encouraging sign in a young artist."" ""Brilliant...he seemed clearly the most musically mature of them all...done with a subtlety and grace..."" ""He was quite brilliant...Tedeschi's technique is impressive, and his whole manner shows maturity beyond his years."" ""The night's star...promises much for the future...""
""A terrific reading...went over big with the crowd...his rhythmic discipline in the often martial episodes of the outer movements was good and nimble, and he gave the slow movement a wonderfully rounded tone."" ""His concert...was notable for three things: fresh repertoire, immense technique and radiant musicality."" ""exceptional talent...a rare delight in both timing and expression"" ""precociously talented...the clear highlight of the concert... due to the undoubted talent and commitment of the young soloist."" ""This was not excessive, overblown pianism but an intelligent programme that explored Tedeschi's breadth of skill...here was gentle,even playing, with legato elegantly executed and with a subtle emotional edge applied...beautifully phrased...Tedeschi's talent is being ideally nurtured towards a long and impressive career at the keyboard...intelligence in one so young is a rarity in modern musicianship."" ""...easy confidence and unflappable manner...a nice balance of tone with the fugal themes well articulated...tossed the Schubert Impromptu off with brilliant clarity..."" ""Smouldering, passionate young pianist....burning up the keys..." " ""Played with furious ease..."" ""Played with limpid clarity and sweeping rapture by Simon Tedeschi...."" ""Piano pieces played live with appropriate rigour and empathy by the award winning young pianist..."" ""I just wish Gershwin were here... one of the finest exponents of his music I have ever seen."" ""The young pianist was superb: clean, bold and confident and Adler clearly relished his playing."" ""This superb young pianist seems to have the chameleon personality (and robust technique) to cope with it all...it is a daring collection, and it works splendidly...his performance of Mozart's Fantasia in D minor typifies his approach: almost brooding in the arpeggios of the opening with a clipped fortepiano style...for the
rest of the piece. Whether it is the insouciance of a Friedman waltz arrangement, a droll little syncopation by Mary Mageau, the dash of Gershwin's Preludes, the gentle undulations in Debussy's En Bateau or the totally controlled Helter Skelter of Morton's formidable Fingerbuster, there is not a dull track. But for sheer relish it is hard to go past the poker faced parody (it's macabre too) of Schedrin's Humoresque, Seiber's coilspring Scherzando Cappricioso or the outdoor vitality of Agnew's Rabbit Hill... the mecurial Simon Tedeschi."" ""When the dance seems over-extended you can switch your attention to Tedeschi, for his performance is also an exercise in movement, with dramatic gestures or hunched fervor, and the music allows for a shift from concentrated focus to meditative reverie."" ""Brought back memories of Levant in its relentless pizzazz. ………displayed a fine technique."" ""...brought to the piece an assured technique and rich understanding of its changing moods and colours in a memorable performance, amongst the best of the series."" ""..a level of intensity that only a history of tragedy, war and cold weather can invoke. He may not be Russian ,but 24 year old Simon Tedeschi can certainly express a Russian intensity. Tedeschi plays with great depth. The famous opening chords of Tchaikovsky's first concerto are right on the beat, but every key phrase thereafter is reined with rubato, which instills the sense of Russian passion..."" ""Played like an angel...one of the best musicians of his generation worldwide."" ""' On the evidence of this recording he brings an assured technique to his performances, as well as an obvious musical intelligence. These are thoroughly competent, assured performances; the faster movements are played with commitment and panache, the slow movements are properly, and unexaggeratedly, poetic. The lyrical opening of the
Grieg adagio is particularly well played...in the Tchaikovsky the long melodic line of the andantino is attractively shaped and there is plenty of energy in the final allegro....He is a name to note.' " "'Putting Tedeschi (and Cooper) is like mixing nitro with glycerine - an explosion of musical virtuosity!'" "The performances from Simon Tedeschi and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra under Paul Mann are of the highest order...warmly recommended." " ""One of the finest artists in the world"" "Magic with the lively lad...raises a smile from admirers...brought these two players together in a performance of vivid rhythmic intricacy...hewed out spiky textures and flinty phrases with exhilarating dispatch...galvanised the two into splendid momentum...rang as if tapping into the viscera of eternity." " " "A magnificent evening of music from the two preeminent pianists of their respective generations...few people could have doubted the technical challenges to both performers and how brilliantly they carried them off...A delightful reading of J.S. Bach's double harpsichord concerto in C, BMW1061, followed and showed how well Woodward and Tedeschi fire off each other...it is hoped (these concerts) become annual events..."" " "An absolute treat for all those fortunate enough to hear it...from J.S. Bach to Charlie Parker....these musicians (Ian Cooper and Simon Tedeschi) are totally professional, with an impeccable technique, showing a complete mastery of their instrument....their infectious personalities endeared them to their listeners from the beginning. Their amazing rapport with the audience and with eachother was unique and very entertaining..."" ""He already draws the listener into his world, and that is a rare gift"" ""This one is for true believers...it was a night when two of our finest pianists from the realms of jazz and classical music had a Steinway standoff, their facial expressions mirroring their delight as they fired off eachother in a clever combination of prepared arrangements and good, old fashioned jamming...left us all wondering 'who could ask for anything more?'" "'The versatility of classicist Simon Tedeschi makes me seethe with envy'" "They were still wanting more from pianists Simon Tedeschi and Kevin Hunt when the performance finally ended over two hours later. Whether I Want to Play Like Him is really a cabaret act or not seemed to matter less than the richly playful quality of what the performers were doing with a lot of jazz, a little classical and a bit of original." "His (Leigh Warren) choice of Scriabin's demanding piano works, and of Simon Tedeschi to perform them, give the feeling of an impromptu immediacy, an added stimulus to the intimacy of the dancers' performances...Tedeschi, seated at the grand piano in the centre of what would be the pit, is like a wondrous puppet master. His sensitive coaxing or thrusting of the score draws the invisible strings of the eight dancers from the informality of their onstage warmups into wild pairings in the central pool of light, or in the half-life of the penumbra. Always there is a perfect unity of purpose and execution." "Tedeschi's fireworks show...Simon Tedeschi demonstrated why he has been dubbed one of the finest musicians of his generation with half an hour of sheer artistry...starting off with a dazzling performance of Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Tedeschi then delighted a big Angel Place crowd with a ragtime pianistic fireworks display worthy of the Foti family...with one of Tedeschi’s all-too-rare Sydney appearances, this was a stirring and uplifting night." "The well recorded sound of good musicians having fun paying wildly diverse music on superb instruments is a delight...while anchored in jazz, the playing flirts with tango, country, gypsy and classical strains, all executed with great flair, including tongue-in-cheek moments and pools of genuine beauty." "Strauss…in the hands of Simon Tedeschi and Deborah Cheetham evoked a magic equal to that of the Gyuto Monks' chants." "Well, enter Simon Tedeschi and suddenly you're hanging on every note of what suddenly you realise is an extraordinary masterpiece. This was an absolutely wonderful performance and the soloist explored every subtlety and harmonic originality and he enjoyed himself so much and that enjoyment made his involvement in the piece totally infectious....I was soon finding myself listening totally freshly as if I'd never really heard the work before. The only word, I think, for this astonishing performance is breathtaking. It was absolutely compelling from start to finish. He carried the audience with him every step of the way so that the spontaneous standing ovation at the end was rather inevitable, really....the ease of his technique and his virtuosity was always at the service of the music and he brought every phrase to life with absolute charisma. The music making was as intoxicating as you could wish. The audience was on quite a euphoric high...It was an inspired performance . It was as if he was improvising the whole piece from start to finish. There's also an orchestral element in Rhapsody in Blue...the orchestra played with equal commitment and flair, perhaps inspired inspired by some extent...by the soloist. The whole performance was a superb example of shared music making, not just a one sided showpiece for the soloist. And then Simon Tedeschi gave us an encore that seemed to raise the stakes of virtuosity and inspiration even higher...whatever it was, I'll certainly be going out of my way to see this pianist if the opportunity arises again...he's certainly a name to watch...a truly magnificent concert...one of the highlights of the year so far." "Interwoven are some brisk clever pieces that underline the central pair's lightly sprung style informed by a sympathetic, often surprisingly elegant musicianship....this CD radiates class." "...Tedeschi adds an impressive array of ideas, channelling Bach via Loussier..." "Ian Cooper (Violin), and Simon Tedeschi (Piano) are both great entertainers and performers. The near capacity audience at Bennetts Lane Jazz club are captivated..." "Another delight is Simon Tedeschi’s account of the slow movement from Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor..." "...an electrifying performance....Tedeschi, always an exciting pianist, was in cracking form." "Simon Tedeschi was an inspired choice of soloist. He leaped into the work with brittle glee. On multiple occasions he was close to a cruel parody of himself as mad pianist, but each time it came back from the brink of crude sarcasm as a keen musical intelligence prevailed. His lyrical moments had a wonderful, airy feel of taking a tune for a walk, full of relaxed curiosity about where it might end up." "Australian pianists Simon Tedeschi (classical) and Kevin Hunt (jazz) complement each other's techniques and sonorities. Tedeschi could deliver Debussy's Prelude from Suite Bergamasque or Claire de Lune, or Ravel's Mother Goose Suite with exacting class, and Kevin Hunt is capable of spinning the best from Gershwin's I Got Rhythm or Dave Brubeck's Blue Rondo a la Turk. But put them together and a new music sensation emerges. A new dynamism lights the product. It is Mother Goose like you've never heard it, embellished with quirky rhythms and feathery runs, but suave and evocative just the same....Debussy's Footprints in the snow is pensive and sparse, more jazz reflection than impressionist sonority...just listen to what soft jazz shading can do to vintage romantic. Ellington's C Jam Blues is a classical jazz finale." "One of the most enjoyable jazz albums to come my way recently...(Simon Tedeschi has) a rare feel for improvisation...together they are dynamite, as their release Woodlands on the ABC Jazz label shows. I heard this duo play a set at the Basement three years ago - pretty much what is on this album - and their Steinway standoff rocked the socks off the customers... the Mother Goose Suite, originally written for two pianos, is a delight... listen out for their exhilarating take on Brubeck’s Blue Rondo a la Turk. Top notch." "Australian audiences are the lucky beneficiaries of his already consummate keyboard prowess now so well-refined. Tedeschi has built a solid reputation for his pianistic versatility, moving effortlessly from the most difficult classical works to the freedom of jazz. This concert was no
exception....Tedeschi's performance was stunning....Simon Tedeschi's playing style is dynamism in its element. One minute he is pushing down notes so gently, they can hardly be heard. The next he is testing the power of the piano to its limit. It is never forced though; his deft fingering carries exquisite sensitivity. All the while, his relaxed on-stagepersonality delighted a smitten audience." "There can be few more pleasant ways to spend a damp and gloomy winter afternoon than attending a recital by one of the country's greatest pianists....Tedeschi's Sunday recital in the National Gallery of Australia's Gandel Hall was, as expected, a masterful balance of passion and virtuosity. The surprising thing is that it was also a lot of fun....Tedeschi retains much of the boy-ish charm that served him so well as the wunderkind of the Australian piano....reminiscent of Chopin in its rhythmic freedom and expressiveness....Tedeschi revelled in the filigree of embellishment..." "Then, for something completely different, in every way, onto the stage bounded the effervescent Simon Tedeschi who blazed away on the piano with a deeply felt and individual interpretation of Gershwin’s ever popular ‘Rhapsody in Blue'." |
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| Copyright Simon Tedeschi 2012 |