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| Haydn C Major in Cologne with the Gürzenich Orchestra under Gerard Korsten |
| “…Alban Gerhardt, a tremendous musician in technique, emotion and instinct, was the soloist in the Haydn Concerto...” |
| Alwin Bauer, Kölner Stadtanzeiger, March 8, 2004 |
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| Haydn D Major and Prokofiev Sonata with the string orchestra „Ensemble Hayom“ |
| “Cellist Alban Gerhardt and the 'Ensemble Hayom' are brilliant in perfect collaboration... |
With a musical jewel the chambermusic series 'Resonanzen' crowns its season…Gerhardt molded eloquently the delicate passages, felt the music with closed eyes while entering a careful dialog with the chamberorchestra. The audience listened fascinated to the soulful sound in the Adagio which made the instrument shine in silky brilliance and followed spellbound the smashing dexterity, with which Gerhardt gave an opalescent vividness to the last movement.
Lyrical intensity
As fascinating connection of technical perfection and lyrical intensity Gerhardt intonated the Prokofiev Sonata and made this work together with the „Ensemble Hayom“ to a wonderful listening experience. Expressive determination to create and passionate expression increased in Alban Gerhardt‘s hands to a fervent musical brilliance without overdrawing the work. Once in a while the virtuoso allowed some humorous flashes of his instrument. Thunderous applause was secured for him and the orchestra…”
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| Iris Zumbusch, 16.Dezember 2003 |
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| Recital with Cecile Licad at the Hürther Schlosskonzerte near Cologne |
| “Alban Gerhardt |
| Music performed perfectly and powerfully |
| For the third time in a row the thirty year old cellist was guest in this series and he fascinated again with his superior performance and his extraordinary temperament…Throughout Alban Gerhardt and his Philippino pianist proved to be a very homogenous duo. He was playing everything by heart and was one with his instrument and the music, while she gave us an extra performance to her virtuoso piano playing with her facial expressions and body language which made even the pure watching a pleasure. Absolute climax of this intense music experience: Beethoven’s A Major Sonata. Every movement itself a treasure, everything was not only perfectly executed, but with fire and very closely shaped…” |
| November 3, 2000 |
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| Solorecital near Cologne |
| “Furious, Tender and Sensuous/Sensual Great Solorecital with Alban Gerhardt |
| He just had won the first prize at the Leonard Rose Competition...Alban Gerhardt had chosen three "tough nuts": Bach's 6th Solosuite, the caprices No.14 and 24 by Paganini (op.1), and at the end the Solosonata op.8 by Zoltán Kodály, which is not performed very often since it is extremely difficult to play. Already the Bachsuite was very convincing, and Gerhardt could prove his abilities, complementing one another: a natural relation with his instrument, technical perfection and rhythmical precision, the sensual sound production of the melodic lines, and without compromise he builds up and sustains long phrases...Fascinating in the Bachsuite was the agility of the Prélude, his energy, used with discipline, how he enjoyed all the ornaments in the Allemande, and the lively brightness of the Courante. It seemed as if there was no effort, when he played the difficult chords of the Sarabande with a perfect intonation, and with the greatest of ease he performed the rather bulky Gavotte. The Gigue at the end was almost bursting of energy. And then the Paganini on the cello: Magic and acrobatic; ears and eyes both were arrested. But he saved the climax for the end with a thrilling account of Kodály's Solosonata...The character of the sonata combines both profound melancholy as well as overwhelming zest of life. Alban Gerhardt recreated this musical cosmos outstanding: Tenderness and fierceness, lyric and dramatic atmospheres, everything with strong intensity and ecstasy, but always well controlled. The enthusiastic public appreciated this exceptional pleasure with tumultuous applause.” |
| October 5, 1993 |
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