Australian pianist Duncan Gifford came to Brighton laden with awards and acclaim for his recordings.
He's a pretty accomplished player, especially with Tchaikovsky and pieces transcribed from Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet, where his lyrical no-nonsense style is a delight.
The Tchaikovsky pieces are only now being rediscovered but Gifford already has a firm grip on them, particularly in A Fine Romance, where his performance was breath-taking.
But this 29-year-old should steer clear of Beethoven at the moment. His reading of the Tenth Piano Sonata was heavily adrift with some awful presaging. Beethoven should flow. Here it didn't.
Mike Howard
Friends Centre, Ship Street, Brighton, Monday
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