<p>Wang Yiqun<br />Haydn’s D major sonata was realised with lots of energy.  The phrasing needed to be longer- excessive head movements may be preventing sustained phrasing.  Overall there was too much agitation and nervous energy where warmth and charm would be more fitting and appropriate.  Welcome lightness of touch and a good balance between the hands. With a little more spaciousness and care over the characterisation of the music, results could be even more convincing.  <br />‘La Leggierezza’ was taken at a persuasive tempo. The opening had an appropriate tonal range, but as the textures became busier there was a need for a lighter touch, with more mercurial passagework, more careful and imaginative pedalling and more creativity in terms of texture and balancing of voices. Phrasing lacked real expansive expression and personality.  There was a need for cantabile throughout- something also missing from the Haydn earlier. <br />In Brahms’ op. 4 scherzo control and focus remained consistently positive throughout.  There was a need for a bigger over-view with phrasing, so that accents on individual bars become less significant that broader phrase units.  More interest in terms of colour variety and voicing would help lift the music off the page here.  Today the performance became rather predictable, and almost too ‘safe’ to real excite complete focus and interest from the listener.  Impressive work here and indeed throughout the programme nonetheless. </p>