This concert was part of the first in a series of 30 at the Royal Overseas League that showcase the talents of musicians supported by the ROSL. The series has been going for 13 years and follows the formula of a composer’s name followed by a time of day that will be familiar to many. In this concert Omri Epstein played Chopin and Rachmaninov. He appeared in smart casual, but understated all black and let his playing do all the speaking. The opening Chopin Scherzo was playful and lively; the two nocturnes that followed were more suited to an after lunch slot and I could happily have drifted off.
The opening bars of the first of Rachmaninov Preludes told us that we were no longer in Warsaw but under six feet of Russian gloom. This piece exhibited the dynamism that drove much of the concert. The second prelude tripped and skipped along, the third opened wistfully, grew and retreated and the fourth rolled and rumbled along. For me the third was the highlight and it brought smiles to some faces in the audience. This was playing of the highest order with a nicely balanced programme. It would have improved the experience to hear from the performer why he had chosen the repertoire. However, I have no doubt that the rest of the series will be its usual success.
