Mark Bebbington - Classical Music Live!
Kidderminster Town Hall
By AG Edwards.

Wow! That was the audience reaction to Mark Bebbington’s recital given in Kidderminster Town Hall.

Beginning with a pleasing account of Haydn’s Sonata in G, played with deceptive ease, it was a stunning version of Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata that provoked the greatest admiration.

Thanks to a minor miracle worked by the piano tuner, the Steinway had been restored into full working order and sounded better than it has ever done.

It helped that the pianist was able to take full advantage producing exquisite pianissimos and thunderous, muscular fortissimos.

The lyrical passages were also faithfully captured and the explosive finale was capped by a breathless coda of venomous power and intensity. The end result was electrifying and the audience was grateful for the interval to fully absorb what they had just witnessed and recover from it.

Mark has specialised in the works of John Ireland and in London Pieces he conjured up impressionistic visions of Chelsea Reach, Ragamuffin and Soho forenoon.

A selection of Chopin items enabled Mark to demonstrate that he could play cantabile or get his fingers scampering over the keys with equal ease.

In the final Scherzo in B flat minor he put the piano to a final test with ominous whispers, powerful responses and dazzling keyboard runs.

For his well deserved encore Mark chose the quirky Mephisto Polka by Liszt and the bizarre ending provoked laughter.

This was the latest in a number of appearances by Mark for the Classical Music Society and he has never been less than excellent. Now, with greater maturity, he has progressed to an even higher level. Small wonder that he has been engaged to appear at the world’s top venue – New York’s Carnegie Hall. We wish him luck but on this evidence he won’t need it.