Recital by Massimiliano Ferrati

Scarlatti: Sonata in F Minor, K. 466
Haydn: Andante with Variations in F Minor, Hob. XVII: 6
Beethoven: Sonata in C Major, Op. 53, "Waldstein"
Chopin: Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58


It was so nice to hear Massimiliano Ferrati play again!

Before the pandemic he performed almost every year at IKIF, and his were among the recitals I particularly looked forward to. His playing is full of spirit, refinement, and intelligence. Some people of my generation thought of Arthur Rubinstein as one of their favorite "go to" pianists, because whatever he played, one would hear music making on a high level. Though a different personality from Rubinstein, one can go to a Ferrati recital with similar expectations.

He began with the Scarlatti sonata, which was very slow and warmly expressive.

Remembering that he likes to show unity in the construction of his programs I was not surprised that he went, without pause, directly into the Haydn Variations, which are in the same key of F Minor. The Haydn moved at a somewhat faster pace than the Scarlatti, and fine musician that he is, repeats were done at a different dynamic level, for contrast. He handled the transitions back and forth between F Minor and F Major as well as the ornaments beautifully, and some parts of the work sounded truly eloquent.

The first movement of Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata was fast and "action-packed." The "drumroll" leading into the recapitulation was powerful, and the enthusiastic audience applauded at the conclusion of this movement. The short, second movement was a bit on the fast side and was followed by the finale, which was poetic and "fluffy" at the beginning, and ferocious in the C Minor section. The coda was very fast, indeed, and exciting.

The Chopin Sonata, which made up the second half of the program, was very effectively played. Mr. Ferrati is among the minority of pianists who does the repeat of the exposition. I, only half jokingly, wonder if he does that to have an extra chance to play the gorgeous second theme which is one of the glories of this work? In any case, he played with subtle expressive differences both times in the exposition, where it is on D Major, and again differently, perhaps somewhat more assertively, where it returns in B Major, in the recapitulation.

The second movement was fast and fleet, and there were some interesting individual touches as it crept back to the first theme.

The third movement moved at a straight forward tempo but was beautifully and expressively played.

The finale was done at a moderately fast tempo and featured power and sparkling runs and passagework. It was received with an ovation.

Mr. Ferrati played one encore, the C-Sharp Minor Nocturne of Chopin. This was wonderful, featuring (among other things) a hushed quality where the A Major theme appeared, some exquisite, soft playing, and an eloquent conclusion.