We got to see Yefim Bronfman last Sunday in Chicago. What an amazing concert!. I had never
heard any Ravel piano music but now I am a huge fan. The program was:

Beethoven - Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1 (Quasi una fantasia)
Schumann - Fantasy in C Major
Ravel - Gaspard de la nuit
Balakirev - Islamey

plus five encores (which included a Schubert impromptu, a small Bach piece and the Revolutionary etude).
Afterwards Yefim gave a question and answer reception for subscribers. What a humble man!
He said he'd been playing the Beethoven for three years, the Ravel for two and Islamey for
eight. Also he said he and Emanuel Ax will be giving a two piano concert next year here!

Oh, shoot! I knew I should have bought tickets. But I thought my husband was going to have a heart attack because at the same time as the Perahia concert, I also purchased tickets for the Kissin concert and Lang Lang concert in the spring. So I was saving a little money.

Thanks for the 'heads up' regarding Bronfman and Ax. If you live in the Western suburbs, we can carpool.

Pianolady I live in Oswego! I just bought my tickets for the Thursday night Kissin Brahms concert
yesterday. I got front row in the terrace behind the orchestra this time with a perfect view
of the keyboard. I've never had seats back there before so I am hoping the sound will be as
good as the view Where did you sit for Perahia? Maybe we were neighbors.

Wow, you have good tickets! I have never sat in the terrace section, either. Should be interesting. My Kissin seats are in the lower balcony in one of the first couple of rows. For once, I bought tickets way, way in advance so had no problem getting good seats. I don't like to sit on the main floor because someone tall always sits in front of me and then you know how it is...you're out of luck. For Perahia I was in the balcony but higher up. I did have a direct view of the piano, though, and could clearly see his hands and feet.

And I am about ten miles from you. We may even (gulp) know each other.

I got to see Bronfman play with Pittsburgh over Thanksgiving break. He performed the Prokofiev 3rd PC and the Revolutionary as an encore. He was phenomenal!!!!! I am also now a huge fan!!

P.S.: I also got his autograph!

Yefim is the man. I saw him play the Rach 3 and it was amazing!