Freddy Kempf has rightly earned his reputation as one of the most important young artists on the stage today; a status underpinned by a prodigious output for the BIS record label. And he fulfilled all expectations when he appeared at The Sage Gateshead. A charged performance opened with Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No 8 Pathetique. One of Beethoven’s earliest works, the sonata has an enduring quality. Kempf set a brisk pace in a tightly wrought first movement, before conveying the adagio with a refined grace and scampering playfully through the finale. Following on was Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No 21 Waldstein. Written at the composer’s creative height, it is one of the most technically challenging for a pianist. Kempf took the work to the edge, fearlessly exploring every twist and turn in the score, with rumbling rhythms and notes pouring out at a blistering rate. A poised adagio led seamlessly to a rondo of exquisite beauty. Kempf ratcheted up the tension relentlessly leaving piano trembling with a final thunderous chord.

The second half of the evening was devoted to Liszt. A renowned showman of his age, many of his works were written to showcase his wizardry at keyboard. While some of Litszt’s work may not be to the taste of all, the sheer spectacle of it being played can be awe-inspiring. Kempf pulled off the recital with required flamboyance, playing a stormy Dante Sonata, lyrical Isoldes Liebestod (after Wagner) and super-charged Mephisto Waltz. An encore came in the shape of a soothing Chopin Nocturne. A memorable evening.

Gavin Engelbrecht