Piotr Anderszewski is an extraordinary pianist. Modest in demeanour but colossal in what he achieves, his Queen’s Hall recital was profoundly rooted in two composers. His selection of a dozen or so Intermezzi and other short pieces by Brahms, one leading straight into the next for a non-stop three quarters of an hour, wasn’t exactly as listed on the printed programme; but that hardly mattered. This was an immersive experience of Brahms, where the pianist’s absorption in an outpouring of music written towards the end of the German’s life was, in turn, totally absorbing for the audience.

Often sotto voce, hushed and restrained to the point of almost disappearing, Anderszewski’s performance probed the core of the music with masterly precision and reverential stillness. The cumulative effect was akin to going through a process of meditation. Bringing his technical genius to Bartók’s 14 Bagatelles, each of these miniature piano solos had their own distinctive character. Again, clarity was all, with each and every note being as important as the next. Whether playful at times or calling out the pain of death, these miniatures are brilliantly written with less is more applying to both composer and performer.

Piotr Anderszewski reviewed at Queen’s Hall; main picture: Robert Workman.