Sunderland Pianoforte Society finished its 73rd season with a recital given by Jens-Hagen Wegner, the brilliant young German pianist who won second prize in the Liszt Piano Competition. This was well attended by an appreciative audience who enjoyed some wonderful playing. The first half of the programme was given to a performance of music by Liszt, which included lesser known works as well as the famous Liebestraume and Benediction de Dieu dans la Solitude.
After the interval the recital continued with a very individual performance of the Sonata no.2 in B Flat Minor by Chopin, a well known work in which artistic licence was used to the full but with great effect. Jens-Hagen Wegner had given a lot of thought to this work and he had managed to bring some completely different sounds to those usually heard. This was clearly a work that he loved playing and in the Funeral March the piano was used to create some beautiful sounds which were followed by the last movement with its intense and abstract sounds. A masterful performance.  The Valse Impromptu, Landler, Kaskaden and Rhapsodie by Dohnanyi were a good contrast to the intensity of the Chopin, with the Rhapsodie being a good, lively end. However the audience wanted more and were given a performance of Un Sospiro by Liszt.