Aimard/Benjamin review – concentrated musical thought and pianistic imagination

By Martin Kettle · The Guardian Culture

Wigmore Hall, London George Benjamin joined Pierre-Laurent Aimard to give the UK premiere of his ingenious and compelling Divisions Any new work by Sir George Benjamin is always a significant event, and his latest piano composition, Divisions , for four hands, does not disappoint. Premiered in Berlin this summer, and here receiving its first UK performance from the composer and Pierre-Laurent Aimard , Divisions packs an enormous amount of concentrated musical thought and pianistic imagination into its 15-minute span. That’s exactly what we would expect from the famously meticulous Benjamin. His focus in the new piece is the interaction between two players at a single instrument as they counterpose an ever-changing variety of rhythms, dynamics and pianistic effects. The exploration is ingenious and compelling, from the enigmatic opening to an abruptly ambiguous ending which brought smiles all round. Continue reading...