“This ‘divine impatience’ on the part of our soloist was even more understandable in the development section where he moved on the triplet broken-chords so as the better to spell out the harmonic progressions which they articulate. But never a note out of place or short-changed withal!”
“The arioso and baritone aria of this Adagio molto were beautifully sung, with an infinite variety of tonal sonorities to light us on our way as well as to lighten our mood to the pastoral level of the ensuing Rondo where at the start Mitrea gave the macro-effect of Beethoven’s original pedalling while assiduously quarter-pedalling to keep the texture limpid.”
“… great fellow-countryman Georges Enescu’s early Sarabande from his Piano Suite No 2 Op 10 in which Mitrea never succumbed to any temptation to sentimentalize the sometimes over-ripe Brahmsian harmonic sequences. Instead it was presented to us with a noble and resounding simplicity from start to finish.”
“… that was the moment for the luscious Neapolitan folksong to appear, soothing, albeit briefly, our overwrought nerves before the hew-and-cry of the dance took over once more, bringing the Tarantella to a spectacular and note-perfect close in a welter of plunging and coruscating double-octaves, Mitrea richly deserved all the storms of applause which followed though never enough to do justice to this Promethean triumph of man over matter, form over substance and ear over sound-waves.”
Malcolm Troup
“Strength of feeling for the work permeated Florian’s playing throughout give a good sense that he understood the impulses that lie within Schumann’s writing.”
“Florian Mitrea’s interpretation mixed Romantic largesse in his touch with a keenness for colourful sonority, deftly heightened through appropriate pedalling.”
“The Bourrée from Enescu’s Second Piano Suite, op. 10, was eloquent in its fluency, mindful both of the Gallic feel inherent to the form and Enescu’s particular depth of tone at the keyboard.”
“Theme with variations wore its heart on its sleeve, turning effortlessly from joy, to celebration in its dance-inspired elements to a very Romanian sense of dor (bitter-sweet sadness) at its close. The Dobrogean Dance followed almost without a break, full of life and energy.“
“The performance was structurally and interpretively impressive, strongly played with great robust tone… throughout (Enescu’s delightful left hand writing was magnificently forthright), but carefully shaded where required.”
Evan Dickerson
