by Peter Sotheran (29.03.2019)
Swiss-born Susanna Braun is currently studying for her BMus at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and has won awards at international music festivals across Europe. Braun presented a programme of four well-known works at Redcar’s Tuned In Centre.
Braun began with the B-minor Prelude & Fugue from Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier with a carefully measured intensity, offering a thoughtful interpretation and mastered the intricacies of the Fugue with confidence. The Abegg Variations by Robert Schumann set an intriguing mixture of technical challenges, all of which Braun took in her musical stride with the panache of a seasoned virtuoso.
There was a delightful delicacy of touch in the dreamy opening of Schumann’s Fantasiestücke contrasted dramatically with the explosive opening of the second movement. The vigorous and energetic passages depicting the passion of Schumann’s ‘Florestan’ nature were finely balanced against those of his romantic ‘Eusebius’. This was a very impressive performance that drew extended applause.
Braun opened Scriabin’s Sonata no.4 (op.10) with great tenderness. The second movement follows without a break and presents a churning turmoil that occasionally subsides into relative tranquility, contrasts that were perfectly managed.
As an encore, Susanna Braun gave a vibrant performance of Chopin’s Étude in C-major (op.10, no. 1) which almost brought the audience to its feet.