Saleem was invited to open the ninth Istanbul Recital Series at The Seed with an all-Beethoven programme and was rewarded with wonderful reviews!
İstanbul Recitals’ ninth season got off to a thrilling start with pianist Saleem Ashkar, who shook up The Seed with an all-Beethoven program on Oct. 8.
The young but duly seasoned artist demonstrated a fascinating through-line in the composer’s 32 piano sonatas, starting with No. 1 and ending with No. 31. The sonatas performed included the famous “Appassionata” (No. 23) and “Les Adieux” (No. 26). The most difficult task was to illuminate No. 1’s comparatively uninspired boilerplate from which Beethoven had started on his sonata journey. Following with No. 23, Ashkar gave us a quantum leap: in only three movements (instead of the customary four) Ludwig’s impetuous and supremely athletic contributions to piano repertoire had become history-making.
This, where Ashkar startled his audience with a bolt of energy and abundant technical fluidity in the many virtuosic passages that came like a blitz after brooding contemplation. In all the many performances of this keyboard masterpiece I’ve heard, this was one of the most electrifying. In addition to bringing out the punchy, pointillistic syncopations in the left hand and the knuckle-busting demands for the right hand, Ashkar brings his own fervent impetuosity to the genre — one that is very well matched to Beethoven — and one that is not easily forgotten.
