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Reviews Pre-2006Ireland – 2003 to 2005 "Hugh Tinney comes across as the Pollini of the trio (of pianists)...he mixed intellectual rigour, magisterial reserve and digital precision to great effect in two of the less frequently-heard (Beethoven) sonatas - in E flat, Op. 31 No. 3, and in F, Op. 54...Tinney kept his listeners hanging on every note. It's not exactly easy to outshine the Waldstein or the Tempest with either of these works, but that's exactly what Tinney so mesmerisingly brought off." "Tinney offered the elusive Sonata in E flat, Op. 7, with affecting directness, taking its many unusual challenges in his stride. Here was playing of power without overstatement, of exhilarating technical exactness, and of a sensitivity that showed a grasp of the significance of silence in Beethoven's musical argument" "Thursday's final instalment of the cycle of complete Beethoven piano sonatas at Bantry House was Hugh Tinney's night...He played with the tenacity and rigour which are essential to making the Hammerklavier the uncomfortable experience it needs to be...the performance as a whole was gripping, the music-making following faithfully and inexorably where the composer led, so that not a soul in Bantry House seemed other than drained by the Everest-climb nature of the experience." "in Prokofiev's Fifth Concerto...he delivered a vivacious performance of finger-numbing virtuosity" "The fourth recital in the Dublin Hugo Wolf Festival reached a high point of excellence. Hugh Tinney at the piano was superb, playing the often very difficult music with consummate mastery, attentive to all the composer's demands" "...for Liszt's Piano Concerto No 1...soloist Hugh Tinney was on fine form, playing with his familiar, classically controlled fire"
Ireland – pre 2003 "...A magnificent performance of (Rachmaninov's) Fourth Piano Concerto featuring Hugh Tinney, conducted by Alexander Anissimov...Certainly, one could hardly wish for more persuasive ambassadors for the piece" "(Beethoven's) Concerto No 3 had a super-abundance of life, thanks to the fastidious playing of the soloist. Hugh Tinney made the often elaborate piano part seem the most natural of effervescences...playing of the highest order" "Hugh Tinney completed his survey of the Beethoven piano concertos with a vigorous, commanding performance of the Emperor. As with Nos. 1-4, he exercised his capacity for zeroing in on essential character...His zest in the Rondo saw that the series ended in the mood which has characterised it throughout: joy" "(Beethoven concertos cycle) The endless applause signalled not only pleasure but also gratitude - if not as monumental as that expressed for his previous three-year cycle of Mozart concertos, it was at least equally deep"
U.K. "He has the sort of technique that allows the listener to forget about technique...He revealed a mercurial touch in the Chopin Preludes' quicker passagework, and in the formidable F-sharp minor movement his tracing of the melody was masterly. His unhurried exposition of the Schubert A minor Sonata's first movement's stark drama emphasised the music's stoic qualities, while the finale's triplets acquired a magical, remote quality" "Hugh Tinney from Ireland gave a sensitive and finely drawn account of Beethoven's fourth concerto: strong, sincere and original, full of quiet but striking things, the last two movements especially shaped with uncommon poise and eloquence" "The soloist in Beethoven's Emperor Concerto was Hugh Tinney, a seasoned prize-winner in piano competitions in Italy, Spain, and at the Leeds International. As well as the technical resources he displayed, he played with maturity and refinement, and, especially in the Adagio, a fine sense of poetry" "Tinney's was a masterful execution. Throughout the evening he led one to dwell on the music instead of on the virtuoso technique it demanded. Hence his account of Barber's ambitious Sonata was about the most convincing that I have heard"
Rest of Europe "He played Chopin's F minor Concerto with natural charm, refined elegance and marvellous phrasing" "His style is brilliant in the best sense of the word" "The Irishman Hugh Tinney is a true poet" "A truly beautiful interpretation of the Liszt work, characterised by a transparent melody and a dream-like atmosphere" "The 24 Preludes of Chopin, capable of becoming a whole universe if the interpreter possesses the talent and abilities of Tinney, brought us a thousand new discoveries" (Mozart's C minor concerto) "This was the version of a great pianist" "Hugh Tinney has great stature. As an artist, he shows unusual maturity in his conceptions, solid technique and a very wide repertoire"
U.S.A. "It took no more than a few bars of Beethoven's Sonata No 7 for the Irish pianist Hugh Tinney to establish the qualities that made his recital a bracing success. The vitality of accentuation, the clean brightness of the forte playing, the rhythmic urgency and lively independence of contrapuntal voices all made the ears perk up. There was never any doubt that one was hearing a finished artist" "Playing that was warm and subtle at the same time as it was virtuosic and exciting"
Latin America "Fluid and expressive phrasing which showed his natural musicality...it was a pleasure to hear how it is possible to combine rapidity with clarity, while conserving colour and singing tone" "Hugh Tinney also is a servant of music: his impeccable technique is used for expression. Much applauded, Tinney played an encore - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire - with such dignity and musicality as to make one recall the great Dinu Lipatti. This is a pianist we would love to hear many more times" |