Handesblad 21st May 1992
Cellist Julian Lloyd Webber in emotive ensemble with pianist Lenehan
At his concert in the Kleine Zaal of the Concertgebouw, the English cellist Julian Lloyd Webber proved to be an instrumentalist and musician of a special class. A flexible, rich and – at all dynamic levels – cantabile tone forms the basis of his playing. The uniqueness of Julian Lloyd Webber lies in the fact that he does not use his instrumental skills simply to show off and score a cheap success; on the contrary, his skilful control of the instrument a priori serves the musical text to enable its performance with the correct stylistic interpretation.
The cellist started and finished his recital with sonatas which are not so often heard. From the beginning of the recital it was obvious that Lloyd Webber has found the right accompanist in John Lenehan. With a high-spirited, exciting, intrinsically moving ensemble, which was suffused with an extremely Russian light melancholic flavour, the performance of the Rachmaninov Sonata was the climax of the evening. With his encores. Bach’s Arioso in G and music by his brother Andrew, the famous composer of musicals, the cellist showed in a brilliant way both the introvert and extrovert aspects of his artistic skill.
