REVIEWS
"Finghin Collins (piano) deplayed an equal exuberance, another facet of which enlivened the three drinking songs.. which.. brought the recital to a stirring conclusion. The quieter songs, such as Wenn ich dein gedenke, were thoughtful and restrained and the piano postludes throughout were so captivating that one could have wished for more."
Douglas Sealy, The Irish Times, December 31st 2003
"... a performance of Mozart's sunny Concerto in A major by the young pianist Finghin Collins. His performance was animated, bright and, in the finale, sparkling and exuberant".
Alfred Lawrence, Gloucestershire Echo, December 13th 2003
"The playing was excellent both individually and collectively, but special credit has to be given to Finghin Collins for integrating the virtuoso piano part, evidently written for Beethoven himself to play, with the ensemble [London Winds]"
The Irish Times, December 2nd 2003
"At all times Collins was a paragon of the unashamed duo-pianist, yet highly responsive to a clarinettist whose spontaneity and penchant for risk would give less-secure players a severe attack of nerves."
Martin Adams, The Irish Times, October 2nd 2003
"There are huge contrasts [in Beethoven's Tempest Sonata] and I was impressed by Collins' ability to underline them, without overdoing it...[he had the] ability to reveal unexpected details in the music he was performing ......Collins' vision of the music, and his ability to envisage a melodic line as a whole was very impressive."
Declan Townsend, Irish Examiner, May 16th 2003
"Already technically brilliant, the young Irish pianist Finghin
Collins is demonstrating on his regular welcome return visits to the CBSO
how much his musicianship is maturing.
Here he brought secure articulation and chording to the opening movement of
the Schumann concerto, shaping the phrases elegantly and progressing towards
a coda of Mendelssohnian fleetness..."
Christopher Morley, Birmingham Post, April 16th 2003
"In Beethoven's Op. 12 No. 1 [with Catherine Leonard, violin] there was forcefulness, there was tenderness, there was joy: but it issued from the music, it was never added to it. Everything was under control, but imperceptibly so; the adherence to classical forms was not seen as a limitation but as a facilitator."
Douglas Sealy, The Irish Times, March 27th 2003
"Finghin Collins's piano recital . . .provided an evening of excellent music-making. Mozart's Fantasie was elegantly executed and Schumann's huge but rarely heard Humoreske received a fluent and virtuoso performance. He caught the haunting qualities of Janacek's piano sonata perfectly and ended with a stunning Appassionata, handling Beethoven's musical and technical demands with an effortless flow of notes, while maintaining great clarity in the inner parts. Collins impresses more and more."
Ian Fox, The Sunday Tribune, March 2nd 2003
"The two works after the interval brought playing of cogency and passion, and the moments of inwardness in the Janacek were handled as persuasively as the outbursts Beethoven's Appassionata is a sonata that makes a lot of performers downplay the disruptive storminess that the music so obviously invites. Collins here showed no fear, gave the music its head, and seemed at all times to remain in musical control. I don't think I've ever heard better Beethoven playing from this pianist before."
Michael Dervan, The Irish Times, February 22nd 2003
"As soloist in Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1, 25-year-old Dublin native Finghin Collins revealed the intuitive musicianship and secure technique that caused such a stir when he made his United States debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra two years ago. His tone was warm and burnished [...] Collins' interpretation was both thoughtful and impetuous. He lingered over the first movement's arching second theme, for example, and offered an unusually reflective Adagio cadenza. Then came the Rondo: brisk, cleanly articulated and masterfully played..."
Diane Windeler, San Antonio Express-News, January 12th, 2003
