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REVIEWS OF LIVE PERFORMANCES BY MICHAEL HABERMANN

Carnegie Recital Hall, New York. 22 May 1977.

  • Mr. Habermann was the artist to do justice to their {Sorabji's compositions} fantastic difficulties . . . Mr. Habermann seemed to take the wildest keyboard demands in stride . . . The pianist's formidable technique was equal to every extravagant requirement. [Henahan, Donal. "Recital: Habermann plays Sorabji Piano Works." New York Times, 24 May 1977, Late city Ed., p. 30, col. 4.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

  • Habermann proved fully to its {Sorabji's music} demands as he likewise was in some stirring Liszt and Chopin to say nothing of a dazzling Strauss Artist's Life as transmogrified by Godowsky [Zakariasen, Bill. "Too little of a good thing." New York Daily News, 23 May 1977, Sec. 2, p. 62, col. 3.]

  • Now that cranky old Kaikhosru Sorabji is beginning to let people hear his music, bring in the fabulous-fingered pianist, Michael Habermann and unleash Sorabji on the world in one huge gulp. [Jones, Robert {New York} Daily News, 1977]

Great Hall, C. W. Post Center, Greenvale, N.Y. 19 Sept. 1978.

  • Tuesday's concert, an all-Sorabji masterpiece, was Mr. Habermann at his finest. His ability to build both energy and intensity just to the point of breakage, let alone even play some of the world's most complicated piano music, is merely indescribable. No words can approach description of the artist, for he is more than superb, more than amazing. Having witnessed Mr. Habermann in concert before, one can only say that miracles do occur more than once. {"All Things Great . . ." Pioneer, 27 Sept. 1978, p. 15.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

  • Mr. Habermann . . . displayed a mastery of technique and a sensitivity of execution which is rarely encountered, even among the best of professionals. His high level of skill was enhanced by the apparent ease with which he negotiated the oft tortuous passages of his selected works. ["Sorabji by Habermann." Cakes and Ale, 11 [7 Oct], No. 3 (1978), 2.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

Center for the Arts, Midland, Michigan. 6 Oct. 1978.

  • Habermann's performance of this wild repertory was no end impressive, incredibly tasteful and musical . . . A young man still in his 20's, he may well be a major piano talent of the near future. [Finn, Robert. "Pianist rises to composer's challenge." The Plain Dealer, 20 Oct. 1978, p. 29, col. 3.]

  • Habermann's staggering technique and interpretation made this incredibly difficult music seem easy . . . It takes a very special pianist for Sorabji and fortunately for us all, Habermann is that kind of pianist. The performance left the audience breathless, but the pianist seemed as though he could have gone on for two more hours! [Hinson, Maurice. "Report from Midland." Journal of the American Liszt Society, 4 (Dec. 1978), 60-62.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

  • {Michael Habermann was} downright sensational. . .and {among the young pianists who played here} made the deepest impression with a recital featuring the rarely heard music of English-Parsee eccentric Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji which sounded for all the world like Lisztian improvisations on Ravel. [Lowens, Irving. "The American Liszt Society." High Fidelity/Musical America, March 1979, p. 34, MA 34.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

Hollins College, Roanoke, Virginia. 19 November 1979.

  • . . . an artist of the first rank, and his recital an important cultural event . . . Habermann's playing was spellbinding, rich in detail, superbly articulated and balanced, thrillingly dramatic . . . conquered its {the music's} successively greater challenges with skill. The opening number [Busoni's Fantasia Contrappuntistica] brought me to my feet. Habermann's performance . . . seemed ideal in almost every respect. [Granger, Milton. "Top-flight performance pleases Hollins audience." Roanoke Times and World-News, 20 Nov. 1979, Sec. C, p. 6, col 1.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

Women's Club, Richmond, Virginia. 28 March 1980.

  • . . . the power and skill he possesses are more than equal to the rigors of an exhausting program (Ponce, Busoni and Sorabji) . . . captured subtle shifts in mood . . . moving easily from delicacy to thunder. Habermann's playing of the elaborately grand Balada Mexicana and his remarkable left-hand-only performance of A Pesar de Todo in an encore, further endeared him to an audience that was his from the start. [Row, Steve. "Pianist Belies Appearance." Richmond News Leader, 29 March 1980, Sec. A, p. 43, col. 1.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

Lecture-Recital. Univ. of Richmond, Virginia. 29 March 1980.

  • Summing up Sorabji, and Habermann playing Sorabji is hard to do. Do you have the feeling it could only have happened in the 20th century? [Kennamer, Stephen. "Music." Richmond Times Dispatch, 31 March 1980, Sec. B, p. 1.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

Corfe Castle, England. 1980.

  • I have just heard my music played more marvelously than I ever imagined possible. [Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, 1980]

McMaster University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 6 Feb. 1983.

  • SIMPLY INCREDIBLE! . . . was even more fun than a Horowitz recital . . . Habermann {plays} with subtlety, sometimes frightening ferocity and everything in between. [Gee, Ken. "Pianist provides fine 'exploration.'" Hamilton Spectator, 7 Feb. 1983, p. 19.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

  • Habermann was quite astounding . . . a phenomenal artist! The audience was left in numb shock over what it had just experienced. Habermann has a big, strong tone that never became harsh . . . held us fascinated in his remarkable facility, compelling personality and what can be called pianistic finesse. [Miller, Elma. "Habermann was quite astounding." The Silhouette, 10 Feb. 1983, p. 17.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

Rocky River Chamber Music Society, Rocky River, Ohio. 18 Nov. 1984.

  • Habermann deserves credit for bringing Sorabji's mysterious music to the public. [Salisbury, Wilma. "Pianist gives tedious music a decent airing." The Plain Dealer, 21 Nov. 1984.]

Amorina Recital Series, Sollentuna, Stockholm, Sweden. 21 March 1998.

  • Mr. Habermann gave us an unforgettable concert . . . Few artists can approach these works, let alone give a performance that transcends the enormous difficulties of the text and creates a free flowing and beautiful sonorous atmosphere so the musical language appears free. Mr. Habermann has these rare qualities [Lundmark, Torgny. Stockholm, May 1998.]

Peabody Conservatory of Music, Baltimore, Maryland. 26 June, 1998.

  • ... a pianist with a wide range of sympathies, capable of Brendel-worthy performances in Brendel's own territory. The Haydn especially revealed a player equally sensitive to nuances of both his instrument and of the composer's mind. Habermann, if you have not guessed by now, is in my opinion one of the finest pianists playing today ... he would be more than capable of providing some enterprising company with stupendous recordings. [Berg, Christopher. Review in The British Music Society News 80, December 1998, page 248.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

Merkin Hall, New York City, 6 December 1998.

  • ... legendary Michael Habermann took the stage to perform the American premiere of Sorabji's second Pastiche on the Minute Waltz. This was an exciting, thrilling performance. [Weinberg, David. Internet review.] view entire article

  • Auditors were charmed as Habermann demonstrated his elegant mastery of the keyboard. [Garvelmann, Donald. Review in American Record Guide, March/April 1999, page 49.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

  • ... genuinely great pianist ... [Derus, Ken. "Sorabji in New York," The British Music Society News 81, March 1999.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

  • ... the evening's finale was a bit of a treat - one of several humorous transcriptions of Chopin's Minute Waltz, played with knowing assurance of the piece's odd charms by Michael Habermann. [B.L.C. Review, The New Music Connoisseur, Spring 1999.] view entire article | download article in PDF format

  • The most magical moment was when old Sorabji hand Michael Habermann emerged from the audience and cranked out a version of the mad Persian's variant on Chopin's Minute Waltz. [Kirshnit, Frederic L. "Vintage Wine," Internet review.] view entire article

  • Habermann was playing from memory, and therefore with much more expression, so that the tremendous difficulties went by almost unnoticeably. [McKelvie, Neil. "Sorabji concert in New York," Internet review.] view entire article