Music review: Steven Osborne, Queens Hall, Edinburgh

“After all, you didn’t pay to hear me,” quipped Steven Osborne modestly as he introduced his Queen’s Hall recital.
Steven Osborne, Queen's Hall, EdinburghSteven Osborne, Queen's Hall, Edinburgh
Steven Osborne, Queen's Hall, Edinburgh

Steven Osborne, Queens Hall, Edinburgh *****

He was right: the Edinburgh pianist was a very last-minute stand-in for an indisposed Beatrice Rana, and offered very different repertoire, too. Nobody in the audience had chosen to hear Osborne’s programme of visionary Schubert and Messiaen – but then an unexpected encounter can, as in this case, be unforgettable.

DAVID KETTLE

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