reviews
Recital
Turlock, California
April 26, 2013
Dan Franklin Smith played a fantastic piano performance on April 8, 2013 in Turlock, California. It was thrilling to hear all of the sounds he produced on the recently purchased German Steinway concert grand. We had not yet enjoyed the piano as a solo instrument in our concert series so those of us who looked forward to a super evening were very pleased.
It was apparent he enjoyed both the music and the instrument! The program was not composed of the typical piano recital numbers i.e., Bach, Beethoven and Chopin, etc. Instead he offered a stimulating group of selections from Spain, Portugal, and South American composers. Even though I have enjoyed studying some of these musicians, I found many new friends and went home after the concert motivated to practice more literature of this type. It was fun to reflect on my studies and to hear many, new to me, offerings.
Dan Smith’s mastery of the instrument was evident. The tonal qualities were fantastic! The pianissimos were stunning! And so were the passages which required bravura fortissimos!
It was, in sum, an evening to remember and to be recommended to other concert associations.
Dr. Wayne Kidwell
Turlock Concert Association
Chamber Music Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2010
Superb…. a ne plus ultra musical experience.
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The Yuma Evening Sun, Arizona
Smith gave Chopin’s popular Ballade in G Minor, Op. 23, new meaning as he experimented with phrasing, nuance, rubato and tempi. The entire composition was breathtakingly beautiful as the haunting and romantic melodies soared under the guidance of Smith’s authoritative control…The dazzling, agile fingerwork left the hearers in utter awe of [his] advanced technical skill and beauty of tone… His quiet, sincere, straightforward manner relies on an economy of movement and energy that allows him introspection into the core of the music.
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany 2009
In his fantastic solo concert, the American pianist Dan Franklin Smith revealed Busoni.
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La Vida Iberiana, New York City, 2011
Just less than a year ago, I had the pleasure of giving a rave review to Dan Franklin Smith in a recital of works by living composers. Though that first hearing set the bar very high, I was delighted, in his recent program entitled “La Vida Iberiana,” to find that my enthusiasm for his artistry has not waned. More…
Dag Lundin, Eskilstuna Kuriren, Sweden
Quite clearly Smith is, without a lot of fuss and affectation, a master pianist.
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National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
The capacity audience at the National Gallery concert …were thrilled….His program was greeted with cheers.
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Classical Pianist Moves Audience to Tears
Applause, standing ovations and tears of joy ….
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The Toledo Blade, Ohio
…an immense reservoir of power, control, and facility. [His] playing is exacting and very musical, the architecture clearly delineated… a consummate technician.
Süddeutsche Zeitung, The Thrill of Change
…filled the role of a conductor bringing forth changing emotions through … phrasing and line.
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Rockland Journal-News, New York
In the first movement of Debussy’s Images, soft-spoken phrases billowed into clouds of sound and rays of melody broke through like streams of sunlight…
The Wickenburg Sun, Arizona
Magnificent entertainment with a bit of education thrown in
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All-Spanish Program, New York City
Orange blossoms and almond trees appeared in the first few measures and evanesced with the final notes and warm applause….
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Münchner Merkur, Germany 2006
…understands the subtle hesitations and shifts that constitute great expression.
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Evansville Sunday Courier and Press, Indiana
…a solo recitalist of extraordinary dynamism and sensitivity.
The Scrantonian, Pennsylvania
Smith played with exciting pianism…. Liszt’s Feux Follets was a revelation of technical wizardry and pianistic pyrotechnics while the concluding Etude in F Minor proved a brilliant display piece with an emotional outpouring of technical virtuosity…
Münchner Merkur, Germany 2008
Smith pulls you into the music…he creates a glimmering carpet of sound—unbelievable but true.
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Patrik Uhlmann, Eskilstuna Kuriren, Mariefred, Sweden
…dazzling technique…eminent talent for interpretation…extraordinarily mature execution.
Elysium Festival, Bernried, Germany
[Many renowned guests] were deeply touched by this concert…
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Musica de Camara, New York City
His artistry and versatility seemed to know no bounds…. an outstanding recital.
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Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany 2006
…the highest precision with keen intensity…stirring emotionalism… a brilliant conclusion.
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