Piano Preludes by Debussy, Bach, Rachmaninov, Chopin and Phil Best

For this recital at All Saints Putney, Phil Best will play a programme of beautiful piano Preludes by Debussy, Bach, Rachmaninov, Chopin and six of his own compositions.

Phil pursues a wide diversity of interests in various styles and aspects of music. His mission is to generate a level of excitement about the piano and its expressive possibilities that has not been known since the nineteenth century when it was a relatively new invention. He possesses a virtuoso technique whilst his remarkably fresh and natural way of playing brings an energy and excitement to both old and new music in a way that challenges stereotyped preconceptions about musical genres.

For Phil music is deeper than language. Perhaps it came first and musical meanings existed for human beings before language was created. Language and thought are designed to explain and interpret the events of life. Music does something else. It animates life. You take words out of language and you still have rhythm and intonation - music! But if you remove music from language, you have nothing! A piano Prelude is a piece that celebrates this purest function of music. It is a little like a soundtrack but with the music as the main focus - not in the background. In Phil's hands these piano pieces are the ultimate foreground music. What they animate is your choice: your life, memories, disappointments, hopes, joys, fears, desires.

All proceeds benefit the development of the music programme at All Saints Fulham.