Excellent review on Alicante recital
A superb review has been published on the Ritmo.es website about Ralph’s October 2023 recital at Auditorio de la Diputación de Alicante (ADDA) in Spain. It was written by José Antonio Cantón. Some quotes translated to English are as follows: [Van Raat performed] a very virtuosic version of Sarcasms, Op.7 by Sergei Prokofiev. His way of expressing the different and at the same time simultaneous tonalities to be developed in each hand revealed his enormous musical capacity in the independent monitoring and reading of his different harmonic lines with a surprising fluidity, as could be seen in the central Allegro precipitato where the author accentuates the aggressive and caustic character of the composition. His other four movements ran through a forceful technical display like the one achieved in the hasty finale, developed with a display of exuberant virtuosity. Also: The recital had its culminating moment with the work Phrygian Gates by the great American musician John Adams, of which Ralph van Raat is an accomplished interpreter of absolute reference since the recording of his complete works for piano was published on the NAXOS RECORDS label in 2009. Demonstrating physical resistance and intense concentration to be able to develop all the harmonic nuances that appear in this almost half-hour-long work, Ralph van Raat made clear his authority […]. The enthusiasm of the audience, which filled almost the entire capacity of the room, was absolute, joyfully demonstrating how contemporary music is getting the place it deserves in this art when it is performed at the highest level of conviction, technique, musicality and commitment.
The complete review can be read in Spanish here.