GEORGE HERALD (Wayne Muller)
“Extraordinary Recital”
George, South Africa
October 18, 2001

One ends up being at a loss of words when trying to describe, let alone comment on, Miss Malan’s extraordinary recital on Monday. But the words “phenomenal” and “exciting” seem to be ample description for the internationally acclaimed South African’s performance. That she is a technically more than capable pianist, is quite obvious. Her fingers ran over the piano’s keyboard with precision. Any musician’s technique is judged by their performance of Mozart and Miss Malan’s “Romance from the Serenade form Strings” showed she was the master of her technique.
But, more than being technically excellent, Miss Malan has the ability to put emotion into each note she plays. I think this is what makes her an extraordinary pianist and an intelligent musician. From the delicate phrases of Beethoven (sonata op. 81a “Les Adieux”) to the “delirious” runs of Liszt (Paganini Etudes) and Ravel (La Valse), her body language and facial expressions captivate one.
She does in fact become the bridge between the audience and the music. Other pianist might be as technically competent, but Miss Malan’s expression of the emotional value of the music is a singular experience. As an encore, she performed an arrangement (by Carl van Wyk) of the national anthem, which was certainly the most beautiful I have ever heard.
Miss Malan is certainly more than just another great pianist; she makes music a sublime experience.