Reviews

"Came, won and conquered.....“

(Neue Kronen Zeitung, Vienna)

"Bravo!“

(Marcel Prawy)

“.....then Robert Pobitschka played Liszt´s Sonata in B-minor, admirably devoted to the piece. But one never got the impression that his mastering of technical virtuosity was an end unto itself. All through the piece the interpretation intended to make clear inner structures of the sonata and, in the sense of a narration, fill them up with life. Specially enchanting were the Sonata´s lyrical parts. The encore “Sea paintings”, one of Robert Pobitschka´s own compositions, gave proof that indeed he is a musical poet! Sounds and melodic elements melted together into a narration, that spooled off like a movie, leaving the audience deeply touched.“

(George Hamilton in Der Neue Merker – Oper, Ballet und Konzert in Wien und aller Welt, Vienna

"On the 18th of December Austrian pianist and composer Robert Pobitschka was given a warm South African welcome when he performed in concert at Beau Soleil Music Center, Cape Town.....The programme included works by Liszt, Schubert and Pobitschka. Liszt`s Piano Sonata was played with technical brilliance und refinement and after the first few minutes of this concert it was clear Robert Pobitschka is a pianist of world class. Schubert´s Impromptu in G flat major was light and inspiring...... Robert Pobitschka has a rare gift and has earned the titel…philosopher and musical poet.“

(Woman`dla, Cape Town, South Africa)

"Robert Pobitschkas own compositions "The Sea Paintings of Mira Aleksandra Stefanov“, "Cosmos Japanese Garden“ and 'Prayer for United Nations' (speaker Joy George) electrified the air with their emotional interplay. People in the audience spoke of ‘seeing things’ and ‘going on an inner journey’..…. Cape Town looks forward to an “Aufwiedersehen” with Mr. Pobitschka."

(Tatler, Cape Town, South Africa)

"Very attractive was Pobitschka´s idea, to combine Benedikt Randhartinger´s "Songs without words“ with those by Mendelssohn, Tschaikovsky and – as a premiere – Nancy van de Vate. Van de Vate´s piano pieces, written this year, seamed to be songs of our days in which words simply fail – not only because of fright and horror about what is happening in the world but because of pure superficiality. Not least due to the pianist´s convincing arrangement of the programme one was amazed, how seamless these simple pieces fit together with Mendelssohn and Tschaikovsky."

(Christian Heindl in Wiener Zeitung)

"Without exaggeration one must say that Robert Pobitschka gave something like a 'firm line’ to the performance of the orchestra from Pilsen under Jiri Strunc. The artist is known for his precise and comprehensive ideas in his interpretations of music. The interpretation is result of long consideration and sympathetic understanding. Pobitschka dislikes glossy perfection that would not allow a sensitive as well as a spiritual understanding of the music. He is a profound artist who senses inner structures, rarely surmised by other interpreters. But his sensibility does not hinder him to develop enormous powers, where the piece demands it. Sensuously he recognizes the plenty of live, almost with scare of it´s largeness and of the opulence of existing forms of expression of the creative force."

(Klara Köttner-Benigni in Pannonia – Magazin für internationale Zusammenarbeit)

"Pianist and Composer Robert Pobitschka ist well known to audiences of the international community. At this concert Pobitschka played his own composition "Cosmos Japanese Garden“ a work commissioned for the opening of the Japanese Garden at Schönbrunn. Through the weaving of a unique blend of Japanese mythology and Viennese culture he drew the audience into a magical world where cultures blended in harmony. The performance was a highlight of the evening."

(Echo – Journal of the United Nations, Vienna)

"In a period of history before records existed piano versions of works for orchestra served the purpose of learning to know symphonic music by playing those versions, mostly at home. The piano´s own colors, specially the enchanting play of perfectly synchronous piano duo Norman Shetler & Robert Pobitschka in concert on 19th September at International Haydn Festival at Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt, showed an important value of it´s own of these transcriptions, far beyond being just orchestra reductions for piano. With a fine range of nuances, showing a study down to the smallest details, the two pianists opened up facets and structures, usually not recognized by pure orchestra listeners because of the lack of transparency of large orchestras! So – congratulations to the organizer for the brave and rare idea of having Beethoven´s 2nd Symphony und Haydn´s

‘Miracle’ – Symphony played by the two pianists in the Matinee, before the works were conducted by Sir Neville Marriner in the original orchestra versions in the evening concert. on the programme an original piano composition, Beethovens ‘Große Fuge’ op. 134. The outbursts of the deaf genius were almost overwhelming, followed by philosophical softness - overwhelming also were the demands on the two pianists who walked sovereignly over this abyss. Norman Shetler and Robert Pobitschka rewarded the audience for sustained applause with the Menuett from Haydn´s Symphony ‘La reine’.”

(Anton Cupak in Der Neue Merker – Oper, Ballet und Konzert in Wien und aller Welt, Vienna)

"A giant symphony orchestra reduced to 88 piano keys – can such a thing possibly work? The concert in Englar Castle, start of ‘Music Summer Eppan’, began nicely. 'Primeveal rock’ Norman Shetler, the American in Vienna and young Robert Pobitschka, the Villacher in Vienna, play 'Andante con variazione’ by Mozart, classically, fine, transparent as glass. The Fantasie in F-minor D 940 by Franz Schubert, ingenious earwig of the 'sentimental’ genre touches even in the fine, sovereign interpretation of the two pianists….

Pause, silence before the storm. Shetler, who always has something clever and amusing to say, warns the audience. – Bruckner´s ‘Third’, as everyone knows is too loud, too heavy, too long. 55 minutes! Even Gustav Mahler´s four hands piano version cannot change this fact. Those who want to go should leave now - nobody leaves the hall.20 fingers come to the point. There is much to do. The giant brass, Bruckner´s velvet string sounds – everything illusion caused by the two wizards on the Steinway. The first movement starts rather sporty and gives a presentiment of the finale. A dream of tenderness and intimate feeling arises in the second movement. But now! Scherzo! Finale! ‘The piano is a poor animal’ – Wilhelm Busch knew what he wrote about. Timpani and trumpets, a firework of thunderstorms of sounds goes off in the Rillke Hall, despite the nicest of weather. 20 fingers? Considering the plentitude of tones and sounds hardly to be believed. 55 minutes? Passed like flying on wings. Ovations for the honestly, happily - exhausted pianists."

(Linde Dietz-Lippisch in Dolomiten – Tagblatt der Südtiroler, Bozen)

"Bruckner´s 'Third’. Mahler´s transcription of Bruckner´s Third Symphony for piano for four hands equals a transversion of about one hundred instruments of the orchestra score into 20 fingers. All the beauty of this work, such as the strikingly aspiring domes of sounds or the earthbound Scherzo with it´s heartily humourous Trio resounded under the masterful hands of Duo Shetler/Pobitschka 55 minutes(!) long in breathtakingly subtle pianistic language.“

(Dr. Edgar Schmidt in Vorarlberger Nachrichten, Bregen

"A soloist from Vienna performed at the concert of Russian Chamber Orchestra Kamchatka in Prague – pianist Robert Pobitschka. He gave his interpretation of Bach´s Concerto D-minor BWV 1052 with great success. Beautiful tone and the effervescent technique of Robert Pobitschka´s interpretation were the reasons for the excellent evaluation by the large audience and the musicians of the orchestra.“

(Prof. Leonid Bjelkin, Director of the Russian Center for Art and Culture in Prague)

"Robert Pobitschka seems accustomed to receive stormy applause for his performances on his numerous tournees.“

(Vyborg News, Karelia)

"Over the last years Vienna´s 'Großer Ehrbarsaal’ has become more and more often a place of great surprises. Russian – Greek violinist Natasha Korsakova and the Austrian pianist Robert Pobitschka surprised the audience with a concert of exceptional class! In a synergetic interplay from the first note the two artists hypnotized their audience. Bach´s Sonata IV in C-minor became a magical incantation, focusing Bach´s character like a beam into the present, in the concert hall: Bach, a composer of flesh and blood!..... After the intermission Pobitschka´s own composition "Kyrie – dedicated to Nature“ that had it´s first performance on United Nation´s International Earth Day 2002 was played. Pobitschka´s work is a confession of love but also an outcry in view of the ongoing destruction of our planet. The interpretation of Johannes Brahm´s Sonata G-major succeeded homogenously. The harmonious play was full of glowing passion and at the same time as deep as a crevice, like the great Hamburg master´s character might have been. The audience reacted moved and with enthusiasm.“

(Anton Cupak in Der Neue Merker – Oper, Ballett und Konzert in Wien und aller Welt)

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Prof. Marcel Prawy & Robert Pobitschka

Robert Pobitschka & Norman Shetler

Brucknerhaus Linz (Photo: Nina Eichelberg/Brucknerhaus)

Bruckner Orchestra