In Richter's footsteps
[...]Only a small floor lamp illuminated the pianist. Older concertgoers may have been reminded of the
legendary recital by Sviatoslav Richter in Tübingen. And indeed, at the Bechstein grand, J.
Sebastian Bernard followed in Richter’s footsteps. With a strict approach, Bernard tackled Bach’s
French Suites No. 4 and 5. This was not “spring sunshine and the scent of violets,” as the great
Bach scholar Philipp Spitta once described these suites, but rather chiseled stone. Bernard’s
weighty interpretation of Bach convinced instantly, though its full meaning only unfolded at the end
of the concert.
Musical, not pianistic abysses It was as if the entire evening had been leading to this moment: the
restrained beginning of Liszt’s B minor Sonata. Bernard performed this monumental work with
utmost seriousness and interpretive power. Completely free of vanity, he let the pianistic
abysses—such as the dreaded double-octave runs—vanish under his astounding virtuosity,
thereby drawing attention all the more to the musical depths. The contrasts between explosive
outbursts and the almost magically sung Schumannesque episodes were breathtaking. And
suddenly, within the disruptions and transitions, the Loure and the fugued gigues of the French
Suites became audible again. The audience responded with ovations. Bernard belongs to the
future.
Südwestpresse
Old Town Hall Transforms into Old Opera Frankfurt for Two Hours
Pianist Johannes Sebastian Bernard shines with virtuoso, colorful playing – a distinctive interpretation of a Liszt sonata.
[...]
Cultural officer Gabriele Schmidt had secured an artist who is today considered one of the most
interesting pianists—not just in Germany. In Miltenberg, he delivered an exciting journey through
two centuries of piano literature, with perfect technique, astonishing ease even in the most
challenging passages, and a complete absence of distracting self-display.
A First-Class Opening Johann Sebastian Bach’s French Suite No. 5 from 1742 was already a
first-class opener: Bernard’s precise touch, the clear structure of his playing, and his ability to
render the highly diverse characters of the stylized dances in the seven movements of the suite in
vivid detail would likely have delighted even Bach himself—which, as we know, was a rare
occurrence.[...]
Each piece was a highlight on the grand piano, but they were merely brilliant accessories next to
the concert’s absolute centerpiece—one that alone would have made the journey worthwhile. Often
described as a “journey into the self,” Liszt’s Sonata in B minor is one of the most important and
technically demanding Romantic works. Bernard’s interpretation places him alongside the great
pianists who have dared to take on this sonata.
Unmistakable Interpretation And—most importantly—he offered his own unmistakable
interpretation of this work, which must be played like a brilliant improvisation. Bernard did not
merely interpret—he embodied poetry, setting off on a 29-minute journey through all the depths and
peaks of human life, beginning with the almost monolithic, repeated G. It was a journey through all
imaginable moods and states between self-control and exaltation. There were wild runs and brilliant
chord sequences in contrast to a kind of soulful solitude in the Andante sostenuto.
Anyone who has recently enjoyed two entirely different recordings of the B minor sonata by young
pianists—Kirill Gerstein’s intuitive and effect-driven interpretation, and Lars Vogt’s analytical, almost
metallic-clear rendition—will appreciate Bernard’s unique “poetry,” his brilliant improvisation, all the
more. The visitors in the community hall were certainly deeply impressed. A piano journey into the
self, in a darkened hall lit only by a floor lamp on stage, uncovers layers long buried. Can music
achieve anything greater?
Main-Echo Aschaffenburg
Benefit Concert for Ukraine: Johannes Sebastian Bernard Enchants the Audience
[...]Bernard is regarded across Germany as one of the best and most sensitive pianists, who never
uses his virtuosity as an end in itself, but always to highlight the beauty and depth of the
compositions. Any kind of exaggerated self-presentation is foreign to him; he focuses entirely on his
intense playing and managed, even in the dimly lit hall in Miltenberg, to draw the listeners’ attention
to the countless facets of the five works from one and a half centuries, which he interpreted with
admirable touch technique and brilliance. He brought out the seven movements of Bach’s French
Suite in all their subtleties and their range—from the sparkling tones of the Allemande, the lively
freshness of the Courante, to the light, almost weightless Minuet—with dreamlike certainty. That the
Steinway grand in the Old Town Hall, despite all its qualities, does not allow for the clarity and
transparency of Bach’s sound to fully shine, even in the hands of a brilliant pianist, was soon
forgotten when Bernard provoked euphoric applause and loud cheers in the hall with his
interpretation of Beethoven’s Appassionata. Even Beethoven would likely have been pleased with
the way Bernard captured passion in sound, maintained emotional tension, and simultaneously
highlighted the structure with admirable precision—all while mastering the sonata’s great
challenges with playful ease.
“Journey into the Self” After the intermission, there was an even greater climax—previously thought
impossible—when the pianist embarked on a brilliant, at times improvisational-sounding
interpretation of Liszt’s Sonata in B minor, a “journey into the self.” It was half an hour of lived poetry
in sound, a kind of program music deluxe, a rollercoaster ride through all the depths and peaks of
human existence. The audience experienced in sound all imaginable moods and states between
self-control and exaltation—a daring experiment that is likely only possible in music, when the work
of a genius composer is interpreted by an outstanding pianist. Prolonged applause, standing
ovations, and an encore concluded the benefit concert.[...]
Main Echo
A Technical Marvel with Incredible Virtuosity
[...] One cannot help but think of the great magician of the violin, Niccolò Paganini. But Bernard is a
pianist—and what a pianist: a technical marvel whose incredible virtuosity amazes some and
unsettles others.[...] his playing resembled a magical ritual.[...] one could simply lean back and relish
Bernard’s beautiful, unique phrasing along with his breathtaking touch technique.
Miltenberger Tageblatt
A Poetic Journey on the Piano
[...]
Without a doubt, the pianist interpreted Schubert’s Sonata in B-flat major from the year of his death,
1828, so convincingly that he need not shy away from comparison with famous predecessors like
Claudio Arrau or Alfred Brendel. Yet he found his own unique approach. Bernard explored all facets
of the sonata over 40 minutes: the hesitant, restrained opening; the flight from looming dread into
aesthetically beautiful melodies; the extreme slowing down in the Andante sostenuto—and in
beautiful contrast, the lively, bright Scherzo. This emotionally rich journey culminated in the fourth
movement, which Bernard interpreted in all its variety—airy cantilenas, forceful dotted chords,
disturbing pauses, and some “off” harmonies—so congenially that with closed eyes one could
experience true “soul music” in the best sense.
Main-Echo Aschaffenburg
A Virtuoso Under Power
Rarely has the Piano Festival begun so thrillingly and with such contrasts—as with three artistic
personalities as different as could be. Thursday’s opening evening was fully devoted to
Romanticism. Sebastian Bernard is a brooding lyricist, a pianist of moods. [...] At his request, the hall
remained unlit—Bernard performed in the glow of a single floor lamp. The cozy lighting matched the
intimate atmosphere. Bernard undoubtedly had the most delicate and touching timbre of the
evening: a sensitive, at times almost fragile touch, soulfully floating tones with warmth and nostalgic
patina. Brahms’ Intermezzo in A major and Ballade in G minor from Opus 118, or Fauré’s Nocturne
Op. 119/2, exuded a fragile poetic melancholy. Even more muted, entirely self-forgetful, two of
Chopin’s most-played waltzes circled stealthily. In contrast, four Études-Tableaux and Préludes by
Rachmaninoff were sonorous, dream-laden. [...] Bernard often ends his performances with acrobatic
transcriptions—this time Moritz Rosenthal’s humorous Carneval de Vienne. The 450 listeners in the
university’s grand hall responded with bravos and the loudest applause of the evening.
Tübingen, Schwäbisches Tagblatt
The pianist convinced the enthusiastic audience
[...] his playing became a mirror of Mozartian playful cheerfulness. With a sensitive touch, Sebastian
Bernard developed a harmonically charged narrative from a simple melodic line in full-bodied and
confident playing. The notes raced up and down frantically. Bernard crowned the evening with
Liszt’s B minor Sonata. At times with the highest power, then again with tender tone shaping, the
single-movement sonata revealed various instrumental colors. Again and again, the enthusiastic
audience experienced peak tension and release as musical reflections of human passion and
emotional struggle
The Day and Night String
[...] Bernard played with a bright, forward-looking clarity: Rachmaninoff’s Sonata in B minor, op.
36—complex and broodingly depressive—gained a heroic, defiant impulse. A thoroughly mature
interpretation that commanded the highest respect. [...] Bernard, the musical chameleon who adapted
congenially to every style: in the dotted staccato of Bach’s 4th French Suite, masterfully executed
jeu perlé in Mozart’s Rondo K. 485. Bernard received much applause for Chopin’s Scherzo in B
minor, which he played with passionate intensity, and finally for his last treat: Liszt’s Second
Hungarian Rhapsody—adorned with additional virtuosic flourishes à la Horowitz and Bernard.
Schwäbisches Tagblatt