“…there was a welcome calmness from the evening’s opening notes, when Ohlsson emerged alone to perform the first of Schubert’s Impromptus and made it an intriguing dialogue between the bright optimism of his right hand and the gripping gravitas of his left.

[…]

O’Neill and Ohlsson then delivered a particularly playful take on Schubert’s Sonata for Arpeggione and Piano in A minor, its opening movement lilting like a folk dance, the central adagio both mournful and hopeful, and the finale a fine example of Ohlsson’s gift for finding the lyricism in any piece.

But the concert’s main event was a viola transcription of the Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata, for which O’Neill’s velvety attacks were complemented perfectly by Ohlsson’s gracefully flowing phrases. The pianist also showed that his ability to summon thunder hasn’t diminished at age 77, as evidenced by a torrential cascade of crashing chords in the second movement and a finale that built to an exhilarating climax. It inspired a standing ovation and a sadly beautiful encore of Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise” that surely inspired some newfound respect for the viola.”

The Minnesota Star Tribune