Longtime patrons of the Thomasville Entertainment Foundation experienced deep reactions to pianist Emanuel Ax’s Saturday evening solo concert.

Asked to describe the performance with a single adjective, many longtime concert goers first balked — “In one word…? Impossible!” — then slowly began heaping superlative upon superlative in praise of the world renowned musician.

“Stunning,” “transporting,” “masterful,” “transcendent,” dazzling,” “powerful,” “exquisite,” “overwhelming.”

Still others couldn’t be constrained to just one word.

“It was sublime,” said one.

“Sheer genius,” added another.

And still, all the hackneyed clichés don’t quite do it justice.

It is no exaggeration to say that the 66-year-old Ax is one of the world’s greatest pianists, and he was simply magnificent as he displayed, in an all-Beethoven program, the combination of dexterity and versatility, of artistry and technical excellence.

Ax opened the program powerfully, with the “Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Opus 13.” Commonly known as “Pathetique,” the piece drew great applause as he alternated between bold, athletic showmanship and quiet, passionate measures. The familiar second movement was gorgeously pastoral, while the final Rondo was bright and fanciful with thrilling trills.

His performance of “Six Variations on a Theme in F major, Opus 34” was similarly delightful, with Ax moving masterfully from dance-like to lyric to noble settings.

The first act concluded with the “Piano Sonata No. 16 in G major, Opus 31, No. 1,” a grouping of varied movements the pianist described as “three wayward children.” The work spotlighted Ax the showman, not just the musician, as he tore through the measures with dazzling runs on the keyboard. It was clear why this particular sonata is one of his favorites.

Ax opened the second act with a fiery and spirited “Polonaise in C major, Opus 89” before moving on to the final piece in the program, the “Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Opus 57,” Beethoven’s beloved and exultant “Appassionata.” The first movement was majestic and powerful, while the second slowed to a lovely, emotive, even tranquil melody. The final movement built to a bold and furious crescendo, with Ax showing incredible dexterity, mastery and command in a triumphant and overwhelming finale.

The master pianist hinted last week that he is considering scaling back his aggressive touring schedule that takes him across the nation and around the world, now that he’s “gotten older.” Age was certainly no issue on Saturday as he sailed marvelously through some two hours of complex 18th and 19th century masterworks completely from memory. From my seat, I had the perfect vantage point from which to watch his talented hands, their athletic keyboard runs, their delicate fingering and their complex jumps and cross-hand work.

Perfectly perfect!

After four returns to the stage through continuous applause, Ax graciously agreed to an unplanned encore, spontaneously playing Franz Shubert’s lovely, allegorical “The Miller and the Brook,” as transcribed by Franz Liszt.

As impressive as Emanuel Ax was onstage, he was just as humble and gracious offstage, whether deflecting praise from TEF volunteers in the wings or visiting with longtime fans in a meet-and-greet following his performance. That’s a rare combination for an artist of his renown and stature.

The concert was the culmination of the Thomasville Entertainment Foundation’s 78th performance series and evidence of the organization’s continued focus on bringing the world’s best performers to our community. Artistic Director Janice Faircloth and her program committee refuse to let TEF rest on its significant legacy and reputation, and their plans for the 2016-17 series foretell one of its finest performance seasons – details coming soon!