22nd March 2013
| Mozart | Piano Sonata No 10 in C , K330 |
| Debussy | Poissons d’or; Jardins sous la pluie; Reflets dans l’eau; L’isle joyeuse |
| Beethoven | Piano Sonata No 21 in C, Op 53 (‘Waldstein’) |
| Liszt | Nuages gris; Jeux d’eau à la Villa d’Este; Variations on Bach’s Cantata “Weinen, klagen, sorgen, zagen”, S180 |
Many of Mozart’s sonatas were in the past considered
trivial. Yet this performance of this sonata showed just how
concentrated and full of meaning they could be when played with
Alexandra’s delicacy of touch and nuancing of tiny phrases within
phrases.
For the Debussy, to delicacy of touch was added a broader impressionistic palate ranging from cantabile contemplation to coruscating brilliance for reflections in water or darting goldfish.
With the Beethoven, the adagio of the Waldstein sounded particularly lovely, and made it easy to forget that the composer was writing still for an advanced fortepiano.
Liszt suited this pianist well, whether it was in the strange harmonic language of Nuages gris, the impressionism of Jeux d’eaux or the almost as strange Bach Variations, they added to a thoughtful and satisfying programme.
Reviewer: Janet Lovegrove
Photographer: David James