Richard Goode (Piano): Mozart (K310), Janáček (Four pieces from 'An Overgrown Path'), Brahms (Op 118), Debussy (6 of the Book 2 Préludes), Beethoven (Op 110) - and a Bach Sarabande from one of the Partitas as an encore
First of the new season of Perth Piano Sundays. The Perth Concert Hall has a perfect acoustic for piano music (and they have a very fine in-house Steinway) so Richard Goode was heard to the best possible advantage. I've seen him several times before and still love the way that he sort of shambles towards the piano, looking a bit like an aged BoJo, sits down, then something wonderful happens. He doesn't have any points to score, either about his virtuosity at the keyboard or about his approach to the music, but, boy, does he make the piano sing (and, to be honest, he does like to vocalise along, à la JB). The Brahms (it would melt a heart of stone) was perfect music for an autumnal Sunday afternoon. The Beethoven rather more reflective than virtuosic, which was fine by me. The Debussy: ah, the clarity of his enunciation. And the Janáček? He clearly loves this cycle - I would happily have listened to him playing it all. In short, a thoughtful, slightly quirky programme, short on virtusoso showpieces (no Schumann or Liszt, thank God) but big on intelligent programming. In short, a sublime way to spend two hours on a dreich Sunday afternoon.
First of the new season of Perth Piano Sundays. The Perth Concert Hall has a perfect acoustic for piano music (and they have a very fine in-house Steinway) so Richard Goode was heard to the best possible advantage. I've seen him several times before and still love the way that he sort of shambles towards the piano, looking a bit like an aged BoJo, sits down, then something wonderful happens. He doesn't have any points to score, either about his virtuosity at the keyboard or about his approach to the music, but, boy, does he make the piano sing (and, to be honest, he does like to vocalise along, à la JB). The Brahms (it would melt a heart of stone) was perfect music for an autumnal Sunday afternoon. The Beethoven rather more reflective than virtuosic, which was fine by me. The Debussy: ah, the clarity of his enunciation. And the Janáček? He clearly loves this cycle - I would happily have listened to him playing it all. In short, a thoughtful, slightly quirky programme, short on virtusoso showpieces (no Schumann or Liszt, thank God) but big on intelligent programming. In short, a sublime way to spend two hours on a dreich Sunday afternoon.
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