Haydn Dickenson, piano: works by Robert Parsons (b. 1938), Schumann, John White (b. 1936)
An interesting concert going new-old-new, which I thought a very successful and enjoyable mix (but hey - what do I know?)
Parsons: Three Eisler Transcriptions
- Hoelderlin Fragment no 2 Poised slow movement with graceful sweeping melodies and fabulously fruity harmony.
- Hoelderlin Fragment no 5 Difficult, nay impossible, to categorize but - meiner Meinung nach - has bits of a very nice slow jazz-waltz feel, lush and romantic, then some more urgent, declamatory interjections building the tension.
- The Sprinkling of Gardens Quite intense, unruffled, more lovely harmony.
The composer was here and looked nice. Yeah, irrelevant, I know, but it's my blog! And it's a fabulous piece of music.
Schumann: Faschingsschwank aus Wien op 26
(Colin, please see me afterwards. It is a perfectly respectable German word, the sch- is an inseparable part of it, and your silliness is really not helping. Do try to behave.)
- Allegro Impressive, swashbuckling start. Good piano-bursts-into-flames stuff! I love it. Oh alright there were a couple of quieter moments chiz, but I diskard them.
- Romanze. Peaceful, simple melody picked out and sung through by Mr Dickenson with superb finesse and restraint. Mmm nice.
- Scherzino. Jolly, quick march, left-right left-right. Silly but fun.
- Intermezzo Oh dear it's gone a bit serious now. But it's also rather gorgeous.
- Finale: busy, fun. Big symphonic ending. Woo.
White: Sonata no 154 (Carbon Footprints in the Snow)
Driven, quick music. Then lovely chorale thing with the fast parts taking more of a back seat ... then it all kicks off again for a barnstorming ending.
This concert - with its clever, interesting programme - was an great display of the technical skills and expressively beautiful playing of this powerful and impressive pianist. Yeah, I liked it.
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