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Angela Hewitt in concert, Darlington Piano Society

Old and new worlds mixed yesterday with Angela Hewitt's recital for Darlington Piano Society. Having seen Angela 3 times (plus a rehearsal) in Ottawa it was good to hear her in a different environment. The room in the Dolphin Centre had been rearranged to fit more people (and there was hardly a spare seat), but no Fazioli - so another difference to previous recitals. A more diverse andience than normal, with a good few first listeners  - for Angela, if not for the DPS too!

The programme, performed in memory of David Robson and after a brief introduction, was as follows:

Bach – Partita no.5 in G Major, BWV 829
Beethoven – Sonata in E flat major, Op. 81a (Les Adieux)
------
Beethoven – Sonata in A flat major, Op. 110
Bach – Siciliano from the Flute Sonata in E flat major (arr. Wilhelm Kempff)
Bach – Sheep may Safely Graze (arr. Mary Howe)
Bach – Alle Menschen Müssen Sterben (arr. Angela Hewitt)
Bach – Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue

Having heard 3 concerts this season on the Steinway used in Darlington, it was really interesting to hear a different class of musician play the instrument. Whilst the prior recitals (Maria Marchant, Clare Hammond and Danny Driver) were all enjoyable, there were at times moments where the concept faltered, or the volume of the instrument threatened to overwhelm the player. Not so with Angela. Guts and no fuss, as a fellow listener quipped during the interval. Guts and conviction. During the Partita, Angela had the piano almost like a harpsichord, and throughout very very clear - I particularly enjoyed the 'tempo di minuetta' and the 'passepied'.  My favourite piece of the day was Les Adieux; during the first half, it was almost as if I was floating on a wave of thought emanating from the stage. M preferred the Op. 110 Sonata - which together with Les Adieux provided a central musical discourse on absence and return, death and life. Superb. 

A few of the other concertgoers were really excited to hear the Bach transcriptions that concluded the programme. Sheep may safely graze might have been the crowd pleaser, but was easily equalled by Alle Menschen Müssen Sterben. After the triumph of the Chromatic Fantasy (not my taste but a super performance), the encore refreshed the senses with Chopin's Nocturne in Eb Op 9 No 2. 

What a treat! 


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