Music of Schubert arrives in Fair City
Llyr Williams performed in Perth Even in such an eminently successful prestige series as Perth Piano Sunday, there are concerts which stand out. The most recent was the return of Perth favourite Llyr Williams on February 11 in an almost all Schubert recital.
Even before his first note, the Perth Concert Hall audience gave this artiste, who has played this Steinway many times, a long and warm ovation.
Dating from its composer’s nineteenth year, Llyr Williams opened his concert with the defiant B Major Sonata D575 and its dramatic fanfares.
It declared his approach to Schubert: melodic strength plus a fine lyricism. The second movement was a gaze into the distance, with one of those disruptive centres to become familiar in later sonatas. The Scherzo was a swinging, smiling dance, mood continued into the romp of the rondo finale: youthful Schubert at his exuberant best.
The Moments Musicaux D870 may be looked on as miniatures, but under Llyr Williams’fingers they emerged as masterpieces.
The first had irresistible flow, the second by turns consoling or frightening.
The third was humorous in its crushed notes, jogging on, Perth Concert Hall the fourth rambled, non-stop, over the keys.
The fifth wild and exciting, evoked spontaneous applause from a number in the audience. The minuet feel of the sixth had dissonances and sighs in stupendous sound from the hall’s magnificent Steinway.
The‘almost all’is four Schubert songs in arrangements by Franz Liszt intended to popularise Schubert the composer. Usually you get the song straight incorporating the singer’s line, then Liszt elaborates as he likes.
The Impromptus D935 are great pieces and Llyr Williams played them as such. The epic first had amazing finger definition.
The tune of No2 had a wonderful lilt encompassing both grandeur and quiet. The increasingly elaborate variations on the Rosamunde theme led on to the Hungarian atmosphere and cimbalom echoes of the sweeping fourth.
Wild applause was responded to with an encore: more Schubert-Liszt in Aufenthalt with gloomy dark runs and chromatic writing, a lighter centre, and dramatic repeated notes.
Ian Stuart-Hunter