A fair-sized audience was treated on Saturday to one of the best piano performances the Mid Argyll Arts Association has heard in 40 years.
This recital in Ardrishaig Hall was Mid Argyll Arts Association’s (MAAA) annual piano recital and was given by an amazingly talented young player, Maurizio Reyes, who was born in Bogota and recently completed his Master’s Degree at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire.
Maurizio’s programme was perfectly balanced, taking us from Beethoven, through Brahms, Poulenc and finally Stravinsky.
What was particularly pleasing was his inclusion of two major works, one by Brahms and one by Poulenc, which are seldom performed in recitals.
The start point was Beethoven’s 12th Piano Sonata in A flat major and from the opening one could sense great musicality in his playing.
Throughout, his phrasing, adherence to the written note, and dynamic range were impeccable, particularly in the dark slow funeral march.
Next came Brahms’s 8 Klavierstücke Op. 76.
This Opus is the first of six which were his final contribution to solo piano repertoire.
In them Brahms abandons the more traditional structures of his earlier works and concentrates on many and varied shorter pieces which he called Intermezzi and Capriccios.
All are highly individual and show a more introspective Brahms and Maurizio brought out their characteristics with great conviction.
However, in two of these, I was minded of something my own professor told me – he was taught by a friend of Brahms. Brahms apparently often said: “Why do people play my music too fast?”
After a short break we heard the delightful and fun Les Soirées de Nazelles by Francis
Poulenc, who was a master of engaging miniatures.
Nazelles was his aunt’s house where Francis enjoyed many happy gatherings of friends and family, and in this wonderful work he captures with with and imagination the characters of some of the guests and the ambience of Nazelles.
Maurizio really captured the individuality of each and it was a joy from beginning to end.
And finally, Maurizio launched into the fiendish technically and physically demanding three movements from Stravinsky’s ballet Petrushka which the composer adapted from his orchestral score.
How anyone can memorise and physically play pieces of this complexity is hard to comprehend, but Maurizio’s rendition can only be described as spectacular.
In the final Shrovetide Fair one began to wonder if the Yamaha would fall apart such was the pounding it received, but, mercifully it held together!
As an encore, and to bring us gently down to earth, Maurizio ended with a Prelude from
J.S.Bach’s 48 Preludes and Fugues – a perfect end to a wonderful recital.
We wish Maurizio the very best in his future career.
Philip Bowden-Smith
Previously, The Willow Trio brought The Swan of Salen to Lochgilphead Parish Church as part of the Mid Argyll Arts Association’s 40th season.
The Swan of Salen is Gaelic folk ballet and was choreographed and filmed to integrate with a live performance of the music by a trio of clarsachs, which for MAAA on Friday October 27 was The Willow Trio.
The arrangements of well-known Swan Lake themes were matched by the more classical dance movements including a few ‘nods’ to the traditional choreography of that ballet.
This all fused seamlessly as the musical character kept changing to allow Scottish country dance figures to flow alongside Highland dance steps, all with a contemporary dance spin.
Giving the traditional sword dance a special take as a crossbow dance was an interesting touch.
The only note of disappointment came from an audience member who felt that the costume effect of the two swan dancers was rather as if they had come from “The Return of the Mummy”.
MAAA’s next concert is on Saturday December 2 in Lochgilphead Parish Church with The All Sorts, a female a cappella quartet, performing many musical styles including festive favourites.
caption: Masters graduate pianist Maurizio Reyes, who performed some stunning pieces for the Mid Argyll Arts Association.