Piano recital by Alan Dorn. 9th April 2025.
Alan shared with us a feast of the Romantic repertoire, focussing on four composers born between 1809 and 1811. Of these Mendelssohn only lived to 38, Chopin to 39, and Schumann to 46, and we tend to forget that these were all composing in the age of the wood-framed piano, with its light sound which quickly died away. But Liszt lived till 1886 and the age of 75 by which time the piano was technically similar to a modern instrument.
Chopin was represented at five points in the programme, starting with the Waltz in Ab op 42 (1849). We were treated to the Berceuse op 57 (1845), with its repeated motif in the bass, decorated with increasingly complex right hand figuration until it reaches its dénouement, and the ‘Heroic’ Polonaise in Ab op 53 (1843), with its depiction, some say, of galloping horses.
The Mendelssohn Six Songs Without Words op 67 (1845) were clearly deeply felt, with their moods ranging from detached to buzzing with excitement. In contrast, some of Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood op 15 (1838) conveyed a sense of amazing stillness midst the adventures of the Hobby Horse Ride and Catch-me!
The Liszt Petrarch Sonnet no 47 of 1858 post-dated all the other composers, and in it he rejoiced in exploiting the greater power and dynamic range of the iron framed piano.
Alan played Four Chopin Mazurkas op 30 (1838) and concluded the programme with six Etudes from op 10 (1833), which he played with astonishing energy, especially in view of the fact that he had entertained us for the best part of two hours. This set included such virtuoso items as the famous Black Key study and, finally, the drama of the Revolutionary Study (though we should remember that Chopin did not assign any names to these pieces).
In response to the warm and sustained applause, Alan gave us an encore of the Ab study fromTrois Nouvelles Etudes by Chopin
Alan’s introductions to all the items were succinct and interesting, sharpening the ear to aid concentration on the wide variety of music that had been written in a mere 25 year period and was played with such virtuosity.
Clifton Hughes