St John’s, Smith Square
Bach – Partita no.4 in D
major, BWV 828
Matthew Kaner – Dance Suite (world premiere)
Beethoven – Piano Sonata
no.28 in A major, op.101
This was a splendid moment of
light on an Election Day which… (Well, fill in the gaps: clearly the results
pleased some!) In a lunchtime recital at St John’s, Smith Square, Richard
Uttley offered excellent, truly thoughtful performance of works by Bach and
Beethoven and the world premiere of Matthew Kaner’s Dance Suite, gently revealing dance-like affinities between them,
as well as undoubted differences in method and character.
The Ouverture to Bach’s D major Partita had a bright, declamatory
opening, followed by much convincing dynamic contrast. Clearly founded upon
Bach’s harmonic plan, there was, moreover, a great deal of simple (!) joy to be
heard and felt. The Allemande was
noble, yet yielding, melody and counterpoint in fine balance – and/or
dialectic. Alluringly labyrinthine, it set the situation perfectly for the Courante to come. A gently, subtly affecting
Sarabande was another highlight, the Minuet a light preface to a brilliantly
committed Gigue.
The two dances as yet making up
Matthew Kaner’s Dance Suite are, in
his words, ‘very contrasting’, a Mazurka and a Sarabande. I say ‘as yet’,
because Kaner plans to add other movements in the future, including ‘a more
whimsical and playful Gigue’. Bell
effects in the high treble are a remarkable feature of the Mazurka. Rhythmic
inflections clearly have some roots in Chopin – how could they not? – but there
are hints of other Eastern European composers too, as well as Debussy, without
ever quite sounding ‘like’ them. There is – and in Uttley’s performance was – a
keen sense of fantasy true both to instrument and genre. The Sarabande is slow,
yet moves. Harmonies always intrigued: sometimes familiar, sometimes not. I
shall be very keen to hear more! Kaner’s claim of having ‘tried to allow myself
to embrace the works from the canon that I feel drawn to, rather than
attempting to completely reinvent the medium’ seemed to me spot on.
Beethoven’s A major Sonata,
op.101, is no rarity, but I think I have heard it less frequently over the past
few years than the later ‘late’ sonatas. Absence certainly made the heart grow fonder,
but so did this estimable performance. Melting tone was lavished on the opening
of the first movement, but never for its own sake. Chords were as finely
weighted as in the Kaner Dance Suite;
Uttley never forgot that this is piano
music. Rhythm and harmony were held in equally fine balance. The tempo was
quite daring in its leisurely nature, yet utterly convinced. Splendid contrast
was effected in the second movement. March rhythms were certainly part, but
only part of that; harmonic understanding was just as crucial. Its trio offered
a long line in the tradition of a Bach dance; the motivic working out could
only, however, have been Beethoven’s. The slow movement was gravely beautiful
in its eloquence, Beethoven revealed at his most Romantically innig. Bachian and Beethovenian lessons had clearly been well learned in the
finale, which offered release, but also struggle yet to come. Form was properly
dynamic. Beethoven’s greatness and sheer humanity were celebrated, reaffirmed.
