Pianistic bravura - review

Following the marvellous performance by cellist Emilio Colon and pianist Nariagi Sugiura, it was the turn of Matt Rubinstein to wow audiences with an original programme in a piano recital on May 27.

Ranging from the classical familiar Beethoven (1770-1827) to the avant-garde contemporary Goldmann (b. 1941), the recital spanned over two centuries of the repertoire for piano, and highlighted the diversity of style by juxtaposing the "old" with the "new".

Beethoven's flowing Sonata in E Minor, Opus 90, composed in 1814, is atypically scored in two movements rather than the usual three. Matt Rubinstein established an immediate rapport with the audience in the first of these by confidently asserting the entry in the left hand before declaring the very melodious first subject with sensitivity in the right.

In contrast to Beethoven, the pianist next performed Two Etudes, composed in 1946 by Witold Lutoslawski, one of the towering figures of modern music and probably Poland's most prominent composer of the post World War II period. It was here that we first caught a glimpse of Mr Rubinstein's remarkable agility manifested in the virtuosic attacco which encompassed the entire keyboard in the first Etude, and the parallel second less striking Etude which introduced a more leggero touch.

The Baroque, the Romantic and the Neo-classical were inextricably linked in the following two pieces - Feruccio Busoni's Fantasia Nach J.S. Bach (1909) and Felix Mendelssohn Prelude and Fugue in E Minor Opus 35/1 composed in honour of Johann Sebastian Bach. Since 1999 Mr Rubinstein has lived and performed frequently in Berlin, considered the re-birthplace of Bach where he has been re-established precisely by Busoni and Mendelssohn, although he is perceived by each of them from totally different angles. Needless to say the pieces carried the unmistakable imprint of their composers. Busoni's homage to Bach reflected the work of an extraordinary pianist who combined an amazing agility with an acute sense of colour, a perfection of phrasing and an unerring sense of proportion.

The first section, apparently more Brahmsian/Chopinesque in style made way for a contrapuntal section with bright harmonics which was very reminiscent of Bach. Mendelssohn's Six Preludes and Fugues are among his finest works for piano solo: The first set of these, performed by Mr Rubinstein reflected the inherent beauty with which they are imbued by giving due importance to a reflective lyrical section in the Prelude, and in the Fugue to the very dominating temperament of Bach. The pieces found their match in Mr Rubinstein, who rewarded the listener with the qualities associated with an outstanding pianist.

It was in his interpretation of the Sonate (1988) by Friedrich Goldmann, one of East Germany's prominent composers since the 1970s, that Mr Rubinstein's predilection for contemporary compositions was amply evident. He tackled the many atonal, highly technically demanding passages with great precision which resulted in very clearly defined notes in an immaculate performance. Gabriel Fauré's subsequent Barcarolle No. 1 in A Minor Opus 26 sounded somewhat lame in comparison but here again Mr Rubinstein showed that he is a master not only in virtuosic gusto but also in simplicity and a delicate sensibility which are the essence of refinement. This characteristic was similarly highlighted in the encore, another Barcarolle of Fauré's. This time Opus 70 No.6 in E Flat Major, where Mr Rubinstein again proved that he is equally at home with force as he is with restraint.

The last item on the programme was Variations on a Polish Folk Theme Opus 10 (1904) by Carol Szymanowski, according to many, Poland's greatest composer after Chopin.

There was ample manifestation here of a broad range of pianistic bravura - a fitting end to a recital which was a showcase for a wide range of piano literature in the hands of a true virtuoso.