PAUL SCHRAMM

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24587, 8 June 1945, Page 3

PAUL SCHRAMM

SECOND OP THREE PIANO RECITALS Paul Schramm gave his second recital at oeggs concert nan last evening. Major wonts on tne programme were tne ousom arrangement or Bacn s organ x o„cata in c major, the Brahms oonaia in r minor, op. b, and two pieces by Li&a, "ivememb.ance" and ‘St. Francis walking on me Waves.” Of these, the Liszt wonts appeared the mosi convincing ana perhaps the most pleasuraole playing or tne evening. Whatever the intrinsic value of this music, the composer has done superbly well what he set out to do, and there is a satisfaction in hearing it performed with the technical ease Mr Schramm can bring to it. Particularly in the dedicate arabesque writing in "Remembrance" he showed some lovely modulations of tone, and the way in which he detached the St Francis theme from the surrounding chromatic storm was matter for admiration. One was left wishing that he might have played the Liszt sonata in place of the Brahms, music which seems less temperamentally suited to him. This is a difficult work to bind together, and the performance as a whole left some doubt as to what it was all about. There was beautiful and sympathetic playing in the andante, but its climax as with that of the intermezzo of the Bach Toccata appeared too harsh and Mttle for the mood of the movement. The Bach prelude opened well, but the speed of the main section robbed it of its dignity and spaciousness. Playing of the intermezzo showed beautifully contrasted levels of tone in the style of an organ registration. Mr Schramm m this programme gave the first performance of a group of his own compositions under the general title of “Visions." the three. "Gaiety." “Defeat," and “Solitude.” having most appeal at a first hearing He shows a remarkable command of kevboard resource, and the ability to make musical ’oeic out of the shifting of abstruse harmonies often about a single Federated note, a deviee reminVent ot Ravel’s “Le Gibet." But one feels that these same gifts sometimes tempt him into doing bv technical in»enuitv what we™> better Hone f’-om tb» heart. Three wadzes. bv Debussy. Godowsky, and Levitzki, were a grateful interlude in tb» programme, plaved a c thev were with a pkarmin* lightness and good humour Me Schramm give® his final rental to-mor’-mv evening.