Lili Kraus’s Audience Charmed And Delighted

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28937, 3 July 1959, Page 13

Lili Kraus’s Audience Charmed And Delighted

Lili Kraus’s audience in the Civic Theatre last evening was charmed and delighted by the immaculate finish of her playing and by the vivid and heightened imagination of her interpretations. It Is a rewarding experience to hear her play; and every student should have heard from her how an instrument can be brought to life by sheer beauty of touch and by vitality of rhythm. v She began her recital with a Sonata in E flat by Haydn. It was played with courtly and expansive grace. Haydn’s lively humour, his geniality, and his wise and benevolent humanity shone through this interpretation. Although the playing never exceeded the range of nianistic tone required for a stylish performance of a Haydn sonata, nevertheless we heard the call of the trumpets, the delicate tracery of flutes and oboes, and the warmth of a string chorus through it all. This w«s followed by Beethoven’s “Waldstein” Sonata—the only one of his sonatas which visiting pianists have played for a long time. This was a different interpretation from the others—highly personal, challenging. and provocative it was. It was also very beautiful Some nundits would lift an evebrow at what could be considered liberties in the wav of rubato. and could produce sound argument from tradition to say that this was far from the authentic style of Beethoven playing. Be that as it may. we heard the work. pf a vivid and strong personality presented by another vivid and strong nersonaflty; and the reallv interesting thing would be to hear what Beethoven himself would have thought of this internretation There would have been either- a chorus of “Bravos" or the fur would have flown Which it would have been is envone’s guess The one certaintv is that it . would be most unsafe to intervene in the argument.

A ureat deal of the remainder of the proeramme consisted of Schifhert’s “Moments Musicaux.” his “Vaises Nobles.” and some of the “Landler Walt-es,” contrasted with Bartok’s “Rumanian Dances” and his “Rondo on Hungarian Folk Tunes.” Schubert’s music—even in his lightest moments—is the result of a long history and way of life and thought, with al] its indefinables of character and outlook which make, those heightening* which are 'summed up in the meaning of the word “Viennese ’' They are precious things of life for those who have the heart tq respond to them. Many times that great city has poured them into her favoured children. Schubert was one, andjpili Kraus, by adoption and training, is another. Her nlaying of these works—trifles though they may be—is. therefore, magnificently stirring both

to the ear and to the imagination. Bartok is a fellow countryman of Lili Kraus, and she is widely acknowledged to be one of his foremost interpreters. There was no doubt how deeply and even fiercely akin she is with these haunting melodies which’ are so naturally and superbly enshrined in these Bartok arrangements. Much could be said about the differences in atmosphere and character between the melodies of Austria and her contiguous countries, but it could not be said with the succinct grace with which Lili Kraus said it in her memorable and stirringly beautiful playing. The programme ended with a sonorous and richly singing performance of Chopin’s Impromptu in F sharp major, and a characteristically highly imaginative rendering of his Ballade in A fiat. While there were so many lovely sounds in the last work, there was also, where one was sitting, some confusion also at times.