Peter Cooper Gives First Of Four Recitals

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29778, 22 March 1962, Page 15

Peter Cooper Gives First Of Four Recitals

Mr Peter Cooper, in the Civic Theatre last evening, gave the first of a series of four pianoforte recitals which he will be playing during the next fortnight. The next three will be in Begg’s Concert Hall and the works presented will be of a more intimate nature and further from the well-trodden way. Last evening’s programme contained familiar music.

Although Mr Cooper has the strong technique and expansive spirit necessary for bravura works, and plays them in thrilling fashion, he also has full appreciation of lyrical and poetic music, which he plays with persuasive charm. The programme began with Busoni’s arrangement of the Bach Toccata, Adagio, and Fugue in C major. This, along with the Prelude and Fugue in A minor, is the most successful of the transcriptions of Bach’s organ works. Mr Cooper made the opening excitingly vital w’ithout yielding to the temptation to play it too quickly. The long pedal cadenza had a majestic roll with shaded echo effects, and the last part of the movement had a massive and classical dignity. The adagio sang -with gracious serenity, and the fugue tripped along in * frolic with plenty of deft humour. Beethoven’s C minor

Sonata—the “Pathetique”— followed. It was played with breadth of style and clear figuration. The interpretation held attention with clearly defined phrasing, clean articulation, and warmly romantic spirit. The Brahms Intermezzo in B flat minor sung forth so pleasantly. There were lovely mellow sounds, and poetic inspiration in the reading. Cheerfulness and an exquisite delicacy bubbled out in Mendelssohn’s Scherzo in E minor, and the same composer’s Andante and Rondo Capciccioso ended the first part of the programme. The second part began with a Chapin group—the Ballade in A flat major, Mazurkas in F minor and in E minor, and the Polonaise in A major. Mr Cooper has the fluency and feeling required for Chopin. The Ballade at times sounded a bit obscure, but the mazurkas were played with delicate finesse and with clear rhythm. The programme ended with “Malaguena,” by AJbeniz, “The Complaint of the Lover to the Nightingale,” by Granados, and Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 15—none of them works calling for any special mention. There was a fairly large and appreciative audience. Mr Cooper's next recital will be given in Begg’s Concert Hall next Wednesday evening.—C.F.B.