Delightful Piano Recital

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32393, 4 September 1970, Page 14

Delightful Piano Recital

A piano recital was given last evening in the University Hall by Mr Amerindo d’Amato. The recital was sponsored by the Italian Government and was arranged by the University School of Music and the Dante Alighieri Society of Christchurch. The programme, consisting of works by Martucci, Busoni, Respighi Casella and Dallapiccola, was designed to show the particular contribution of Italian musicians to the writing of contemporary music, and how certain techniques developed. All five composers represented, whose dates of birth range from 1856 to 1904—Mr Dallapiccola is still alive—were forward-thinking and a recognisable pattern of development can be heard when their works are presented together. Mr d’Amato explained the basic design of each of the works. He spoke in Italian but a helpful written translation was given.

Mr d’Amato, in his playing of Martucci’s Fantasia, Opus 15, immediately showed himself to be a pianist whose com-

mand of technique is very powerful indeed and' whose attention to detail in phrasing, clarity and in choice of expressive colour is meticulous and authoritative. The Fantasia was a thrilling and beautiful work, written in the grand manner and so performed. Runs of perfect clarity flew from the piano with the brilliance of a wonderful pyrotechnic display. Three preludes by Busoni, written at the age of 15 showed the disciplined style and colourful imagination of one who was to become one of the world’s greatest pianists. A more mature work, the “Elegy all’ Italia,” was lyrical in style with bravura passages of fierce intensity. Respighi’s Sicilians and Nocturne were pieces of appealing and refined beauty. It is thought that the melody of the Sicilians may have been written by Leonardo da Vinci. Respighi’s treatment of both works showed a delicate immpressionlsm. Mr d'Amato’s playing was a delight. Casella’s “Two Ricercari on

I 8.A.C.H.” carried the tech- » nique of “modernity” much - further. The first seemed to f suggest the inexorable pass- - ing of time. The second, more j percussive in character, 1 seemed to have a quirky s sense of humour. The Per? ■- petuum Mobile was a toccata - of break-neck speed and fury. 1 More interesting than most 1 of its genre. Luigi Dallapiccola, in his j Sonatina Canonica in E flat ’ major, uses the 12-note serial : style. It opened in a charm- ‘ ing style suggestive of bells ' and then shot off in a furious ‘ passage of wild but highly at- , tractive abandon, and then re- : turned to the atmosphere and ‘ style of the beginning. The second movement bej gan with dramatic emloy- . ment of wild trills. A . slow t movement of lyric beauty and f a stirring march movement j ended this most interesting and very charming work. i This recital gave us an op- - portunity to hear some unfams iliar and delightful music superbly played. i —C.F.B.