Cello and piano recitals

Press, 29 July 1978, Page 23

Cello and piano recitals

C. FOSTER BROWNE

By

Two University of Canterbury concerts held this week were the cello recital given by Judith Williams to complete her Performance Honours examination and a piano recital by David Lockett, an Australian pianist at the St Albans Methodist Church.

Miss Williams played on Tuesday accompanied by Mr John Luxton. She will leave soon for further study at the Royal College of Music in London. The large audience for a concert starting at 5.30 p.m., should have shown her how much her work has been valued in Christchurch. The programme began with the Sonata in F, Op. 99, by Brahms, which was played with elegaic dignity and expanse in rich enveloping tone, highly expressive and vibrant. This was fol-

lowed by Bach's Suite No. 2 in D minor for unaccompanied cello, splendidly played with vitality of line and clarity, and balance in chord playing. The interpretation was stylishly designed, and good contrast was made in the fine detail given to each of the seven movements.

Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne, an amusing and attractive work in imitation of the classical style of Bach, was played with infe/cious good humour and understanding by both performers, and Chopin’s “Polonaise Brilliante,” in which the piano had expectedly the lion’s share, was a tour de force, Mr Luxton’s contribution to the whole performance was helpful and musicianly, showing good rapport with the cellist and with the music.

On Thursday in the St

Albans Methodist Church there was a recital by David Lockett, an Australian pianist with tremendous technique. His playing of Haydn’s Sonata in C mifior was clear in every detail, and went well beyond the merely technical. His performance of Liszt’s “Fountains at the Villa d’Este” had sparkle, form, and memorable beauty. “Coruscations,” by Meale, had flashing explosiveness, as when a match is thrown into a basket of fireworks. It belongs to the “once heard, immediately forgotten” type of composition. Of somewhat similar genre, but with convincing feeling of deep grief, was Sitsky’s “Fantasia in Memory of Egon Petri.” Both compositions could have stopped anywhere without doing great harm, but they went on and on and on.