Maurice Till recital

Press, 12 March 1985, Page 8

Maurice Till recital

Maurice Till (piano) in recital at State Trinity Centre, Monday March 11, at 8 p.m. Reviewed by Julie Klaassens. The solo piano recital must surely rank among the most taxing of musical concerts. There is no comforting accompanist to share the duties or to allow the soloist a moment of respite, and the notes to be memorised must run into the thousands. Therefore, it is certainly to the artist’s credit that his audience leaves feeling as exhausted as he. Given Maurice Till’s arresting programme that outcome was easily attainable. Two major works of grand proportion were presented, each requiring constant&ttention to the smallest trails and to the over-

all conception of growth. In both cases, these pieces were triumphs. Brahms’ 25 “Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel” was well crafted, the artist highlighting the rhythmic explorations of each variation. Maurice Till is obviously at home in the repertoire of this composer, and his deft styling and shading of phrases fell naturally into the work. Only in the tightknit fugue, with its ungainly subject, did this performance fall short. Ravel’s “Miroirs” is as legendary in its difficulty as in its beauty. Rarely, it seems, do the hands unlock and the melodies are caught in a constant web of surrounding colours. It is fascinating watching as well as delightful listening. . With commendable dexterity in shimmering runs,

Maurice Till evoked the “mirrors” of the five scenes. There were some exquisite moments in the second scene, “Oiseaux tristes”, and lavish pedalling in the third, “une barque sur I’ocean.” For the rest of the programme, there were some disappointments. Mozart’s final sonata (K 576 was tossed off with little dignity, and failed to express its true stature. Memory lapses were rife and added to the confusion. Liszt’s “Valse Impromptu” and “Polonaise No. 2 in E” fared better than the erratic Chopin “Impromptu in F sharp, 0p.36”. The salon gheroics of the polonaise were played with suitable aplomb and the frivolous antics of the “Valse Impromptu” well taken.