Jeffrey Grice, piano

Press, 9 August 1985, Page 4

Jeffrey Grice, piano

Jeffrey Grice, pianist, in solo recital at the Great Hall, Arts Centre, Thursday, August 8 at 8 p.m. Reviewed by Julie Klaassens. The rewards of long years of overseas study, strenuous and demanding though they be, were trimphantly displayed last evening by the Christchurch-born pianist, Jeffrey Grice. His performance was inspiring, full of an unbridled passion and forthrightness that largely seems to have disappeared from the New Zealand musical temperament. While he remains in this country, a matter of weeks only, efforts should be made to tap his musical ideas and experience.

this programme was essentially a Romantic one with works by Chopin. Schumann, and Liszt. The inclusion of three Nocturnes by Faure was no intrusion at all and. placed just before the consummate "Vallee d'Obermann." by Liszt, served to illustrate how ad-

vanced Liszt was in his piano writing and musical expression. Contrary to expectations, firm anchorage in the nineteenth century repertoire did not pall on the mind or heart. Grice’s whimsical, often rhapsodic approach to the development of themes captured the freshness of this music. It was certainly a mannered performance, taking reubatos to the very brink of disaster (as in Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 in F minor), but it was unquestionably in true Romantic style. He expressed delight in' all moods and colours portrayed in the works and exuded a warmth that could not be resisted. Unfortunately, the tonal debility of the piano masked the full extent of Mr Grice's well controlled tone. Very loud passages marking the climaxes of the Chopin Ballade. his Scherzo in B flat minor, and the Schumann Novelette No. 8, suffered from a distinct loss of clar-

ity. In the softer passages his tone was exquitite. The capricious second theme of the Chopin Scherzo was delightfully articulated. Similarly, the more transparent and higher sonorities of the attractive Faure Nocturnes were better received. But the highlight of the evening was the interpretation of Liszt’s Ballade No. 2 in B minor and the "Vallee d’Obermann." In both works Grice maintained a strong sense of proportion, keeping the entire structure in view so that climaxes were well graded and moments of fervent intensity were accorded their moments of spiritual beauty. Especially in the last "tour de force" there were some breathtaking moments of peacefulness. With this taste of Mr Grice's style, it will be of welcome interest to hear what he makes of today's lunchtime recital of twentieth century works by Berg and Ravel.