Piano, cello concert

Press, 31 July 1989, Page 8

Piano, cello concert

Maurice Till (piano) and Gayle Smith (cello), at the Herbert William King Music Room, Burwood. Sunday, July 30, 3 p.m. Reviewed by Chris Archer. This concert by Maurice Till and Gayle Smith was the first of two, featuring the complete sonatas for cello and piano by Beethoven. Gayle Smith, an American-born cellist, has an impressive list of achievements to her name, including the fact that she was the only female finalist at the 1970 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

The opening Sonata No. 1 in F, 0p.5 No. .1 began magically. Dynamics were nicely shaded and phrases were constructed with care and imagination. Although there were a few blemishes in the piano part and one lapse in rhythmic cohesiveness, the over-all effect was commanding. The light-hearted rondo was memorable for its clean articulation and musical directness.

Beethoven’s mature works can present problems of unity for performers, and Sonata No. 4 In C, 0p.102 No. l is no exception. The opening of the slow movement sounded a little insecure, and was not as captivating as it could have been. It is a problematical movement to interpret, and equally difficult for performer and . listener, because of. its sectional structure, and unexpected changes of tonality? and phrase length. opening Allegro viypce was well

controlled, almost too controlled, and the brutal changes in the music were handled with confidence and vitality. The closing Allegro vivace revealed an assured musicality and technique in Miss Smith’s playing. For me, the highlight of this concert was the performance of Sonata No. 3 in A, 0p.69. In this work the cello took greater prominence and Miss Smith relished the role of leader and inspirer. There was a perfect balance between cello and piano, and the audience obviously enjoyed the performers’ teamwork. The Scherzo, with its ardently persistent syncopated rhythms and ostinati patterns, was exuberant and colourful. The transition from this all but “peasant dance” to the beautifully introspective and short Adagio was most convincing. In this work, there was a real strength in the music that was maintained throughout, producing many moments of beauty that only music is capable of. It made me realise how lucky we are to have two performers of this calibre resident in Christchurch. I have never been to this venue before, but it was a pleasant surprise to be seated in a warm room, although the noise of the heaters created some distraction. The acoustics tended to favour the low and mid ranges of both instruments. The piano especially lost some sparkle and brilliance in its higher range. ~r