Impressive though Graham Johnson’s recent appearance with the Municipal Orchestra was, his farewell recital given last night for the Bulawayo Music Club, sponsored by the local body of the Arts Council, was in many respects a more satisfying demonstration of his talent.
He chose a long and demanding programme, which gave listeners an opportunity to assess this interesting young performer in a variety of music.
His technique is secure enough to take for granted and I have written before about the maturity of his approach, which eschews affectation or sensationalism. All this promises an exciting future.
Familiar
The emotional development of a player is quickly revealed in Mozart or in Chopin. The controlled moodiness of the two Chopin Nocturnes was distinctly impressive. The andante of the Mozart C major Sonata K330 had moments remarkably perceptive, but he tended to hustle the outer movements.
Apart from his strength in the early Beethoven Sonata in D major, Op. 10, No. 3, Graham showed himself familiar with all the musicological implications of a work which looks both to the past and to the future. He sustained in the opening presto the music’s rhythmic drive, and its compulsively teasing humour; indicated in the largo how much there is in the melodic and harmonic configurations that later composers seized on; and chose an easy classical speed for the menuetto.
Brilliant
The later works in the second half were chosen (seemingly) for brilliance of colour.
The last movement of the Ravel Sonatine was a brilliant wash of tone with all the subtlety for which the French used to be famous, and I admired the quiet dignity he gave to Debussy’s Homage a Rameau.
The John Ireland’s pieces were brilliant and evocative; their closely textured, mystical character was obviously the point of departure for Michael Tippett.
I thought the first two movements of the Ravel comparatively earthbound, and the Schoeberg over-pedalled.
I must not overlook the nicely shaped undulations in the opening Bach A major Prelude (Book II), though the Fugue did not sound as closely conceived a reading.