A larger audience was deserved at the Rhodesia Academy of Music’s lunch-hour recital at the Bulawayo City Hall yesterday which featured piano duets by Anne Visser and David Lourie.
David Lourie took the treble part in a finely tempered performance of Schubert’s magical F major Fantasia, which effectively disproves the myth that Schubert was simple-minded.
With full accord and sympathy the performers explored the wide emotional range covered between the first innocent statement of the recurring poetic subject and the powerful contrapuntal climax.
Mechanical
Mozart’s Sonata in D, although technically irreproachable, failed to charm. It seemed that Miss Visser – here at the treble – was reluctant to play more quietly than mezzo forte, for fear of being overshadowed by the bass. Thus a large section of the slow movement consists of ringing the changes on an anchored six-note figure. If this figure is played without variation of tone and emphasis on each appearance the total effect is merely mechanical, as it was here.
Brahm’s Hungarian Dance in F sharp minor, played with rhythm and gusto, sent everyone away happy.