<<  -- 6 --  Bill Newman    MOZART VIEWPOINTS

Music by the five year old already tells what is to follow -- simple, yet inwardly striving to be original. Add the word complex at eight, and rather bored at London's Ebury Street. Thereafter, the consistent desire to be daring and innovative. His inventive genius is thoroughly marked by 1786 in the 6 Variations in F on 'Salve, tu Domine' by Paësiello, K398, where the patterning arrangement of phrases suggests a coloratura one moment and male supremacy the next. Diverse charms, after all, are always countered by virility. The simple and short Andantino K236, and more mature Sonata in B flat, K570 with its stylish counterpoint touches provided a suitable framework for the music in the first half. In the second, we heard the more improvisatory and brilliant Mozart in the 10 Variations in A on 'Come un 'agnello' by Sarti (the opera Fra i due litiganti il terzo gode) K460 and Sonata in D K284; the already mentioned Fantasie in C minor, K396 providing the stark centrepiece.

Afterwards, I was gratified to take note of the many pianists and musicologists piling up in the Artist Room. No one, unlike the previous week, was anxious to depart. All of us are eagerly awaiting the recitals to follow, and the release on Regis of the complete solo piano music recorded at the Gewandhaus, Leipzig. BBC Radio 3, please take note!