A WELCOME RETURN

Tessa Uys at London's Wigmore Hall,
reviewed by BILL NEWMAN

Tessa Uys, a favourite of bygone years to London audiences, made a welcome return [20 July 2008]. Her commercial recordings are few, but very collectable. Although she no longer has the wonderful vitality of her younger performing years, there is no doubts of her great musical abilities.

The concert, sponsored by South Africa Positive, featured the world première of the Rainbow Fantasy by Rosalind Anne Greenridge, an interesting piece of no great stature, entertaining in itself, but I do wish that the audience was sufficiently restrained not to applaud after each of the four Schubert Impromptus (D899), and least of all following the first movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. This is offputting to soloists who deserve the respect of remaining undisturbed in their concentration. Perhaps it also affected the shortening of the programme contents, and I would love Ms Uys to make us a return visit.