TAKE three mazurkas and a polonaise by Chopin, a Neapolitan tarantella by Liszt and six Romanian folk dances – and you have a recipe for a whirlwind of fiery dancing, flying fingers and virtuoso musicianship.
Italian pianist Giovanni Lonati returned to The Old Schoolhouse for two concerts that showcased his brilliant playing – and thrilled two audiences, some of whom had enjoyed his previous Tincleton dates and knew what to expect.
The programme began with Bach’s Partita No 1, a beautiful six-movement work that requires incredible skill and attention to detail from the soloist. It made some of us wonder just how impressive it would be to hear Lonati tackle the Goldberg Variations.
Chopin’s Mazurkas Op 7 and the gloriously dynamic and exciting Polonaise Op 26 were another opportunity to show the pianist’s complete command of his instrument. The question, How on earth does he remember all the notes?, was surely at the back of everyone’s mind.
The first half finished with La Danza, one of those showy Liszt pieces which are designed to bring an audience to its feet and leave you gasping with sympathetic exhaustion. Even if you are not a great fan of Liszt (I plead guilty), this is a fabulously exciting solo piece.
In the second part of the recital, Lonati demonstrated that the Spanish composer Albeniz was a master of the piano – the colourful Spanish Suite was originally composed for the piano, although it is now better known as a guitar showpiece.
The pace picked up dramatically as the focus moved to Eastern Europe with Bartok’s Six Romanian Folk Dances. It is fascinating how these pieces transport the listener to the vast plains, dark forests and dramatic mountains of a country that is so often associated with evil and violence – Vlad the Impaler, Dracula, Ceausescu … Bartok – and the pianist – take us to the passionate heart of the country and its great folk traditions.
The final work, the mysteriously titled “Paraphrase inspired by UK Law as a commentary on the Soviet State”, was Giovanni Lonati’s own composition, nodding to a great Russian composer who fell foul of Stalin, but still managed to create his own inspiring and pioneering work.
FAC