World renowned concert pianist Angela Hewitt returned to Sydney after 7 years absence performing at City Recital Hall last night. This was the final performance of her Australian tour encompassing South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
With a long and highly successful career, she continues to tour throughout the world and lists more than 50 albums on her website. Her awards and accolades are extensive, including an OBE from Queen Elizabeth II 80th Birthday Honours, Gramophone Artist of the Year in 2006 and was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada which is her country’s highest honour.
For this performance, Hewitt chose a program which suited the sophisticated audience perfectly. It was a mix of popular composers and some of their less oft performed works. We got to enjoy the very familiar style and genre in works that might have been new to the ears of many.
Mozart was an apt way to begin. In March this year, she began her latest project titled “Mozart’s Odyssey” which will comprise of the composer’s complete piano concertos. For Sydney, she chose Mozart’s Fantasia for Piano in C minor, K475 and Sonata for Piano No. 14 in C minor, K457.
A tall, elegant woman, Hewitt breezed on to the stage wearing a flowing silk dress of bold black, cream and ballet pink swirls. The stage had been back-lit with a bold, warm mid-pink. The hue reflected off the front of the Fazioli grand piano making her arms and hands very easy to see. The piano had been tilted slightly towards the audience to allow more to see her at play.
She bowed gracefully, sat tall at the piano pausing for a moment. Then, with a breath in and a flourish of the hand, she struck the first chord which set the room to silence.
Her interpretation is second to none. She took her time and allowed the music to unfold itself. Where there was need for strong playing, it didn’t come across as overly fast or violent as often is the case with other concert soloists. Instead, every phrase, in fact every single note, was given to us as in a monologue of questions, beliefs, conclusions and moods. Her face reflected the story and was occasionally turned in our direction or upstage, though never focussed on any one person.
This masterful storytelling held the audience completely captivated. Hewitt clearly adores her art and pours love into the instrument showing the utmost reverence. When a hand is not in use, it might lift well above the keyboard with fingers soft and graceful, then alight the keys when needed again. The second movement (adagio) of the Mozart’s Sonata was enough to make you forget the world around you. In that moment, we entered Angela’s world and didn’t emerge again until interval.
To conclude the first half of the program, was Bach’s Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903. Not for the faint hearted, only a true virtuoso could handle such a piece. The Fantasia was extraordinarily difficult with Hewitt unflinching and hands flying. She began the Fugue with great emphasis on slow, clear notes to give us time to learn the melody. It was another sign of her great communication skills allowing us to appreciate the mastery of the work without the need to upstage it herself.
Comments in the foyer at interval were full of superlatives for this astonishing music artist.
Second half of the concert
After interval, the second half of the journey had us travelling to Handel. Her interpretation for each composer was quite different, as if she had inside information on who they really were beyond their music and the bio written by historians. Handel’s Chaconne in G, HWV.435 was very Baroque, filled with embellishment and could be easily pictured played on a harpsichord. It started to gain speed at one point but, instead of galloping along like someone trying to show off their speed and accuracy, Hewitt took us horse jumping where we would momentarily pause, hovering in the air, before landing gracefully on the other side of each fence. It was a fine ride!
The closing work was Brahms Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op.24. The theme was a lovely connecting point from the previous work yet, being Brahms, it was much more modern and therefore, a very different style of interpretation again. It was a brilliant way to demonstrate the genius of Hewitt and the malleability of her playing.
Hewitt received a standing ovation and several curtain calls from the audience.
As a special treat, to close the Australian tour, she played as encores Bach’s Giga from Partita No. 1 in B flat major and Mendelssohn’s First of “5 Songs Without Words” Op.19b.
At the completion of the performance Hewitt magically appeared in the foyer for autographs, never keeping anyone waiting. A consummate professional as always.
We look forward to her return to Sydney again.
Program by Angela Hewitt
MOZART – Fantasie for Piano in C minor, K475
MOZART – Sonata for Piano No. 14 in C minor, K457
BACH – Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903
——
HANDEL – Chaconne in G, HWV.435
BRAHMS – Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op.24
Angela Hewitt’s website: https://angelahewitt.com/
More about Tour Promoter Chris Howlett: https://chrishowlett.net.au/
What’s on at the City Recital Hall in Sydney? https://www.cityrecitalhall.com/whats-on/?genres=classical-music&range=upcoming
