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Steven Osborne (piano) Tippett Centenary Festival, Wigmore Hall 7 Jan 2005 A pleasant recital of music in the context of the Tippett revaluation, which is receiving polarised press responses. Steven Osborne is a searching pianist and has been admired in his marathon performances of the complete Vingt Regards of Messiaen, and for his CD of Tovey's Piano Concerto. Most of this programme was played from the music and I felt the 1st sonata was less than completely assimilated; Osborne's way with it reminded me of accounts of Tippett improvising his way towards his compositions at the piano, making a clangorous noise that eventually sorted itself out in the finished scores. I far preferred it recently in Phillis Sellick's pellucid original recording, re-released for the centenary. The compact and radical 2nd went far better; its contrasting blocks are well placed and it is one of the composer's best instrumental works. Of the other works, the Ravel Sonatine (played from memory) had the most tenuous link with Tippett, but produced the finest realisation with exquisite tone quality - lovely piano playing. The Ives Three Page Sonata made a meaningful link with Tippett's often seemingly unorganised exuberance; they must be three very large pages? Good to have a selection from Mikrokosmos and not the usual Bulgarian Dances which recitalists generally choose. Minor 2nds Major 7ths gave us the most beautiful moments of the evening. These didactic books are entirely viable for concert performance and should be given more often. |
