She had her audience dazzled and stunned again, things one expects when this pianist gives one of her performances. Her latest was at Sagrestija Vault presented by Barocco Productions. The performance was in part fulfilment of her PhD course at the University of Malta, by the end of which one feels hopeful the pianist earned valuable points.
To perform half an hour of music continuously describing changing characters and moods is no mean feat- Albert Storace
The programme was from the German Romantic repertoire, beginning with Mendelssohn’s Variations Sérieuses, Op. 54, surely the best piano variations he wrote and requiring a very solid technique which the young pianist had in abundance.
Built on a rather simple theme in D minor, all but one of the variations are in a minor key, which gives them that extra depth, one amply projected by Farrugia.
The programme continued with the Four Ballades, Op.10 by Brahms. This was an interesting choice as most pianists seem to prefer the later Ballades Brahms wrote.
As the pianist explained in her introduction, Brahms did not change much in his later writing. The crisis in the Schumann family overshadowed and inspired these works, except perhaps for the first Ballade, in D minor, Edward, the only one with a clear programme, based on a dark Scottish ballad and with its own share of tragedy.
This was clearly felt in the interpretation, which was followed by a decisively brighter Ballade N. 2, in D. From then on one could see the interrelation that was maintained between the four ballades, especially the last three. N. 3 in B minor was very energetic and restless, turbulent and obscure.
The loveliest of all is N.4, in B which one could call a Lied ohne Worte, a song without words which the pianist performed with a truly tender touch, leaving one in no doubt as to its being a declaration of love from Brahms to Clara Schumann. Whether fully returned one will never know.
It was with the latter’s Carnaval, Op. 9 that Farrugia concluded her recital. Continuing to play from memory, she plunged into Schumann’s fantasy world of a carnival ball where he imagines he meets several characters. To perform half an hour of music continuously describing changing characters and moods is no mean feat.
From the decisively powerful chords of the opening Préambule the pianist showed she was in command. It was enough to close one’s eyes and imagine the various characters from the Commedia dell’Arte, the contrasting serious Eusebius and the extrovert Florestan, Schumann’s own alter egos and the fast fluttering papillons.
On and on it went, with each character making an appearance, providing a rich psychological kaleidoscope until a warm and triumphant climax was reached with the Marche des Davidsbündler contre les Philistins.
It took a lot of energy, musicianship and concentration to perform this so well, but this did not deter Farrugia from giving a dazzling encore with a fast dance by Ginastera.