Recital
Sofia Narmania
Manoel Theatre
The first of this season’s Spotlight On series at the Manoel Theatre focused on Abkhazian pianist Sofia Narmania.
Her recital was simply splendid. Young yet possessing a musical maturity in great measure, she gave a fine performance of works as widely different as three sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti and the great transcription of Bach’s Chaconne by Ferruccio Busoni with energy, resilience and an amazing memory. As technically sound as she is musically, she adapts herself easily to change of mood, style and idiom.
The programme began with Liszt’s Vallé d’Obermann which develops into a romantic musical picture, a peregrination winding many a path and which was projected with full force and energy alternating with quieter, reflective moments. When the music often faded to pianissimo there was a resurgence of undulating energy in some very finely wrought climaxes. The pianist’s touch remained assertive in the Scarlatti sonatas in F, K. 6, in D minor K.9 and in B minor K.27. The subtle differences between them remained distinct but the touch was at the same time delicate. It was different in Rakhmaninov’s Etude tableau in E flat minor, Opus 39, No. 5. The pianist had all the physical vigour needed to tackle this work without ever losing sight of the piece’s innate poetry so typical of the composer’s personal brand of romanticism.
The second half began with Chopin, whose different brand of Romanticism shone in the selected pieces, starting with the relaxing Berceuse Opus 57 followed by what are perhaps Chopin’s most popular waltzes Opus 64, No. 1 in D flat and No. 2 in C# minor. Prestidigitation went hand in hand with clarity and not one note seemed to have been missed. This was evident in the previous works performed and was to continue further. More Chopin came with the beautiful elegiac rendering of the Nocturne in C# minor (Opus posth.) and Etudes in C# minor Opus 10, No. 4 and C Major Opus 10, No. 12. The former, highly energetic etude gave way to the latter’s even more exciting sweeping momentum, one which never got out of hand.
The culminating point came with the Busoni’s transcription of J.S. Bach’s Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004. One wonders where, after all the previous work, did the young lady get all that stamina to deal with this monumental piece of musical architecture. She did it with clarity, intelligence, passion and an attention to detail that was never pedantic. Great work indeed and apart from anything else makes one wish to hear her performing with orchestra as well.