Top pianist plays virtuoso music at Gateway Theatre in Seaton

Concert review by Peter Dawson

One of Britain's most highly-regarded solo pianists enthralled his audience at The Gateway Theatre for SeatonMusic's latest concert, with his performance of work by composers who were also virtuoso pianists.

Martin Jones had been booked to come to Seaton two years ago, but his concert then was cancelled by Covid restrictions.

But his programme was worth the wait, opening with a piece by 'the inventor of the piano recital', Franz Liszt. Based on a work by a virtuoso from the past, these Variations on a Theme of Bach showed Liszt's original creative imagination, and also his fantastic technical skill.

Claude Debussy featured next. Three movements from Images created impressions – of the light on water (Reflets dans l'eau), of a stately formal dance (Hommage à Rameau), and of energetic movement (Mouvement). Martin's introduction gave some of his insights into the pieces.

The first half concluded with another virtuoso piece based on an earlier composer. The Australian-US 'wild boy' Percy Grainger, pianist, composer and much more, re-wrote the love duet from Richard Strauss's Rosenkavalier in this dramatic paraphrase, full of colour and movement.

Isaac Albaniz is a significant figure in the development of Spanish music. El Albiacín is based on native music from Granada, imitating the guitar, and growing into a great late romantic piece.

The final piece was by a less well-known American virtuoso – Earl Wild's Fantasy on Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Well-known songs from the opera keep coming through the dramatic, and technically demanding texture of this piece, in, as the programme note said "a veritable Lisztian treatment".

That concluded the official programme, but an enthusiastic audience were delighted to be treated two encores.

SeatonMusic are presenting one more concert this season. On Friday, May 19, Lucas Krupinski will play music by Chopin, Schumann and Ravel. The concert starts at the earlier time of 7pm in The Gateway Theatre, and between the two halves of the programme the organisation's annual general meeting will be held, and the chance to enjoy light refreshments.

Admission is free and there will be a collection for Hospiscare.