Sonata in A K331 - Mozart
On the Overgrown Path (exc) - Janacek
Rigoletto Paraphrase - Liszt
Mozart's Sonata in A, K 331, gives the performer nowhere to hide. The deceptive simplicity of its opening set of variations poses challenges of technique and interpretation which go much deeper than those offered by its famous alla turca finale, and by the obvious virtuosity of such composers as Liszt.
Dearbhla Collins showed pluck in choosing this sonata to open her lunchtime recital at the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre last Wednesday.
Her approach was thoughtful, aptly driven by phrasing, and rhythmically animated, even though in the first movement, at least, she was too inclined to linger over phrase breaks. The finale was full of verve, and throughout the sonata there was a pleasing range of volume and tone.
Yet this piece was not as persuasive as the other two on the programme. A couple of minor, undistracting lapses of memory, and a slightly anxious tension in the phrasing, suggested that Dearbhla Collins was not as comfortably at home in this work as she was in those of Janacek and Liszt.
Pianistic colour and volume were used with striking effect in three works chosen from Janacek's On the Overgrown Path. Liszt's Rigoletto Paraphrase was also well-coloured in its quieter moments. This Romantic celebration of virtuosity was closer in character to heroic assault than to untrammelled transcendence. But the performance was always gripping and, within the limits of barnstorming, was invigorating and effective.