La Belle Alliance
Lunchtime concert
Marama Hall
Wednesday, August 24
La Belle Alliance (Tessa Petersen, violin and John Van Buskirk, piano) performed four works by Franz Liszt (1811-86) and one in total contrast, by Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) in this week's lunchtime concert at Marama Hall.
Van Buskirk was definitely up for the challenge in Liszt's Aufenthait (Resting Place) and Auf dem Wasser zu singen (To Be Sung on the Water), both transcriptions of Schubert lieder.
Beautiful melody line was maintained throughout, surrounded by fully sustained accompanying textures.
Die Zelle in Nonnenwerth was accorded an exceptionally captivating performance, with the violinist (debuting a newly-acquired modern 1999 instrument) interpreting much of the lyricism with speech-like quality.
Rapsodie hongroise, a re-thinking by Liszt of the twelfth Hungarian Rhapsody for piano was highly dramatic, abounding with dense pianoforte textures and bravura string passages.
Glimpses of folk melody surfaced through the virtuosity, culminating with a triumphant final flourish.
Schoenberg's Phantasy for Violin with Piano Accompaniment, Op. 47 (1949) was far removed from Liszt's romantic style.
Supposedly artistically pure music, his works leave me floundering to find meaning or delight in what, to be honest, seems very disjointed and ugly.
Nevertheless, extremely testing music was well presented.
