Bach: Toccata in C Minor, French Suite No. 5, Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, Overture in the French Style, Italian Concerto. Angela Hewitt, piano. Presented by Toronto Summer Music. Koerner Hall, July 25, 2023.
Packed house, stage seats, standing ovation, autograph session in the lobby. There must have been a headliner in Koerner Hall Tuesday night, and indeed Angela Hewitt was the attraction presented by Toronto Summer Music. Thirty-eight years (and many recordings) after winning the 1985 International Bach Piano Competition in Toronto, the UK-based Canadian has not lost her fierce dedication to the great J.S. and the fine art of making his music sound rather good on a modern grand.
It was a program of her favourites, as she told the crowd, which turned out to be a sequence of hits. In the Toccata in C Minor BWV 911 the pianist aptly contrasted improvisatory Adagio passages with clocklike counterpoint. There was ad-lib flair also in the opening section of the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, its scurrying melodic line slowing and accelerating to dramatic effect.
We tend to equate Bach with fingers but Hewitt showed equal mastery of the pedal, adding colour to the fugue with no subtraction of clarity. The bass notes emulated the thunder of an organ in the final pages. This great work was suited to the pianist’s extroverted style and represented the highlight of the night.
Another outgoing opus was the Italian Concerto, sharply accented in the first movement and jubilant in the finale. Both movements benefited from hairpin dynamics. The melancholy line of the Andante had a flutelike quality as realized on a colourful new Fazioli piano. Hewitt is a big fan of this Italian brand.
Also heard were the French Suite No. 5 and Overture in the French Style, works that included between them at least a dozen courtly dance movements, more if you count the variations. Of course there were things to savour. Sarabandes, taken slowly and freely, were exquisite. The Loure had an unexpected ornament. But overall I would have preferred a mixed recital that placed Bach alongside his contemporaries and successors and given us a wider view of Hewitt as an artist.
There was an encore, an arrangement of Sheep May Safely Graze, safely played. As always, the pianist comported herself regally on stage, with an 88-key smile. The only false note, so to speak, was a touch of strong language. Addressing the audience is increasingly common. There is something to be said for not saying anything.
An interesting footnote: All 50 CDs available in the lobby found buyers. The shiny disc is not done yet. At least not among listeners of a certain age.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.
Sign up for the Ludwig van Daily — classical music and opera in five minutes or less HERE.
- SCRUTINY | Moussa Concerto Sounds Strong In Toronto Symphony Orchestra Premiere, Paired With Playful Don Quixote - April 4, 2024
- SCRUTINY | Esprit Orchestra At Koerner Hall: Ligeti 2, Richter No Score - April 1, 2024
- SCRUTINY | Sibelius & New Cello Concerto By Detlev Glanert Offers A Mixed Bag From The TSO - March 28, 2024
