Hearing Angela Hewitt was gold silk for the ear

Angela Hewitt | in Recital

October 12, 2024, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre, VIC

To hear Angela Hewitt In Recital is a lifelong dream of mine, since buying her CD’s (my first) in the early 1990’s. 

Even since then, Angela Hewitt remains one of the world’s most sought after and revered virtuosi of the piano. And with good reason. So to hear her program of Mozart, Bach, Handel and Brahms, with a Mendelssohn encore, was gold silk for the ear. This first world class artist presented by Chris Howlett (of Melbourne Digital Concert Hall fame) and Elle Fernon.

Speaking to us before sitting down at the keyboard, Angela tied the works together from the perspective of a woman, drawing out connections such as Mozart’s Fantasie in C minor K475 and the Sonata in C minor K457 being written and dedicated for Maria Theresia Trattner, his talented landlady and suspected romantic interest; Brahms’ Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel Op. 24 with his friendship with Clara Schumann; and tied it all up in an historically accurate but modern and insightful way. 

As an aside, Angela let slip that someone had given her advice early in her career that ‘women shouldn’t play Brahms’, something she insisted even Brahms would have vehemently disagreed with. You cannot but agree with that, what rubbish. 

The program was Mozart first, then JS Bach’s Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor BWV 903 – interval – followed by Handel’s Chaconne in G HWV 435 and the Brahms. It was a beautifully balanced and paced program. 

The Mozart was ‘all opera’, in the performer’s own words, and delighted us with its sunshine and shade. While Bach’s Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, with all its mysterious swirling darkness was elevated to awe-inspiring as it ended, as the piece began, at an exhilarating pace. 

Mention should be made of Angela’s friend on the stage, her favourite brand of piano: Fazioli. Many of us were curious about the instrument, which is fabled for its craftsmanship, and compared notes afterwards.

One thing is clear, it’s hard to separate the player from the instrument and there was an obvious synergy which translated into a clarity of phrasing and articulation which made the intent of the performer crystal clear. So like a Bentley, the Fazioli is as good as its driver. So of course, it sounded at its best. 

The Handel was fresh and fun and the Brahms tied the program together, with the Fugue elevated to the standard of Bach, with its romantic yearnings taking us forward in time and expression from where we began, at the opera with Mozart and his landlady. 

It was lovely to see familiar and new faces in the audience and a fair smattering of students and younger performers. Melbourne’s spring pollen was trying to do its worst, and yet everything was about the lady on stage. I’m so happy to have seen Angela Hewitt and I can’t wait for who comes next. Well done Howlett and Fernon Presents.