TODAY we expect as normal brilliant technical facility from all top-line musicians; if performances are to rise above that norm then extra dimensions are sought - refined, sensitive musicianship, an imaginative fusion of poetry and drama; sublime reflection and sheer brutish energy.
A pianist selecting Mozart and Listz for a programme must possess all those attributes.
That Paul Janes, the Kendal Midday Concert Club's recent guest, is such a pianist was evident as he delighted a capacity audience with performances of captivating virtuosity.
His Mozart - a small Rondo (K511) and a nonconformist Sonata (K331) - possessed a classical simplicity and beauty of line in which the most refined of details were explicitly illuminated.
Limpid passage work, perfect tonal quality and balance, an awareness of part-writing - all were there.
And then, Listz's B Minor Sonata! - a monumental masterpiece receiving a monumental performance.
Its many contrasting moods were effectively captured and one could only sit back and revel - if not in the nuts and bolts of the music, perhaps in the sheer dexterity with which Mr Janes dealt with the severe complexity of the score.
A formidable pianist, indeed.
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