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Phillip T Young Recital Hall
July 7, 2007
"No wonder that these last works were long considered the postscriptum of exhausted genius. They needed the slow filtering of time to show them for what they are: a window giving upon the soul of Johannes Brahms."
In writing about the late piano pieces of Brahms, Glenn Gould (not necessarily the first name that comes to mind in connexion with this composer) could well have been anticipating Saturday evening's marvellous all-Brahms recital by Arne Sahlen, given, in tribute to the late Robin Wood, under the aegis of the Victoria Piano Summer School. Every selection in the programme was, we are told, chosen to highlight "aspects of Robin Wood and his immortal impact as a teacher, or of Brahms the deeply expressive and astonishingly creative composer."
Aside from a handful of the Op.39 waltzes and the andante from the Op.5 sonata, all of the music selected by Sahlen was from the last four groups of piano pieces; his performances not only bore out Gould's claim, but also underlined Sahlen's own affinity with and affection for the music.
From the opening piece, the Intermezzo Op.118 No.2, it was clear that Sahlen is a wonderful Brahms player, his fluid pianism and warm tone illuminating the music superbly. And, although the only complete opus on offer would be Op.117, Op.118 No.2 was succeeded by No.3, the Ballade in g minor, in which Sahlen produced a big tone which never become harsh or muddied in the climaxes.
Three of those Op.39 waltzes, which comprise some of Brahms's most appealing and untroubled music, came together in a group - all in E major; while the most famous of them all, No.15 (the one which sounds like a gently dancing version of Brahms' Lullaby) stood alone. All four were an absolute delight and the perfect counterexample for anyone who still, like Paul Dukas, believes Brahms to be "too much beer and beard".
The programme closed with the slow movement from Brahms's last piano sonata, Op.5 - strangely, for such a classicist, he abandoned the piano sonata very early. This, said Sahlen, was his favorite single movement in the whole literature - and it showed, in a performance of considerable delicacy, passion and power - even if the combination of these last two did lead, the fortissimos, to the only slightly clangourous playing of the evening.
Throughout the evening Sahlen maintained a commendably informal attitude to his audience; his spoken introductions (for the most part commendably audible in a hall which is not kind to the speaking voice) were informative and interesting; his illustrations at the keyboard led me to want to hear him playing Chopin as well as Brahms; he even felt relaxed enough to comment on his slight memory lapse during the first of the group of Op.39 waltzes, to remark "that wasn't Brahms...that was an Arne moment."
Frankly I found his attitude to the audience most appropriate - late Brahms is, after all, not spectacular public music-making, but intimate and private. I can imagine the composer himself playing these pieces to his friends and commenting in similar fashion.
Although this was - remarkably - the first time I have ever heard Sahlen play, it will most certainly not be the last. Brahms may not be the world's most popular composer of solo piano music, but faced with a recital of this stature, it is difficult to understand why.
Although I never had the fortune to hear Robin Wood play, this recital was a fine tribute to a man who was obviously an inspiring teacher.
And for those of you unfortunate - or foolish - enough to miss this performance, there will be a repeat of the programme (with a couple of extra pieces) next Sunday, July 15, at 2:30 in the same venue.
Don't miss it.
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