It is not often that the members of the Boston Concert Club give a standing ovation, but that is what happened at the end of a splendid concert given by pianist Victor Lim.
Victor began the concert with Haydn’s Piano Sonata in C major and this was a lively joyful piece of music played with dash and verve. Haydn wrote this music for a friend of his, Therese Bartolozzi, she must have been a very talented player and what a lovely present to receive.
The next three pieces were Nocturn No 3 in A flat major by Fauré, Grainger’s “Ramble on Richard Strauss’s ‘Der Rosenkavalier’” and Nocturn No 13 in B minor by Fauré. These followed seamlessly from one another and the audience paid rapt attention to Victor’s superlative playing.
After the interval Victor played J S Bach’s “Siciliano” as arranged by Wilhelm Kempff. This was a soothing and gentle beginning to the second half. Then we heard Grieg’s Holberg Suite and in the first of the dances the piano roared away at the beginning, Victor creating a very orchestral sound from the Grammar School piano. The second movement was gentler and songlike, followed by a jolly and fast-moving jig. The fourth movement was slower and the final movement was lively and fast moving with a slower section in the middle and finished in great style and at speed.
This was followed by two very contrasting mazurkas, first Chopin’s Mazurka in A minor and then Thomas Ades “Three Mazurkas”. The two pieces of music couldn’t have been more different; I think that I could have danced to Chopin’s despite there being about 50 different steps to a mazurka (and having two left feet), but Ades version was strictly for listening to. There was a section in the Ades Mazurka that was very bell like.
The highlight of the evening was Ravel’s “La Valse”, my goodness it was dramatic and Victor played with such passion, I felt quite breathless at the end. That standing ovation was justly earned.
Victor played as an encore the Prelude in B minor by Bach as arranged by Siloti. A beautiful ending to an exciting concert.
Afterwards members of the audience congratulated Victor on his wonderful performance and expressed the wish that he would come and play for us again.