BY SAMUEL COTTELL
Gerard Willems in Recital
St. Jude’s Church, Bowral, 22 May
As you drive into the small town of Bowral, you can see miles and miles of open space. Flat valleys of lush green grass highlight the landscape, and the road side is lined with trees showing traces of the autumn weather.
Arriving at St. Jude’s Church, I was also struck by the beautiful architecture of the building: the sandstone providing a patterned texture and resonance. This was the perfect prelude to an afternoon recital by concert pianist Gerard Willems as part of the St. Jude’s Music Association recital series, which sees many renowned musicians performing there all year round.
As Willems entered the room and took to the stage, there was a sense of awe from the audience which, after welcoming him with rapturous applause, never lost its attention for the duration of the recital. Willems began the recital with two Scarlatti Sonatas (C Major- K 159 and E Major- K 380), demonstrating his command of light touch at the piano. His florid decorations and execution of the scale passages were bright and brilliant and set the tone for the remainder of the recital.
Before he performed the next piece on offer, Willems addressed the audience about the history and development of sonata form, outlining that Haydn had taken the ideas set forth by composers before him and developed them into what we now know as sonata form. This address was aptly demonstrated in a fiery performance of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in D Minor, Op.31 No.2, The Storm. This was Willems at his best, demonstrating the contrast between the fiery passion of Beethoven, juxtaposed with the more lyrical and tender side of the composer’s nature. Here, Willems’ fine fingerwork had the piano singing and then booming with ferocious energy that displayed what music is all about. The lyrical melodies soared from the piano as Willems’ precision allowed the music to unfold, displaying all the drama and awe found in this piece.
At the centrepiece of the recital was a collection of pieces by Edvard Grieg. Before performing the works, Willems talked to the audience about Grieg’s life and his unhappy marriage to his wife. Willems also talked about giving a performance at Troldhaugen. He went on with the The Lonely Wanderer, an introspective piece that depicts the thoughts of the composer as he wanders through the country side of Norway. Willems approached the loneliness with a tender touch and the let the musical phrases unfold with utmost care. The spacing in the phrasing allowed the harmony to linger for just the right amount of time before moving to the next phrase, giving a sense of the open space that Grieg might have been standing in. This was followed by The Butterfly, an energetic and lively piece that glided up the keyboard. Willems caressed the ascending melodic material as it developed and paused in the exact right moments, allowing for moments of reflection before resuming the busy rhythmic path that had been set forward. The most famous of Grieg’s output was most likely his Peer Gynt suite. Willems selected Morning Moods for the inclusion in his recital. Here, he tenderly allowed the harmony to unfold, with space in the melodic line to echo around the church as he drew out the inner voices in the harmony, giving the piece a sense of surprise and delight.
Next on offer was the Polonaise in C# minor, Op.26 No.1 by Chopin, a last minute change to the program that connected the sense of melancholy found in the Grieg (as Chopin, who lived in France most of his life, reflected on his native Poland). Willems executed this work with a grand finesse and demonstrated his crackerjack technique that saw him gliding up the keyboard when executing the the difficult scales and arpeggios. There was a fiery energy to this piece, but Willems’ demeanour was at all times calm. The program concluded with a dazzling rendition of Chopin’s B minor Scherzo, Op.20 that was polished and energetic.
As an encore, Willems returned to the stage and performed Chopin’s Eb Major Etude The Harp, glistening and sparkling over the full range of the piano. This work shone as the gentle and lyrical unfolding of the melody and accompaniment. Here Willems demonstrated his deep understanding and affinity for this music.
Overall, this was a delightful and engaging afternoon recital for the people of Bowral, delivered by one of Australia’s most respected pianists, with a well-selected program of music that was, in essence, a reflection of Willems’ career as a concert pianist. It was the ideal setting for a Sunday afternoon of fine music presented with zest and complete passion and commitment to the craft. It occupied the beautiful setting of St. Jude’s Church as the sun started to set, entering the stained glass windows from behind the piano and reminding the audience of the beautiful colours that had been painted by this exquisite performer.
Image supplied.
