Nadia's great but where's the crowd?
YOU would think a free evening concert featuring a highly talented pianist who has played at the Wigmore Hall in London would be a big draw.
But not so when Nadia Giliova returned on Friday (September 11) to the United Reformed Church in Junction Road, Burgess Hill where she has performed before.
I'd guess the church, which is excellent both for comfort and accoustics, was about a third full but if Nadia was in any way disappointed at the lack of support it did not show in her fine performance.
Nadia sparkled throughout the programme, especially handling the technically trick but immensely attractive Howard Blake's Variations on a Theme of Bartok, which Blake played himself 50 years ago this year as a young man at the Brighton Dome in a competitive musical festival.
Nadia, who has a national and international reputation, received good reviews when she gave the Blake piece what was reported as its public world premiere at the Wigmore Hall last year and I doubt if that performance could have been much better than this.
That lightning quick right hand that meticulously tamed the faster passages throughout a thoroughly entertaining evening also slowed to deftly coax the melodic lines from pieces by Rachmaninov and Chopin.
So while it is fair to say that this was no easy-listening and greatest-hits programme but there was plenty for lovers of good tunes to relish, all played from memory and with passion as well as precision.
Nadia played to help the organ repair funds, and I noticed people were more than happy to hand over some big notes in donations at the end.
At least some classical musical lovers appreciated a bargain when they see one.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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