Mozart, Brahms, Janáček, Liszt: Libor Novacek (piano) Wigmore Hall, Monday 26.3 2007 (CC)

 

Presented by the Young Concert Artists Trust (YCAT), this concert showcased the talents of young Czech pianist Libor Novacek in an intelligently planned programme. It was good to hear two Mozart Rondos (A minor, K511 and D major, K485, advertised in reverse order). Novacek took a decidedly forward-looking view of K511, emphasising its already aching chromaticisms and lachrymose ascents of line. The brighter D major work revealed a sporadic habit of Novacek's of missing notes, something very obvious in Mozart's transparent textures.

Brahms' F sharp minor Sonata, Op. 2, fared better. Novacek's pedalling was expert, lending a bass richness to his texture without blurring. Yet Novacek insisted on inserting a Lisztian bravura element (double octaves in particular) that carried through even to the desolation of the Andante con espressione. Pre-echoes of Debussy in this second movement were not out of place, surprisingly; this Brahms was in fact the high point of the evening.

Janáček's In the Mists was the nod to Novacek's homeland (interestingly, given the similarity of surnames between composer and pianist, it appears Novacek has shorn his name of a couple of accents – to make it easier on us Western as opposed to Central Europeans?). Novacek brought out the somewhat nostalgic nature of the writing, although the hypnotic chords of the second movement were occasionally marred by shoddy pedal clearances.

Finally, two excerpts from Liszt's Années de pèlerinage. Orage was a virtuoso display of double octaves, wherein Novacek emphasised the bass left-hand, seemingly to pre-empt late Liszt. The interpretatively tough Vallée d'Obermann closed the recital. Alas the opening left-hand melody was lumpy rather than cantabile; more worryingly, certain harmonies were shorn of their quasi-mystical leanings. Novacek missed an obvious 'ray of light‘ moment, too.

There is talent here, to be sure, but much development under a sure teacher is still needed. I have yet to hear his discs (I would like to …) but the overall impression here was of a talent still in need of further development.

 

Colin Clarke

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