This is a well-constructed,
artful programme and it reveals Bax
as a thoughtful, imaginative and technically
accomplished player. It’s nevertheless
startling to hear his quite abrupt articulation
of the opening Bach-Busoni, with staccato
phrasing and superfine clarity, qualities
that become modified and warmed through
increasing tonal amplification and grandeur.
Similarly the Bach-Marcello shows real
perception in pacing and if the slow
movement is not especially moving –
well, this is often very much a question
of taste. For my taste though it’s not.
Whilst not in the Lipatti class his
Bach-Hess has some imaginative weight
of bass pointing – the left hand mobile,
alive and balancing – and in the Gluck-Sgambati
we reach the first plateau. This is
really fine playing – almost Petri-like
in its luminous romanticism. What I
particularly admire is the way in which
Bax brings out middle voices in a piece
often weighted towards bass or treble
sonorities – he doesn’t just pay attention
to a spun legato or a prayerful bass;
this is colouristically and tonally
an enveloping performance.
Good, even trills animate
the Liszt – quite expressively contoured
this, delicately shaded as well – and
his Rachmaninov-Bach is idiomatic and
full of control. When it comes to the
fearsome challenges of the Corelli Variations
we find Bax is equal to the demands.
Technique, stretches, rhythmic problems,
co-ordination – all are tested to the
full. If he doesn’t to the fullest measure
convey its breadth then we can say that
the coda is rapt and he serves notice
as to the kind of musician he has already
become.
Sound quality is warm,
not cloying. Like the playing.
Jonathan Woolf