London Piano Festival 2022: Schubertiade

Ballroom dancing is hardly seen outside of Vienna nowadays, and thank God the fortune and prospect of a happy life no longer rests on them.

This is particularly good news for pianists, most of whom I know–apart from the ballet dancer-turned legendary pianist Angela Hewitt–are pretty terrible dancers.

Oddly enough, there were a lot of crossing and joining of hands tonight, and even some crossing of feet, at the Schubertiade of the London Piano Festival. It was pleasantly surprising to be reminded of a ballroom dance as we witnessed two pairs of hands dance around one keyboard to Schubert’s exquisitely beautiful tunes, melodies twirling and pirouetting, intertwining with each other and then gracefully parting ways.

The audience was of a more youthful age than last night’s. I mean run-between-your-legs-chasing-each-other youthful. There used to be a children’s concert at every London Piano Festival but they had to do away with it after COVID, so it was nice to see it didn’t scare the kids away. Unlike conservatoire pianists, in whose eyes Schubert is sacred because of the exquisite beauty of his music–and hence represents the daunting pinnacle of pianism–Schubert is a delight to the younger audience members. They often leave the concert hall with musical earworms to remember all night long.

It was a more lighthearted Schubert, one who was happy to be playing with friends, that we encountered at King’s Place tonight.

The term “Schubertiade” is actually a term coined by Schubert’s friends and later adopted by scholars referring to the informal gatherings and soirées in which poetry was read and music was shared, a setting which saw the premiere of most of Schubert’s compositions, hence the name. To recreate this intimate and fraternal environment, couches and a lamp were set up in one corner of the stage in Schubert’s honour (just kidding) where the performers sit as a pair step up for each performance. The four performers all take turns to perform four-handed works by Schubert, in all the combinations possible. For me, the presence of other performers on stage sitting and listening did create a different atmosphere for the listeners below.

What’s more, a thread of friendship and mentorship runs through the four performers tonight, who also span three generations: Dominic Degavino was taught by Charles Owen; Katya Apekisheva and Charles Owen are long-time friends and form an acclaimed duo; Imogen Cooper mentored them all at some point in their lives. This interweaving thread is perhaps one of the reasons why there is such great chemistry between the “dancers”.

First up was Katya and Dominic, who played the famous Military March in D major. The playfulness was apparent, and the slight push-and-pull rubato effected by Katya playing Secondo, combined with the subtle changes of touch in Dominic’s playing created varied, humourous tellings of this simple yet catchy theme. It was the right piece to put us all in a good mood.

Charles and Imogen followed this with Allegro in A minor, (Lebensstürme), which was arguable my favourite performance of the night. The dramaticism of the music suited the ever-passionate Charles, who was on the Primo part. The opening chords thundered above our heads and plunged us right into the heart of Schubert’s stormy passions. But the second subject was exquisite, and the nimble strokes of Charles’ melodies over the dabs of rich and warm colours created by Imogen in the Secondo part roused some indescribable feelings in me. There were some really magical moments when every seemed to be suspended and floating.

The first half ended with Schubert’s best-loved four-hand composition, the F minor Fantasy, performed tonight by Dominic and Imogen. It’s interesting to see not only different people playing, but also the part they play. With Imogen in control–she insists on pedalling when she plays Primo, an unorthodox choice–a more stately and solemn Schubert appears, just the right mood for the only really dark piece in tonight’s programme.

After the interval came Charles and Katya playing the second movement–Andantino varié–from Divertissement sur des motifs originaux français, a little known work. The lightness of Katya’s touch really moved me; it was like a thin, misty veil, both there and not there, which you can see but cannot touch. The duo’s long-time partnership was apparent; they moved as one, and it felt like there were two hands with twenty fingers playing rather than four hands with ten. A wonderful example of the importance of years of experience in playing together.

After a wonderful Rondo in A major played by Dominic and Charles, in which the pair demonstrated their keen sensibility to the great variety of colours offered by Schubert’s music, the evening ended with an exuberant performance of the Variations on an original theme in A flat by Katya and Imogen, with Imogen playing Primo. Because of Imogen’s choice to control the pedal, somehow there seemed to be more of an equal partnership between both parts; both were really melodic, and so rather than there being a melody and an accompaniment it felt like there were two voices singing to each other.

In this more relaxed setting that the London Piano Festival has created tonight, it was delightful to see the four players “dance” with each other in different pairs, moving in many different way through the colourful plains of Schubertian sound. They got inspiration from each other and transmitted the inspiration generated from their musical camaraderie to the audience below. Isn’t that what a Schubertiade is all about?