Moments Musicaux to soothe the soul

I have, I must admit, a weakness for Franz Schubert, and in particular for his chamber and solo piano works. And yes, it isn't what one might expect from a bureaucrat, but then again, I prefer lyric romanticism to completion in triplicate.

And so Ros and I found ourselves en route to Snape Maltings yesterday for a piano recital by Christian Blackshaw. The programme, Six Moments Musicaux (D780), the Sonata in A minor (D784) and the Sonata in B flat major (D960), was familiar but not wholly so, and we took our seats with some anticipation.

The Moments Musicaux are an old favourite of mine, with a Geza Anda recording often getting an airing, and I found some of the choices of tempo not entirely to my liking, the third being played as though the artist had a train to catch (odd really, given that the branch line to Snape closed in the early-sixties and never carried passenger traffic anyway). However, those reservations aside, the quality of the performance shone through, with the fifth and sixth Moments conveyed with real emotion.

The Sonata in A minor is a piece that I couldn't recall, and looks forward to the twentieth century in terms of its construction. And again, it was performed with flair and dexterity, receiving a rapturous response from elements of the audience, as we went into the interval.

Interestingly, Ros spotted a number of familiar faces during the interval, indicating that Snape is one of the county's high society gathering points. That said, given the quality of the performance, and the nature of the event, a fundraiser for the Treehouse Appeal, it was unsurprising that a number of the 'local gentry' were in attendance.

The B flat major Sonata is one of my personal favourites, displaying all of the aspects of Schubert's work I find most appealing, the warmth, the lyricism and the infectious melody, and I was not to be disappointed, as Christian Blackshaw wamed towards a spirited and irresistible performance of the scherzo, before launching into the final rondo. More rapturous applause, all of it well deserved.

The encore that the audience demanded followed, and we then headed out as dusk fell over the heaths of coastal Suffolk for the drive back of Creeting St Peter, all the better for a thoroughly good evening out.