University of Virginia Library

Piano Recital

Concert Called 'Superb'

By Myles Tronic

The University's Tuesday
Evening Concert Series has, for its
first two concerts, offered the best
of spiritual food for all of
Charlottesville's musical gourmets.
The second of the Series Concerts
was a superb piano recital presented
on Tuesday evening by Mr. Peter
Frankl.

Mr. Frankl began his recital with
the "Sonata in A Minor, K. 310" of
Mozart. At the start, it was obvious
that Mr. Frankl was more than just
a competent pianist. As are most of
the works of Mozart, the Sonata in
A Minor is very typically
Mozartian, and thus very typically
Classical, but Mr. Frankl did the
sonata a great service by keeping it
out the museum and allowing it to
articulate in the contemporary
concert hall. The last movement of
the work, a vivacious "Presto", is
marked by a great amount of
imitation, Mr. Frankl's tempo was
perfect and his execution, equally
so. If the performance had any
fault, it was a minor one, the use of
a bit too much pedal in the final
movement.

With conclusion of the Mozart,
came a sudden flood of late comers
who were still shuffling around by
the time Mr. Frankl had begun his
second selection, the Beethoven
"Sonata in F sharp Major, Opus
78."

The F sharp sonata begins with a
slow introduction, marked
"Adagio" which soon opens up into
a moderately swift "Allegro"
movement. In the "Allegro", Mr.
Frankl handled the long scale
passages with admirable skill. The
very quick final movement contains
trifling little passages which sound
almost improvisatory, an element
characteristic of a Beethoven
"Scherzo." To the delight of the

audience, Mr. Frankl gave the
sonata's last movement the levity it
so often needed.

For the Beethoven-lovers in the
audience, Mr. Frankl followed up
the F sharp Major Sonata with the
"Sonata in A Major, Opus 101," a
relatively late work of Beethoven.

Mr. Frankl played the opening
"Allegro" with a conservative
tempo. The second movement
which is in the style of a march
contain a very driving rhythm,
some syncopation, and rapid
change in registration which Mr.
Frankl handled with utmost
facility. The following "Adagio," or
slow movement, is comparable to a
brief, somewhat grave mood which
is soon dispelled by the final
"Allegro" a powerful movement of
imitative passages, heavy block
chords, unexpected pauses, long
scale passages, and arpeggios. Here,
Mr. Frankl had the chance to
display his virtuosity which he did
beyond any doubt. By the
immediate and tremendous
applause to this sonata, it was
obvious that the entire audience
was not only convinced of but
impressed by Mr. Frankl's
virtuosity.

The first of the two impromptus
the "G flat Major, Opus 90", is
perhaps the more dangerous of the
two for a pianist. There is always
the risk of turning this piece into an
example of mere maudlin
romanticism, which is so often the
cause. However, Mr. Frankl played
this piece with just reserve and
crystal clarity, a very pleasing
addition. The second impromptu
also from the Opus 90 was
performed in the same manner.

The concluding work in the
recital, Schumann's "Etudes
Symphoniques, Opus 13" was
undoubtedly the most exciting
piece in the virtuoso's program, for
it is an excellent opportunity for
the pianist to display, even show
off his talent. After a somewhat
serious opening the piece evolves
into a romantic, but powerful
contrast of emotions. At certain
points, the listener even gets the
feeling of nostalgia.

The dimensions of "Etudes
Symphoniques" are so wide that it
impresses the listener as a virtual
transcription of an orchestral work.
The dashing brilliance and demand
for virtuosity make the work very
similar to much of the piano music
of Liszt. At the end of the
Symphonic Etudes, as Mr. Frankl's
hands were literally flying all over
the keyboard, all the musical forces
were coming together for what was
a brilliant and just about
overbearing coda. In view of Mr.
Frankl's impeccable performance
and the music's own impressiveness,
this conclusion to the recital was
also its highlight. To be sure, Mr.
Frankl showed sound judgement in
placing "Etudes Symphoniques" at
the end of his program.

The sight of a University
audience responding so well to a
musical concert must have certainly
moved Mr. Frankl, enough so that
he came back to the stage to do an
encore, the "Intermezzo in B flat
Minor, Opus 117" of Brahms which
like everything else, he played
superbly.