Beethoven and Debussy might not seem an obvious pairing of composers but visiting British pianist Nicolas Hodges made a convincing argument for the program through his performance in the Great Performers series at the Melbourne Recital Centre. There was interest in the works being the last of their type by each composer, and yet hinting at possible future directions.
Beethoven’s Six Bagatelles, Op.126 for instance, were modern for their time, with some seeming to “change their minds in the middle”, Hodges said in his introductory comments. Fortunately, his performance was so engrossing that one soon forgot to listen for examples, instead, simply listening! What we heard was an authoritative, assured and, at times, stunning rendition of the bagatelles that brought out their many contrasts.
The opening Andante was conventional at first and then exploratory, with trills before a return to the gentle mood of the opening with a rhythmic shift. The pianist played with a lovely assured touch. An Allegro brought an immediate change of pace (literally) and technical demands, as each hand had its own challenges. In this way it was reminiscent of Beethoven’s sonatas. Hodges showed the power of his playing and made one consider how inappropriate the phrase “mere bagatelle” is!
The third bagatelle returned to a walking pace “singingly and gracefully” as per the instructions. With the mood much the same as the first andante, the beautiful arpeggios were notable for their smoothness. Next, the fourth bagatelle was marked presto very fast – and indeed it was, so fast that the pianist made a slight slip in the right hand. The left hand both anchored the work and had a fugue style melody of its own, overpowering the right hand at times. But the right hand was clearly dominant in the next (quasi-allegretto) which had an andante sound compared with the Presto we had just heard. The left-hand offered the harmony and, in that, was quite conventional.
Finally a brilliant introduction heralded the sixth movement with detailed markings. Mainly presto, there was some delicacy towards the end before its showy finish. The bagatelles had been a good choice for Hodges’ first piece.
Piano sonata number 32 was Beethoven’s last, and in the key of C minor. Hodges said in his introduction that Beethoven had changed how the sonata was built. This work was innovative in having just two movements with the slow movement the second. The composer’s style was instantly recognisable from the opening declamatory chords. Hodges brought out the structure of the work as well as easily meeting the challenge of the scales, and music that spanned the keyboard, the right-hand crossing the left for the first but not only time in this sonata.
With the challenging score and virtuosic passages the first movement satisfied the direction fast and vigorous and with passion. In the arietta that followed Hodges articulated one of those beautiful melodies with simple chord accompaniment that are a mark of this great composer. The pianist’s rendition was clearly cantabile but changed dramatically, as a showy section was more like a cadenza then integral to the sonata. (Perhaps Beethoven meant to have a third movement after all!)
Whatever Beethoven penned, Hodges played with respect and authority and great beauty in the final section. With its stunning ending the work encapsulated many of Beethoven’s characteristics although the last quiet chord was unexpected. It is a measure of Hodges’ artistry that this ending was such a contrast – and very moving.
After interval, it was Debussy’s turn, with the 12 Etudes of Book One and Book Two. Studies are not immediately thought of as the most appealing of pieces, especially (as here) in connection with the name of Czerny. Interestingly, Book One had studies in the master’s style – with the first even marked “After Mr Czerny”. These were mainly to practise intervals, whereas Book 2 had greater scope and interest, with studies “for ornaments” and “for contrasting sonorities”, among others.
Hodges infused all 12 pieces with interest. The first set of studies set technical challenges beside music that was at times reminiscent of Debussy’s more lyrical works such as the Petite Suite. The study for sixths had an architectural structure whose balance for the two hands benefited from being observed in live performance. The fifth (for octaves), as expected, was bold assertive and appeared to cover all notes – oddly, however, it had hints of the Golliwogg’s Cakewalk!
Bringing the first Book to a close was the study marked “for the eight fingers”. Where the octave study had demonstrated the power of Hodges’ playing, and contrasts that gave the music texture, this final study was all about virtuosic technique. The audience was glad of the break that followed, to have the opportunity to applaud.
Of course the pianist’s technique was on display for Book Two, but these studies gave greater to scope to admire Hodges’ appreciation of Debussy’s musicality. Delicate, soft passages were as effective as more showy elements, especially when played at a fast tempo. But the final study (“for chords”) added stronger dynamics to the pace and allowed for a truly brilliant ending to the work.
The performance had not only been a showpiece for pianist Nicolas Hodges, it had given a unique insight into the composers as they neared the end of their creative lives.
