Warren Mailley-Smith/Mazury, St John’s Smith Square, review: Dancers enliven this Chopin recital
The Mazurkas themselves emerged pristine: he caught the sweet artlessness and abrupt mood-changes to a T
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It was a nice idea to preface a performance of some of Chopin’s Mazurkas with examples of the dances which inspired them, and the Mazury Dance Company brought the original choreography vividly to life. But why did they have to be accompanied by a badly-amplified orchestral recording, and why were they limited to five minutes before the piano was wheeled on? This prelude could have been so much more effective.
Warren Mailley-Smith is now half-way through his eleven-concert series of Chopin recitals at St John’s, and before the Mazurkas he played the Sonata No 1 in C minor. It was fascinating to encounter this rarely-performed work, and what he did with it was intensely poetic: under his sensitive touch the music grew and ramified persuasively. The Mazurkas themselves emerged pristine: he caught the sweet artlessness and abrupt mood-changes to a T.
But nobody should attempt Chopin’s Etudes in public unless they are absolutely sure of their technical command: part of their beauty should lie in the player’s joyful mastery of their enormous difficulties. This player despatched the first two – the easiest ones – with grace and verve, but thereafter one winced as he struggled.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments