reviewed by Neville Cohn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
As I listened to fortepianist Geoffrey Lancaster\u2019s recently\nreleased compact disc recording devoted to three of Mozart\u2019s keyboard sonatas,\nI wondered how some of my colleagues would respond to his approach to these\nworks. For those for whom a strict, unwavering beat (apart from a rit at the\nend of this or that section of the work) is a non-negotiable requirement,\nLancaster\u2019s recordings could well trigger apoplectic responses from those\nunable \u2013 or unwilling – to accept that these sonatas are presented in a way\nthat was standard practice during the composer\u2019s lifetime and for a long time\nafterwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\nLancaster playing Mozart in Hong Kong last year
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
As a young grand-pupil of Lili Kraus, I accepted without\nquestion that, in Mozart or Haydn, a\nsteady beat, with hands strictly co-ordinated, was de rigueur throughout. This\nis ever present in the Mozart recordings of, say, Walter Gieseking whose performances\nwere \u2013 and still are for millions of listeners – considered the last word in\nthe way to play the works of the Salzburg master. I\u2019d like to think, though,\nthat even this very great artist, after careful consideration, might have conceded\n– at least in part – the validity of\nLancaster\u2019s revivifying approach to Mozart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope these recordings receive a very wide listenership. They\ndeserve it. In his retrieval of near-forgotten historic performing modes,\nLancaster\u2019s offerings warrant the highest praise and the widest listenership.\nThis compact disc is a compendium of marvels. Even the least important\nsuccession of notes is treated with utmost care and, always, infused with\nbeauty of tone and expression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These performances are a joy from first note to last. I look\nforward very much to Lancaster\u2019s recordings of more of Mozart\u2019s sonatas \u2013 each\none prefaced by what comes across as if it were an on-the-spot extemporisation\nby the soloist, a procedure that was standard practice at the time Mozart\u2019s\nsonatas were being written. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As ever, Lancaster\u2019s liner notes are a joy to read. They\nought to be required reading by anyone preparing a Mozart piano work for\nperformance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am certain that I am not the only listener looking forward\nwith great anticipation to Lancaster\u2019s next recording of the keyboard sonatas\nof Mozart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Geoffrey Lancaster (fortepiano)\u2019 Tall Poppies TP260 reviewed by Neville Cohn As I listened to fortepianist Geoffrey Lancaster\u2019s recently released compact disc recording devoted to three of Mozart\u2019s keyboard sonatas, I wondered how some of my colleagues would respond to his<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":238,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-live-performance"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/image1-1.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9Yv33-3O","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":108,"url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/geoffrey-lancaster-fortepiano-james-huntingford-fortepiano\/","url_meta":{"origin":236,"position":0},"title":"Geoffrey Lancaster (fortepiano) James Huntingford (fortepiano)","author":"reviewer","date":"July 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"WAAPA Music Auditorium reviewed by Neville Cohn Prior to the performance at WAAPA Auditorium on Saturday, how many concertgoers, I wondered, would have realised that the opening item on the program, listed as Bagatelle in A minor, was,\u00a0 in fact, \u00a0the much-loved Fur Elise? And as Geoffrey Lancaster ushered in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Live Performance"","block_context":{"text":"Live Performance","link":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/category\/live-performance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":63,"url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/beethoven-piano-sonatas-andor-foldes-piano\/","url_meta":{"origin":236,"position":1},"title":"Beethoven – Piano Sonatas Andor Foldes (piano)","author":"reviewer","date":"May 31, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Andor Foldes (piano) Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Op 13 (Pathetique); opus 28 (Pastorale); opus 31 No 2 (Tempest); opus 53 (Waldstein); opus 57 (Appassionata);opus 81a (Les Adieux); opus 101; opus 109 DGG Eloquence 482 5854 (2CDs) TPP: 79\u201926\u201d & 74\u201909\u201d reviewed by Neville Cohn \u00a0 Beethoven\u2019s Les Adieux sonata is not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Recordings - CDs"","block_context":{"text":"Recordings - CDs","link":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/category\/recordings-cds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"BEETHOVEN_Sonatas_Foldes_master","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newozartsreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/4825854_BEETHOVEN_Sonatas_Foldes_master-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":187,"url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/royal-schools-music-club-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":236,"position":2},"title":"Royal Schools Music Club","author":"reviewer","date":"November 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Darlington Ensemble Eileen Joyce Studio, UWA reviewed by John Meyer \u00a0 The November concert saw Associate Concertmaster of WASO, Semra Lee-Smith (a founding member of the Darlington Ensemble) join with associate artist Gladys Chua in an attractive programme of works for violin and piano.\u00a0 The two most substantial pieces were\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Live Performance"","block_context":{"text":"Live Performance","link":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/category\/live-performance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Semra and Gladys","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Semra-and-Gladys.jpeg-e1542345653303-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":69,"url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/grigory-sokolov-piano\/","url_meta":{"origin":236,"position":3},"title":"Grigory Sokolov (piano)","author":"reviewer","date":"March 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Schubert, Beethoven, Rameau DG 479 5426 reviewed by Neville Cohn \u00a0 During the years when I taught music criticism, I would, early on in the course, ask how many of the students had listened to Beethoven\u2019s Hammerklavier piano sonata, either \u2018live\u2019 or\u00a0 recorded. Not a single student had done so.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Recordings - CDs"","block_context":{"text":"Recordings - CDs","link":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/category\/recordings-cds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sokolov","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newozartsreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/028947954262-Cvr-300x270.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":94,"url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/eileen-joyce-the-complete-studio-recordings\/","url_meta":{"origin":236,"position":4},"title":"Eileen Joyce \u2013 The Complete Studio Recordings","author":"reviewer","date":"June 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"DECCA 482 6291\u00a0 (10 CDs) reviewed by Neville Cohn I was a junior school boy when Eileen Joyce came to Cape Town and I still recall the thrill of hearing the great Australian pianist playing Beethoven\u2019s Fur Elise as an encore \u2013 and her predilection for wearing a different gown\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Recordings - CDs"","block_context":{"text":"Recordings - CDs","link":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/category\/recordings-cds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Eileen Joyce","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/T1619_Eileen-Joyce-Australian-pianist-230x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":67,"url":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/bartok-piano-works\/","url_meta":{"origin":236,"position":5},"title":"Bartok: Piano Works","author":"reviewer","date":"May 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Andor Foldes (piano) Eloquence DGG 480 7100 (4CDs) TPT: 212\u2019 06\u201d reviewed by Neville Cohn \u00a0 In the 1950s, South Africa was very far from the main highways of the international concert circuit. So, when Andor Foldes arrived to give concerts in Johannesburg and Cape Town, it was a visit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Recordings - CDs"","block_context":{"text":"Recordings - CDs","link":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/category\/recordings-cds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bartok CD","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newozartsreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Bartok-Foldes-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ozartsreviewonline.com\/oz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/image1-1-1.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1\")