The Alexander & Buono Foundation presents Rupert Egerton-Smith in Review
Rupert Egerton-Smith, piano
The Kosciuszko Foundation, New York, NY
April 30, 2024
This evening’s concert is part of an exciting season for pianist Rupert Egerton-Smith where, on his first East Coast tour, he has performed at The Church in Sag Harbor, The Lambs, and tonight at the Kosciuszko Foundation in New York City presented by the Alexander & Buono Foundation.
The program, which looked appealing to all kinds of audiences, was in six sections, each meant to represent an important part of the evolution of keyboard writing – from the harpsichord to the jazz idiom. One would probably need several concerts to truly dive deep on this kind of evolutionary journey, but Mr. Egerton-Smith managed to give us a nice sampling from most of the representative styles of keyboard writing.
Mr. Egerton-Smith began with two sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757). These two well-known sonatas are gems among the 555 keyboard sonatas the composer wrote. The Sonata in B minor, K. 27, was played boldly and displayed expert handling of the layered textures and the many hand-crossings. Within this, however, one did seem to want a more tender and supple approach that communicated the longer line. The B-section was much more colorful and handled with care. The second sonata, K. 96 in D major, is nicknamed “La Chasse” because of its allusion to the sounds of hunting horns. Mr. Egerton-Smith communicated this character with clarity and with a sense of joy and a buoyant pulse. The repeated notes and the hands-crossing sections were equally impressive. The B-section explored sonorities and probed at the meaning of these ever-changing harmonies while still exploiting the technical bravura of the work.
Next on the program was a set by Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) – two etudes and one ballade. Mr. Egerton-Smith’s rendering of the two etudes, Op. 10, No. 5 in G-flat major, “Black Key,” and Op. 25, No. 11 in A minor, “Winter Wind,” were both performed with definition and tremendous clarity. It is obvious that Mr. Egerton-Smith has overcome the technical challenges of these demanding etudes, but I was more interested in the poetic side of these works. The “Black Key” was charming and joyful but lacked the pacing it needed to keep the piece afloat. The “Winter Wind” had great sweep and pulse, however, I felt that the performer was holding back, which left me wanting more freedom and abandon from this performance. The larger work was the Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47. The opening of this work is elusive, and Mr. Egerton-Smith was able to capture its mystery and lure the audience into Chopin’s world immediately. By the time we get to the second theme, we hear Mr. Egerton-Smith’s meticulous pedaling – a dryer version which communicated something different and more upbeat than we’re used to hearing. What was lacking again was a more natural sense of pacing and climax. The C-sharp minor section was very impressive but didn’t lead to the heroic transformation of the theme, however, the coda was very well played. It was exciting and ended the piece with great satisfaction.
We stayed in the Romantic Era with the Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118, No. 2, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), one of his late character pieces. This work is a favorite of pianists because of its tender melodies, rich harmonies, and beautiful sentiment. Mr. Egerton-Smith was able to capture all those characteristic qualities that make it uniquely Brahms in this performance.
The last work on the first half of the recital is the movement Ondine from Gaspard de la nuit, M. 55, by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). Here Mr. Egerton-Smith created a hypnotic atmosphere from the very beginning and the melody that represents the sea nymph Ondine was played hauntingly. The buildup to the climax was exciting and displayed technical mastery. Mr. Egerton-Smith was able to beautifully sculpt the shape of this work and reveal to the audience the magical sonorities and color of the Impressionist style.
Though the first half of this program had wonderful repertoire and some exquisite playing, I was having trouble finding a real throughline from piece to piece. These works are representative of much of the important keyboard writing but I wondered how they connected to the performer and who he was as an artist? And, if the intention was to trace the history of keyboard works, why was the Classical Era omitted? I was left wondering what was in store for the second half. Luckily, it did not disappoint!
Mr. Egerton-Smith began with the Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36, by Sergey Rachmaninoff (1873-1943). He chose to play the original version from 1913 which he said to find more effective than the reworked version from 1931. This powerful sonata is in three movements and exemplifies the characteristic writing of the late-Romantic era and of Rachmaninoff himself. The first movement, Allegro agitato, begins bombastically and Mr. Egerton-Smith captured the passion and intensity of the first theme magnificently. The nostalgic chorale of the second theme was sensitively played with great nuance, and the esoteric ending was thoughtfully handled. The second movement, Non allegro – Lento was gorgeously played. Mr. Egerton-Smith was even able to skillfully orchestrate and differentiate the many layers written for distinct registers of the piano. The third movement, L’istesso tempo – Allegro molto, however, was the highlight of this work for me tonight. Mr. Egerton-Smith not only was in complete technical command but conveyed the emotional excess of the work as if it were pouring out of him uncontrollably –a tremendous feat!
The final set on the program was a selection of three pieces from Seven Virtuoso Études based on Gershwin Songs. These transcriptions were written by pianist Earl Wild (1915-2010) from the famous tunes of legendary American composer George Gershwin (1898-1937). Étude No. 4 (Embraceable You) had an improvisatory quality, and Mr. Egerton-Smith captured the natural flow and sweep – the main melodic material was well-defined among Wild’s pianistic filigree. A more upbeat number followed in Étude No. 6 (I Got Rhythm). Mr. Egerton-Smith performed this work with complete freedom and enjoyment. This was also true for Étude No. 7 (Fascinatin’ Rhythm), which had élan and a tongue-in-cheek charm, especially in the waltz-like section. After bows, Mr. Egerton-Smith treated us to an improvised encore of Summertime from Porgy & Bess.
Mr. Egerton-Smith is a pianist and musician of the highest caliber. The second half of the program, in particular, showcased his deep connection to the repertoire, resulting in a generous and memorable experience for the listeners. I eagerly anticipate future performances by Mr. Egerton-Smith, hoping for the same electrifying energy that illuminated tonight’s second half, perhaps through more daring and innovative programming choices.
by Walter Aparicio for New York Concert Review; New York, NY
