MELVYN
TAN
Town
Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon
There are no gimmicks or razzmatazz with Melvyn Tan. For
decades he has been a pianist of immense gifts content with presenting great
music to the listener simply, and without intruding any distortions.
To Sunday’s Stratford Chamber Music audience he offered a
programme reflecting his long-time absorption
in early music to which he added a more recent interest with post-classic
composers. The musicianship was never beyond doubt, crisp phrasing, neat
ornamentation, two hands becoming as one with a conversational interplay of
voices in Bach’s third French Suite; fantasy, character and energy in Ravel’s
Tombeau de Couperin; flowing impetus, affectionate characterisation and proud
culmination in Schumann’s Carnaval.
Can you sense a “but” coming? It is a big one. Tan’s innate
generosity of response deserved a much-better instrument than the clapped-out
Steinway Model “B” occupying the gracious Town Hall stage.
The Bach emerged as noisy, all Tan’s nuances and colouring
in the Ravel failed to reach us, and the Schumann had moments of unyielding clangour
instead of hard-earned triumph – and gradual worsening of intonation.
Tan bravely gave us a rippling encore, Schubert’s A-flat
Impromptu, introducing it with an apposite comment about the composer never
possessing his own piano, but the remaining impression from this well-planned
recital was sympathy for the pianist’s heroic efforts and despair that such an instrument
should be such a liability at what would make such an attractive concert venue
right in the heart of Stratford.
I know of at least one organisation which would gladly
promote events here. I urge the Council to come up with the decent instrument
this welcoming venue deserves. There are plenty among us who could advise.
Christopher Morley