This is an enterprising
ClassicO disc of a recital given in
Aarhus by Tonya Lemoh, an Australian
pianist now on the piano faculty at
Copenhagen University. It makes for
a most diverting concert programme and
if some limitations are evident it certainly
doesn’t diminish enthusiasm for some
important features of her musicianship.
Nor indeed of her invigorating choice
of the Bentzon (more later), Ginastera
and the Griffes.
The domestic catalogue
is certainly not groaning under the
weight of Griffes piano recordings,
and that despite the fact that Myra
Hess, no less, recorded a famous disc
of The White Peacock back in 1929. The
piano version is seldom programmed these
days and it’s enjoyable to hear Lemoh’s
performance, though the rather swimmy
acoustic rather drains it of immediacy.
The Fountain of the Acqua Paola fares
rather better in his respect, which
is fortunate as this is a work even
less performed than its Opus mate. I
enjoyed its glittering expressionism
in this performance.
Ginastera’s Danzas
Argentinas must owe something at least
linguistically to Granados but the fruity,
rhythmic nationalism is all Ginastera’s
own. Short though they are the trio
is convincingly played here – there’s
buoyant malambo rhythm for the
first, and a Criollo slow, sinuous
second cousin of Ragtime, dance for
number two. The third is a driving moto
perpetuo, and a malambo of real
vigour, played here with great assurance
and attack.
Chopin’s sonata takes
a while to get going and is consistently
fast in the opening. I enjoyed the good
più lento section in the Scherzo.
It’s a shame that it didn’t settle down
because the makings of an understanding
performance are there. Brave of her
to take on the Liszt, though its gargantuan
presence is clearly not off-putting.
Bentzon’s Suite is
a "transcribed version of a live
performance" that the composer
gave. There are eight movements. He
declined an invitation to write down
his own improvised performance, impishly
declaring that he would write another
sonata instead, so it was Tonya Lemoh
and her husband, Thomas Walbum (Bentzon’s
nephew) who transcribed it. Dating though
it does from the 1970s and fully improvised
it’s still a most rewarding opportunity
to hear some "new" Bentzon.
All the movements are short and they
move from baroque sounding procedures,
to rhythmic drive and neo-classicism.
The Rigaudon is playful, the Courante
surgingly dramatic, the Sarabande compact
and concentrated, the Réjouissance
suitably driving and full of élan,
and the Sicilienne is elegant and weighted
with aplomb.
There’s an encore to
end the concert in the shape of the
Bach-Busoni Ich ruf’ zu dir, Herr
Jesu Christ. She takes a good tempo
but phrase endings are rather droopy
as a result of excessive rubato. But
there are rewarding things here and
Lemoh’s proselytising on behalf of Bentzon
is especially to be welcomed.
Jonathan Woolf
see also review
from Rob Barnett
Tonya Lemoh (piano) 
