Stephen Beville Pilgrimage Opus 111 Southernhay United Reformed Church Friday 31 May 2019

Stephen Beville
Pilgrimage Opus 111
Southernhay Churh
Friday 31 May

On a balmy spring evening Stephen Beville held an audience at Southernhay Church spellbound for two hours with a simple and brilliant demonstration of pianistic skill. Without preamble Stephen emerged from the vestry, walked casually to the grand piano and began to play.

Without a word he embarked on Franz Liszt's première 'Année de Pèlerinage' - Suisse (first Year of Pilgrimage - Switzerland). Between them Stephen and Franz Liszt took the listeners on a quite extraordinary pilgrimage through the Swiss countryside. Although there wasn't time to visit the Vallée d'Obermann, the journey took in the 'Chapelle de Guillaume Tell', and travelled 'au Lac de Wallenstadt', before ambling 'au bord d'une source'.

Stephen did not need to introduce the music, as his detailed notes on the programme gave all the relevant information, including Liszt's choice of poetry (mostly Byron) to reflect the mood of each piece. The most exciting of all was 'Orage' (Storm), which was a mighty tempest indeed. The subsequent 'Eclogue' was a peaceful and pastoral as the storm was wild. Even gentler was 'Le Mal du Pays' (Homesickness), evoking Liszt's yearning for his homeland. Finally ' Les Cloches de Genève' (The Bells of Geneva) introduced the theme of tolling bells which would feature in the second half of the concert.

While Stephen retired to the vestry once more, the audience members marveled at the spectacular nature of the recital they had just heard and wondered where Stephen would be taking them next.

Very soon Stephen returned and embarked, without comment, on a very different and much more recent composition: Arvo Pärt's 'Fur Alina' (1976), which is a deceptively simple piece demanding very precise performance. Stephen's technical and emotional control of each delicate melodic phrase perfectly represented Pärt's longing to see his friend Alina who was travelling abroad. As Stephen explained in his notes, this was the 'alternative side' of Liszt's 'Mal du Pays'.

The theme of bells was also extended in Pärt's use of 'tintinabuli', a style he invented himself specifically for this piece - and used again in 'Spiegel im Spiegel' for piano and violin, which Stephen performed two years ago with Jonathan Storer, on 26 May 2017.

The 'main course' of Friday's concert was Stephen's reprise of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No 32, Opus 111, which can be heard on Stephen's album CD 'In Karlsruhe'. This powerful performance showed off Stephen's versatility and skill to the full. The opening 'Maestoso' was majestic and arresting, full of exciting and thrilling themes. The 'Arietta' is initially gentle and seductive. Stephen's incredible ability to draw out different moods from the piano held the listeners transfixed, waiting to hear where the music would take them next.

Almost imperceptibly, Stephen brought more and more life and passion to the original theme, which developed into a lively escapade with playful themes almost like twentieth century jazz. Stephen's performance of the Arietta was twenty minutes of sensational music, calming and invigorating in equal measure. From its opening tranquility to its equally gentle ending Stephen led the audience on one more exciting journey - a journey of pleasure and discovery.

After the concert audience members were generous in their praise of Stephen's playing, congratulating him and encouraging him to talk more about the wonderful music he had been playing. More importantly, when would Stephen be in concert again? Watch this space for details!