11:54am Monday 8th March 2010
By Reg Burnard
From the first measured chords of Sonata in C, Reliquie, so divinely weighted, to the ravishing resonances of the Presto of the posthumously published Sonata in A, Imogen Cooper held a capacity audience in the palm of her hand.
Her regal poise on stage matched the maturity of her playing: Not for her the acrobatics of conducting an imaginary orchestra with flailing arms and hands: Just the music, pure, undefiled.
Her programme concentrated on the final six years of Schubert’s life which could have augured heavily.
But Miss Cooper’s playing emphasised the wide spectrum of Schubert’s emotions; and his fears. The opening sonata, with its deeply articulated bass, was bursting with tension, so adroitly controlled and, when Schubert finds a lighter vein, Miss Cooper allowed it to sing through.
Four Impromptus were for me the gem of the evening. The fourth, Allegro scherzando, not so often played and normally murdered, was exceptional. The surprise factor was there, the filigree weft was so delicate yet it had sustenance and body.
The second half comprised Sonata in A. Miss Cooper seemed to live its sheer grandeur, emotional landscape and complexity. No wonder she looked drained as she took repeated rounds of applause. So was the audience. Any encore would have been superfluous.
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