Robert Schmidli,
piano
Wednesday Lunchtime
Live
Wesley Music Foundation
Wesley Music Centre
Forrest 15 March
Review by Len Power
If the quality of performance is generally as high as that
of Robert Schmidli playing two Beethoven sonatas, I really must go to lunchtime
concerts more often.
Presented by the Wesley Music Foundation at the Wesley Music
Centre in Forrest, Wednesday Lunchtime Live presents regular lunchtime concerts
with excellent musicians who, surprisingly, perform for no fee. An army of volunteers keeps the concerts
running smoothly and the concerts are very well attended. The minimal admission charge is also a good
incentive to attend.
Robert Schmidli began piano studies in New Zealand and later
continued in Melbourne. He has performed
with a number of orchestras, worked with international artists and done solo
recitals in New Zealand as well as Australia.
According to the program, he also ‘moonlights as a medical specialist in
endocrinology in Canberra and rural NSW’.
He performed two Beethoven piano sonatas. An engaging speaker as well as pianist, he
introduced both items with interesting information about them.
The Piano Sonata No. 22 in F Major, a lesser known sonata
compared to the ones that usually come to mind, has a deceptively quiet opening
which becomes suddenly quite dramatic and then seems to fluctuate almost
playfully in mood. The second movement requires
good pace in the playing leading to a rousing finale. Robert Schmidli’s playing was clear and
colourful throughout and very enjoyable.
The second work, the Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor (The ‘Appassionata’)
is much more well-known. Robert Schmidli
explained that there is constant debate about Beethoven’s motives in writing
this and it was not Beethoven who called it ‘The Appassionata’. Listening to his expert performance of the
work, it still felt highly emotive to this reviewer and it was a delight to
hear it played so well in a live performance.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 ‘Artcetera’ program (9am Saturdays) and
‘Dress Circle’ (3.30pm Mondays).