There is a particular charm to the format 'one keyboard, four hands', not least because of the slack each player has to cut to the other: the mere sight of Steven Osborne and Paul Lewis negotiating overlapping hands in the middle area of the Steinway grand keyboard brings a smile to the face.
But there was much more to bring a smile to the face in this substantial exploration of Schubert's piano music for four hands in the Britten Studio on a grey Sunday afternoon: this was a sparkling occasion, meticulously prepared (thanks to an Aldeburgh Residency) and beautifully executed, with both pianists demonstrating subtlety of touch, delicate restraint whenever it was needed and bravura playing, perfectly aligned and synchronized, at those moments when Schubert lets himself go.
A word first on the acoustic of the new Britten Studio (seating 350) for a piano recital such as this. The sound is full and warm but there is no lack of clarity: a crashing chord followed by a diminuendo to pianissimo works its magic. Lewis and Osborne were absolutely at their best in some of the quiet, hushed legato passages and soft fingerwork produced some magical results. The acousticians have done their work well - if anything they are at the upper limits of brilliant and resonant sound from a well struck grand piano, but on this hearing, solo recitals will be a joy.
The programme took us in an arc from the outgoing and exuberant Allegro in A minor (Lebensstürme - D 947) published by Diabelli in 1840, to the extreme inwardness of the F minor Fantasy (D 940), a work that casts its own spell no matter how many times you have heard it. The opening of Lebensstürme was perhaps the only moment in the entire programme that was fractionally out of alignment: Schubert gives the players crashing chords before the basic pulse of the piece is established, and you could almost hear Lewis and Osborne adjusting as they got onto each other's wavelength. But they managed this quickly and seamlessly and the piece was a delight: an extraordinary profusion of witty ideas, little musical jokes and deft variations of tone and intensity. There was plenty of passion, as there should be, but total control of ambiance and dynamic - a lovely performance of the work.
In the 'lesser' pieces sandwiched between the substantial opening and closing items, charm came to the fore. The Variations on an original theme sound deceptively simple: but played with this degree of subtle understatement, they constantly challenge each player to accommodate what the other is doing. The Fugue is more straightforward but none the less extraordinary for its progressive build-up into a radical harmonic palette that by the end seems to be opening the door to French piano impressionism!
And so to the F minor Fantasy. The opening theme was played with a delicate, restrained dynamic, the repeated, stabbing motif in the right hand of Paul Lewis nestling beautifully in the even, creamy chords produced by Steven Osborne. The musical argument sounded logical, serene, but with just the touch of mournfulness and melancholy that suffuses Schubert's four hand masterpiece. The Largo was beautifully played, with a calm intensity that made the onset of the Scherzo almost a shock. And what a pace they set themselves: at the outer limit of sustainability, I thought. Sure enough, they reined back fractionally, but the passagework was at times breathtaking in its total control, speed and accuracy. But of course the opening theme returns, the outer framework of D 940 is absolutely logical and satisfying, and Lewis and Osborne managed to recreate the spell of its opening bars. A hugely satisfying afternoon of top-notch pianism.
In the spirit of collaborative music making, Osborne took the top half of the piano for the first half of the recital: then swapped with Lewis, who took it for the second. I could scarcely detect the difference between them, so completely were they immersed in Schubert's four hand world. This was a hugely enjoyable and rewarding concert, played by two young pianists at the peak of their keyboard prowess, but always subordinating technique to musicianship. I should love to hear them explore this repertoire further.
Photos: Paul Lewis; Steven Osborne by Steve Ealovega
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