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Review: Memorable recital of piano music

On Friday June 26th, a gathering of friends and music-lovers witnessed an exceptional recital of piano music by Priyeshni Peiris Perera. The venue was the residence of the Deputy Ambassador for the United States.

With just the right level of resonance, the acoustic ambience inside the hall of the residence was quite agreeable. And thanks to a quiet air conditioner, the temperature and humidity were also comfortable for the pianist and the audience.

Ms Perera is on a visit to Sri Lanka to take a break from her arduous preparations for a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Piano Pedagogy at the Texas Tech University.

She already holds degrees of Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Tennessee and Bachelor in Music and Business Administration from the North Dakota State University. While on a fellowship for the doctorate, Ms Perera's busy schedule includes piano teaching at the university as well.

Her repertoire for the recital was certainly not something that can be described as 'popular' or even familiar.


Priyeshni Peiris Perera

The three composers in her repertoire, (Bach, Faur‚ and Gershwin) span four periods of musical evolution across over two centuries; yet strangely, this great leap had no touchdown to flavour something from the classical era quite apart from the journey's unfamiliar territory.

These comments are not intended to suggest that the choice for the evening's performance signified an element of affectation or exclusivity. On the contrary there was total sincerity and appeal in what she said and how she played.

Though by any standard it was not a repertoire intended to entertain it was an honest, self-propelled challenge to follow her artistic and academic conscience and excel thereat. If her pedagogic role tended to prevail over that of a performer, it is reflective of her musical education and training.

Before commencing each item she made it a point to say a few words, softly and with clarity, about the work she was to play. These introductions indeed were helpful and appreciated.

Bach's sixth Partita in E minor (the first item) is often regarded as the most monumental of the series that was written for the clavichord. Ms Perera's comments and playing underlined the 'problematics' of playing Bach on the modern piano that basically evolved with the romantic period. But to a listener in the audience all these technicalities might well have been afterthoughts.

Ms Perera showed her proficiency in coping with Bach's rhythmic and melodic textures and in keeping a delicate balance between counterpoint and harmony.

Though she declared the penultimate Gavotte as her favourite, the rendering of the Toccata at the very beginning defined her approach and character. There were no virtuosic excesses; the spontaneity, good tonality and crystalline touch were the quintessence of her pianism.

The second item was Gabriel Faure's Theme and Variations in C# Minor. This is certainly not among Faur‚'s creations that were loved and admired either from his early days or from the enigmatic later years. It is a demanding work with eleven complex variations on the theme.

In her introductory comments Ms Perera compared the theme's mood to a slow funeral march and demonstrated on the piano the ascending step-wise melody with its repetitive rhythm.

The penultimate variation's high-voltage intensity was played with a degree of panache that might have suggested a climactic conclusion to the variations; but indeed a contrastingly meditative final variation contributed to a deeply evocative ending to the work.

George Gershwin's "Embraceable You" was a fitting and expectant title to end the evening's recital. However, it was not quite in the form Gershwin had composed. Ms Perera chose this particular title from among seven virtuoso transcriptions of Gershwin's songs by American pianist/composer Earl Wild, one of twentieth century's greatest pianists.

Her touchingly delivered comments on "Embraceable You" seemed specially directed to embrace her old teachers in the audience and friends who had known and heard her play from the time she was a talented four-year old.

The scintillating deluge of rapidly cascading arpeggios and scales never drowned Gershwin's enchanting melodic line; her playing truly complemented the nostalgia implicit in her words and the sense of occasion that prevailed.

Ms Perera has completed the solo segment of her doctoral program. She's yet to complete her Chamber Performances, Lecturing Cycles/Recitals and a Dissertation.

The fond wishes and expectations of her close relations and those who knew her in the early days will be that Ms Perera would successfully complete her doctorate and return to Sri Lanka to adorn the teaching and performing arenas of Western music in Sri Lanka.

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