October 2007

Dear Music-lover,

The recital by Jill Morton marked her first return to Inverness since last year, when, having tested and recommended the Bosendorfer, she played it in a short “launch” recital. Tonight’s concert was a full recital by this accomplished pianist. I enjoyed hearing a full Beethoven sonata – 25 minutes’ worth! – illustrating that, in these days of “fast food, fast culture”, it is excellent to hear a work constructed in such detail and performed with such precision.


The performances of Ravel’s Jeux d’Eau and Liapounow’s Etude X were much more filled with imagery – of fountains and of dark, thick, virtusoic thematic material. The second half was given over to Book 1 of Debussy’s Preludes. It occurred to me, having hear Ivan Ilic playing many of them last year, that perhaps they form part of a pianist’s “rite of passage”. Through the Bosendorfer, Jill was able to bring out the colours of the music.


The concert was sponsored by Halcrow, whose regional director, John Walker was in the audience with staff and family – including John’s parents, who knew Jill when she was a girl and whom Jill happily met after the concert.
On 13th November, we welcome back the Sacconi Quartet, this time joined by David Campbell (clarinet), to perform the Brahms and Weber quintets - 2 of the classics of the genre. I hope to see you there.

Paul Crowe