Alexandra Dariescu, Town Hall

An appreciative audience at Tuesday evening’s Devizes Festival concert was privileged to hear a piano recital given by the young and extremely gifted Romanian pianist, Alexandra Dariescu. Her recital opened with the first four pieces from Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op.12. Her performance clearly brought out Schumann’s dual personality – Eusebius, the introvert, and Florestan, the extrovert. Alexandra is blessed with a phenomenally fluent keyboard technique allowing her to explore the heights of the pianist’s repertoire. This was revealed in her dazzling performance of Chopin’s 24 Preludes Op. 28. These pieces not only require a high degree of virtuosity but also playing of the utmost delicacy and expression. Alexandra gave us a performance full of virtuoso brilliance of high drama coupled with lyricism and tenderness. This lyrical and expressive side of her playing was a major feature of the beautiful Sonata in F minor, K.466 by Domenico Scarlatti, performed with an intimacy which spoke directly to the individual members of the audience. Beethoven’s Sonata in F, Op.10 No.2 was played in a manner which brought out Beethoven’s brusque sense of humour. In the finale her clear and accurate finger work was a delight to hear.