Music / “Afternoon Delights”, Rumsey & Friends, at Wesley Music Centre, October 13. Reviewed by TONY MAGEE

PIANIST Andrew Rumsey and colleagues, devised and presented a varied and highly entertaining afternoon of music.

Visiting Croatian pianist Ivan Horvatic opened the concert with “Black Earth” by Fazil Say and the “Etude No. 1” by Boris Papandopulo.

In both these he displayed flawless technique, heartfelt passion for the music and a command of the piano in both dynamics and shadings with a confidence that left the audience breathless with delight.

Franz Liszt’s famous and hugely popular “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” followed.

Horvatic opted for a “safe” rendition – again flawless in technique, but lacking some of the magic, bravura, fire and dizzy, almost random thoughts, that might occur to someone who is prepared to take a few risks and dismiss the minor wrong notes or flaws that could occur as a result. Ginsberg, Paderewski, Hofmann, Cortot and Tozer were the supreme masters of this style of interpretation.

However, what stood out in Horvatic’s performance was his very economical use of the sustain pedal. Every note, chord, phrase and cadence point was crystal clear and precise. This in itself set up his interpretation as something unique and to be admired.

Ravel’s “Mother Goose Suite” followed with Andrew Rumsey and Horvatic in piano duet. A satisfactory rendition, but one which was more an exercise in sight reading rather than a fully rehearsed performance.

Guitarist Matt Withers premiered two pieces by Canberra composer Sally Greenaway, who introduced the pieces herself. “En Las Sombras” and “Poem III” were both performed with skill by Withers, but his playing was marred by amplification from a small speaker system on stage which had a booming bass frequency at around 800 Hertz.