Charles Matthews returned to the Chapel on October 17th for another hour-long concert of works by Ludwig van Beethoven. What might have seemed a repetitive programme lacking variation was anything but. Charles had based his programme on pieces that are known extraordinarily well – but especially because of their popular nicknames. He opened with the almost iconic Moonlight Sonata – the first movement of which has been tackled by aspiring learners for generations because of its deceptive familiarity, only to floor them entirely when they turn to the vigorous almost demonic closing Presto agitato. After the virtuosic explorations of the Eroica Variations and the magnificent Sonata Pathétique, Charles still found the energy to play an encore of the most instantly recognisable of all Beethoven’s work, Für Elise. Charles played with tremendous clarity throughout, both in the immense dense runs of quavers and in the delicate filigree of quieter movements. The audience left with a sense of real satisfaction after hearing all these works as Beethoven himself would have played them.
Charles visits us again shortly for a piano duet concert of music by Stanford with Lynn Arnold at 7.00 on Friday October 16th, and a month later, on Saturday 28th November, will give another of his hour-long recitals, this time of music requested of him by audiences, under the title Enthusiasms, to include works by Chopin and Bach as well as Satie and others. Do come and enjoy his outstanding playing.