LF 26: Javier Perianes Piano Recital
Dunbar Parish Church, 12/9/2026
Javier Perianes (piano)
An earlier start than normal brought me from Clackmannanshire to Dunbar Parish Church for an 11 am piano recital by Spanish virtuoso Javier Perianes on 12th September. His “basket of goodies” programme promised a mix of expressive Chopin with stylish Manuel de Falla, with dazzling Albéniz for desert, anticipated to be well worth the schlep. And so it was.
A pair of nocturnes set the ball rolling. Falla’s ‘Nocturno’ was wistful and dreamy, with little Iberian turns of phrase, especially wee flicks at the ends of lines, and major-key inclusions.. Chopin’s Nocturne in D flat major Op 27 No 2 is well-known, expressive in 3 with delicious Polish melodies and minor inclusions; its phrasing was deliciously fluid and fluent. A pair of contrasting bookends were followed in kind by that quintessentially Polish dance form, the mazurka. Falla’s essay in the genre honoured the rhythm but, rather than a dance, it was more of a wistful, romantic reverie, suffused with aching longing and with an expressive climax of intense feeling in the middle. Chopin’s Mazurka in A minor Op 7 No 2 was quite similar, but teasing rubato in the penultimate phrase of each line followed by a capricious speeding up at the end lent it a certain whimsy despite the minor key. The Master of the Mazurka was awarded a second bite of the cherry with his G major Op 67 No 1, light-heartedly playful and cheerful. Falla’s ‘Serenata Andaluza’, which followed, was a first hearing for me, and a real gem. Quite impressionistic with predictably Moorish turns of phrase, it switched between austere Andalusian minor-key melancholy and an idyllic evocation of major-key nocturnal gardens with fountains. One surprise was an episode with a mazurka rhythm. The capricious conclusion was a delight. Not that this was a game of Top Trumps, but Falla was edging it. Chopin’s ‘Valse Brillante’ Op 34 No 2 started lugubrious and melancholy, with stylish molto rubato playing. A more carefree episode provided the contrasting mood and, like the Falla, the moods alternated, but ending on the melancholy. With Falla still edging it, his ‘Canción’ was an uncomplicated ternary form, a lovely elegant wistful melody bracketing a central excursion into the major. Chopin’s ‘Berceuse’ concluded the first half, a well-known gently-rocking dreamy barcarolle where a repeated phrase is transformed through ingeniously evolving ornamentation. Javier Perianes’ liquid pianism was exquisite, taking flight in the imagination, subsiding to a gently rocking figure and a simple cadence. Perfect. This was not a contest and there is no trophy. But, if it were, with the ‘Serenata Andaluza’ and the ‘Berceuse’ wearing the colours, I would have to declare it a draw.
Falla’s ‘Cuatro piezas españolas’ open with ‘Aragonesa’, ebullient, joyful and stylish. The turn of phrase that was an ornamentation of the ‘Nocturno’ at the beginning of the recital had become the substance, ‘Cubana’, the second piece, struck a festive mood, but I couldn’t put my finger on anything particularly “Cuban” about it – it was quite unlike any havanaise or habañera I had heard before. Charming nonetheless. ‘Montañesa’ was a slow, atmospheric reverie in the style of a nocturne, with a livelier central section. When the dreamier music returned, ornate figures in the right hand evoked the calling of nightbirds. Magical. The final piece, ‘Andaluza’, was exciting and dramatic with hints of flamenco and Moorish tropes, and a strong sense of the exotic. A calm, songful episode intervenes and, when there is a hint of a return to more fiery dance, instead the piece ends calmly.
Four pieces from Albéniz’ ‘Iberia’ concluded the programme, starting with ‘Evocación’, romantic and even a bit impressionistic, evoking the atmosphere, landscape and song of Spain. ‘El Polo’ was a stylish exotic dance in 3/8, brisk episodes alternating with more contemplative moments, with a sense of carefree abandon. ‘Almeria’ started with a leisurely 6/8, picking up momentum with bits of irregular metre. A hypnotic dreamy episode gave way to a faster stormy passionate dance. The dreamy music returned and, after a more tender version of the dance, the mood relaxed to close with idyllic calm. Gorgeous piece, ‘Triana’ was a set of idiomatic festive dances in 3, whimsically playful and stylishly ornamented, slowing at transitions and concluding with a flamboyant flick. Delightful and performed with evident affection for the music, idiomatic and nuanced interpretation and persuasive advocacy,
There were two unintroduced encores, the first very familiar, but its title escapes me - probably by De Falla. The second definitely was, the ‘Ritual Fire Dance’ from the ballet ‘El amor brujo’, fabulously theatrical.
Weblink: https://www.lammermuirfestival.co.uk/event/javier-perianes-piano-recital/