The comparativist

Pianist Soraya Verjee gave a piano recital earlier today in Christ Church, to about 100 musical aficionados who, rather than enjoying a sunny day out, preferred to bask in the melodies of the Schumanns and their (sometimes) good friends Brahms and Liszt. I particularly enjoyed the «Nocturne n.º 2» (op. 6), played first, where Mrs. Verjee masterfully conveyed the studied feeling of improvisational insecurity that is required to portray this piece as if it were being composed on the go. Mrs. Verjee achieved this with timing variations in the right hand which, over a constant, secure left hand, give the sensation of shyly entering into the musical dialogue that is this piece. Another standout was the piece played right after: Brahms’s «Intermezzo in E n.º4» from the «Fantasies», op. 116. Christ Church is slowly turning me into a Brahms devotee. Including today, Brahms has been played five times this year, and each time I find myself engrossed in his compositional genius. Mrs. Verjee sa...