Angela Hewitt in Vienna: Bach Her Domain

Pianist Angela Hewitt’s solo concert in the Mozart Hall showed that she understood Bach well and Brahms less.

Canadian Angela Hewitt made a name for herself primarily with Bach, who recorded entire piano works. It is especially appreciated in English-speaking countries and in Italy, where it has been leading a small and wonderful festival for years. Their appearances are rare in this country. One could be more excited about her solo evening in the Mozart Hall at the Vienna Concerthaus.

In the end, the pianist also played Brahms’s Sonata F minor there. This is not her profession, as it soon became clear. She throws herself powerfully into the outward movements and cadence of the scherzo, which she follows somewhat angularly. It turns out that it is not equal to all the technical challenges. She repeatedly lost herself in the details, which she rarely pulled together into a grand arc. In addition, the aggressive pedaling was annoying. With all the intensity with which she came here, she couldn’t make people forget that accomplished cantabile is not her thing. This took a lot of the magic out of trick piano passages. Last but not least, she was unable to unlock the meaning of the intermezzo with her portrayal. This is not a stand-alone section, but an homage to the song-like second movement of this sonnet, along with echoes of a funeral march.