Pianist Gustavo Romero

ONE COMPOSER WITH 1,000 GIFTS IN ROMERO RECITAL

Texas-base pianist Gustavo Romero made his fourth Spring Lake Village retirement home recital appearance Oct. 25 with memorable and committed performances of just one composer.

Just one? Mr. Romero often focuses on the music of one composer each season, and in past appearances it has been Ravel, Debussy and Beethoven. This year it was Rachmaninoff, in the 150th anniversary of his birth, and his playing was easily up to the demands of the composer’s monumental D Minor Sonata, Op. 28.

It's not often played due to the 37-minute length and required virtuosity and stamina, but Mr. Romero marshalled his admirable technical equipment and gave the opening theme forceful projection, and the second theme telling warmth. It’s difficult to master the relentless emotional intensity and the demanding forte left hand chords, but Mr. Romero was everywhere in control of the sprawling work from 1907. The often repeated seven-note phrase was played with different emphasis and volume, lending contrast to the interpretation.

The Lento received a reading that underscored the laconic theme, almost a voice of remembrance and regret. There was a lovely long left-hand pause in the middle of the movement. A “call to action” started the overloaded finale with a long introduction and sforzandos in the bass, the big themes surging with constant fortissimos. There were a few volcanic eruptions in the bottom, recalling Josef Hofmann pianism.

The performance was a feat of pianist authority and as always memorization, perhaps a tribute from Mr. Romero to his supportive audience’s interest and attention.

It would be fatuous to think of the six Rachmaninoff compositions that comprised the first half as being just warm up for the Sonata, as they were played with commitment and attention to detail. The Op. 3, No. 4 Polichinele showcased the artist’s trilled chords and jolly octaves. Octaves are jolly? The Barcarolle from Op. 10 had some of the most subtle tone color and elegance in the recital, and three Preludes (Op. 32, Nos. 5 and 12; Op. 23 No. 5) received readings of individuality. The G minor was played with raw power with inner voices in the middle section, and the well-known G Major Prelude’s soulful melodie was performed with lavish damper pedal, as was the Op. 32, No. 5’s rumbling trills and well-crafted climaxes.

Audience applause was pronounced. There was no encore.

Mr. Romero’s remarks to the audience were as usual pithy and informative, the latter being that the program he was to play was the same one the composer played at his American debut recitals in New York 1909.