Pianist Hans Boepple June 8 at Oakmont

TWO BIG WORKS IN BOEPPLE'S MUSIC AT OAKMONT RECITAL

In his long career San Jose-based pianist Hans Boepple rarely travels to play formal recitals in the North Bay, but he arrived June 8 with a long and demanding program of just two works in Music at Oakmont’s Berger Auditorium.

Before the MAO’s largest audience of the season the artist tackled Bach’s monumental Goldberg Variations and Chopin’s 24 preludes, Op. 28, playing without score throughout and at the end showing no visible fatigue from the heroic task.

The Preludes are a masterly kaleidoscope group that over 41 minutes Mr. Boepple played well but also with an interpretation that was mostly conventional. Despite tiny memory lapses, everything was in its place – a warm top end piano sound, mindful phrasing, deft control of pianissimo and judicious tempos. He was never in a hurry to get anywhere but the playing often lacked power, especially in the faster Preludes like the fuoco (No. 16, B Flat), the No. 10 in C Sharp and the tumultuous final defiant Prelude in D. Pianistic anger doesn’t seem to be part of Mr. Boepple’s current approach, and parts of this music need it.

Romantic touches and inner voices were mostly avoided, as in the graceful E Flat (No. 19) where ritards at the ending songful repeats were played right through, and the dreamy A Flat (No. 17) missed the inherent lyricism.

This often modest approach worked well in the famous “Raindrop” and Numbers Five and Six Preludes with his careful pedaling and expansive phrasing. In the “Raindrop” he doubled a left-and octave, an odd score deviation but it sounded just right.

This reviewer was unable to hear the entire Goldberg, played before intermission, but what was heard was straightforward, well thought out and effectively made compelling individuals of the 30 Variations. Many repeats were omitted. In the fleet variations there was no interest in mirroring Glen Gould’s speed and articulation, the playing more like the less strident and more colorful Schiff and Hewett versions. Contrapuntal voices were distinct.

Mr. Boepple played many variation endings with slight ritards and dimuendos, a captivating touch of scholarly and interpretative delight.

There was no encore following the Chopin, and though loud the applause in the entire recital was overly short and timid given Mr. Boepple’s artistic accomplishment and palpable joy in playing, especially in the Bach.