MEMBERS are accustomed to hearing a high standard of performance at their concerts but the piano recital given by Paul Janes on January 11 was truly outstanding.

There is really only one word to describe it - superb. This player's technique is so assured that he seems quite oblivious to any difficulties and his musicianship is given full rein.

For many years, Haydn's piano sonatas were sorely neglected, and so it is good to find them appearing frequently now in concert programmes. The Sonata in C, known as the "English" Sonata, is certainly worth an airing. The opening allegro was crisp and rhythmic, the slow movement serious but never ponderous, and in the final movement Haydn's quirky humour was well brought out at a cracking pace.

This was followed by Debussy's Images. I have never understood why the composer objected to the term impressionistic being applied to his music. We were transported into a world of rippling water, ruined temples and bells drifting through the trees, all portrayed with great sensitivity and an amazing variety of tone colour. Surely this is painting in sound.

The second part of the recital was devoted to the music of Liszt. A beautiful performance of Sonetta 123 del Petrarca was followed by his mighty Sonata in B minor, one of Liszt's most profound works. Challenging because of its scale and variety of mood, as well as its technical difficulty. Paul Janes held us spellbound with an interpretation that was both dramatic and thoughtful; the drama was never harsh and the quieter passages never lax, with a gorgeous cantabile tone and, at times, the utmost delicacy.

This programme was quite a marathon but the enthusiastic audience would not let the pianist go without an encore; Debussy's first Arabesque, played with a freshness which suggested that Paul could easily play the whole programme again.

It was a remarkable evening.

The next concert will be held on February 15 at St Pauls Church, Moor Lane, Kersal, at 7.30pm. The artists will be the Dulcian Wind Quintet.

McF