Classical Music: Piers Lane Goes to Town Again

One thing is for certain: going out on the town with Piers Lane is a satisfying experience. It’s a mixture of fun, relaxation, reflection, and, dare I say it, sensuality, plus lots more besides. On this trip, the Australian pianist is taking us dancing, whether courtly, folk, ballroom, novel, or even barbarous. The pieces are a potpourri of encores and the perfect balance of musical bonbons and less well-known compositions.

Lane is adept at creating ambience in the way he projects colour and dynamics. One feels the piano is speaking directly to the listener.

Where to begin with this assorted programme?

As the listener gets ready to go out, the gentle Keyboard Suite in E minor by the London Loeillet begins. The delightful pieces that make up the suite are taken from Lessons for the Harpsichord or Spinet. Lane follows these with two superb Mazurkas by Szymanowski; like his fellow countryman, Chopin, they capture the intimate mood, and Lane’s lightness of touch invites the listener to enjoy these enchanting pieces.

In his fascinating notes, Lane writes that he once replicated Dame Myra Hess’ programming, where she included her selection of thirteen, from the hundreds, of Schubert’s brief dance movements. Here they are tenderly performed with Lane’s skill at bringing out the character of each individual piece, and the Schubert/Godowsky transcription of Rosamunde is expressively played.

One of many highlights on this terrific album is Constable’s Slinky foxtrot, which has a blues feel to it. Lane creates an elegant and graceful dance where one wonders what happens as the dancers let go of their embrace. Liszt changes the mood with his Tarantella before Saya’s Habaneras: An operatic paraphrase introduces the seductive Carmen, a clever take on Bizet’s famous 'Habanera'.

Lane describes Godard’s Mazurka accurately as delicious, and Liadov’s Humorous song I danced with a mosquito is deftly played; one can imagine the annoying insect buzzing around before, in just over a minute, the piano swats it.

The sun comes out for Billy Mayerl, and Railroad Rhythm will have your feet tapping away, as will George Botsford’s Black and White Rag, arranged by Winifred Atwell. Can you remember how it was used as the theme for Pot Black from 1969 to 1986? Two minutes of utter joy. 

It is all bread-and-butter repertoire for Lane and Mozart’s twinkling piece Das Butterbrot is a terrific gem.

After the fun of being on the town, Lane calms everything down with a beautiful arrangement of the Sarabande from Bach’s Cello Suite No. 6, and so the disc ends wafting into the ether.

Lane connects to his audience with sophisticated panache, and his affection for the instrument shines through. Like the chosen pieces, he seduces the listener to sit back and enjoy his skillful playing that showcases Lane’s finesse, virtuosic technical ability, and expressive warmth.

These are performances that never disappoint through his musical creativity, and imaginative programming and also great recording skill from the Hyperion engineers.

I would not be surprised if you had a house full of guests and put this disc on and, by the end, you had a room full of listeners, all of whom had heard something that appealed to them individually; such is the attraction of this fantastic and enjoyable recital full of different moods.