Ellis Thomas graduation recital at the Royal Academy of Music in London
‘Poetry and mastery combine to thrill and inform’
Ellis Thomas at the Royal Academy for his final graduation recital
Nice to be back after my own trial by fire in 1972 on this very stage !
But for Ellis already with a degree from Cambridge under his belt and with the tireless dedication of his great teacher Tessa Nicholson he was enjoying every minute of his hour long recital in one of the most beautiful halls in London and certainly one of the finest Steinway concert grands in the city.
Brahms’s Handel variations were played from the very first notes with a clarity and rhythmic drive that kept us hypnotised from the first note of Handel’s innocent theme to the final mighty chords of the fugue that had inspired Brahms .
It was this clarity that made one realise that unlike the sonatas that are disguised symphonies these variations are purely instrumental and the technical mastery that Ellis demonstrated was quite remarkable
Hardly ever using the ‘soft ‘ pedal as he was able to control the sounds purely with his sensitive agile fingers and show us the architectural shape and inevitability of the triumphant outpouring of Handel’s innocuous theme. The mighty fugue whilst still maintaining remarkable clarity suddenly became more orchestral as he allowed himself more pedal to build up the enormous sonorities that were truly ‘Brahmsian’.
Read more here at Christopher Axworthy’s blog
