BISHOP Auckland Music Society’s 2017 concert series ended in grand style with this impressive piano recital by Noriko Ogawa.

I thought her selected programme particularly attractive and wide ranging and it was helpful that she introduced each item. It also helped that the music society’s Steinway sounded remarkably clear in the church’s acoustic.

The recital began with Mozart’s Sonata No. 12 in F major, K332, a perfectly balanced piece with its reassuring opening movement, a calming and reflective adagio and a brilliant, virtuosic finale with its last thought provoking conclusion.

Both Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 and his Scherzo in B minor, Op. 31 were imbued with a tremendous sense of drama, contrasting markedly with Takemitsu’s Closed Eyes 2, a delicately sonorous piece with notes suspended delicately in the air.

This was clearly in part inspired by Debussy whose Images: Book 1 followed. These were masterful interpretations from the evocative Reflets dans l’eau, then Debussy’s moving and delicately performed Hommage à Rameau to the final pianistic Mouvement.

Although introduced as a brutal work, Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 7 initially included more beautiful and lyrical passages but the stronger, martial elements gradually came to dominate with a tremendous energy and pace in the last movement.

After such a demanding work the lilting performance of Satie’s Je te veux provided a very welcome encore.

The Society’s 2018 season will begin on 6 April with a performance by the renowned duo of violinist Alina Ibragimova and pianist Cedric Tiberghien.

Full details available from Brian Varley on 01388 606075 or brianvarley@orpheusmail.co.uk.

Peter Bevan