Alkan Society Bulletin no. 67, September 2004
‘Ronald Smith: A Celebration’ at the Royal Academy of
Music, 9th September 2004
This event was called “Ronald Smith: A Celebration” with good reason. The obituaries have been
written, and it is now right that we should honour our late President by looking forward and
celebrating his impact on the musical world: not least in the array of fine musicians taking part in the
concert, all of whom had benefited from their study or association with Ronald.
The Duke’s Hall at the R.A.M. was filled with a large number of friends as well as members of the
Society; well over a hundred people. It is an impressive room, lined with portraits of British
musicians, some shown at a very young age, and four huge chandeliers hold the lights in reproductions
of natural French horns. The Steinway grand was excellent and sounded well in the generous acoustic.
It is appropriate here to express our thanks to the Principal of the Academy, Curtis Price, for making
this venue available to us.
After Nicholas King’s welcome and introduction, we began with the youngest contributor, the
seriously talented 18-year-old Jianing Kong, who is about to begin his studies at the Royal College.
Many could hear Ronald’s influence in his sensitive performance of Chopin’s A flat Etude from Op.
25, in which he clearly but subtly brought out all the melody and counterpoint from the “Aeolian harp”
texture. His technique was in no doubt either in two extremely demanding studies from the same set,
the G sharp minor (No. 6) in thirds and the powerful and terrifying (to lesser pianists) “Winter Wind”
(no. 11) in A minor. He also reminded us of Ronald’s distinguished performances and recording of all
the Mazurkas in the A minor, Op. 17 No. 4, in another expressive and controlled performance.
William Fong, a prize-winner in our centenary piano competition who is now Head of Keyboard at the
Purcell School, where Ronald had many pupils, followed with Alkan’s G flat major Etude from Op. 35
(No. 10), Chant d’amour – chant de mort. It is a long piece and hard to make convincing, but one
would never have known after this performance. William shaped it beautifully and I think would have
convinced even the less committed Alkanians in the audience.
Claudia Conway, the daughter of our Bulletin editor and Webmaster, could have been daunted by the
large setting and audience, but she showed no nerves in her singing of Alkan’s Trois anciennes
mélodies juives and Verset de Psaume 42, in which she was alertly accompanied by our vice-president
Richard Shaw. It was good to be reminded of Alkan’s Jewish faith in these short but very touching
settings. She first sang the pieces at our smaller-scale meeting at University College, and very well
too, but she has certainly gained in depth and confidence since then.
It had been hoped to include one of Ronald’s own compositions in the programme, but that must
remain a project for the future. Instead, we had the first performance of Raymond Head’s “Of Bells
and Birds (In Memoriam Ronald Smith)”. Kirsten Johnson introduced this short three-movement work
and played it in masterly style. There is indeed plenty still to be said in tonal music, and this new piece
managed the difficult feat of being approachable but never resorting to quasi-popular styles that
patronise the listener. The first section used the bell sounds suggested in the title. Then came a
scherzo-like section in somewhat wild style, demanding a good technique. Finally Ronald’s sense of
humour was celebrated in the last section, with an unashamed C major close. It was a very effective
piece, which made its point well and at just the right length.
It hardly needs to be said that all Ronald’s pupils played without the score – an ability which he often
stressed in his teaching. The second young student, Omri Epstein, showed considerable talent too in
Alkan’s Ancienne mélodie de la synagogue, Op. 31 No. 6, and the Etude in B major from Op. 35 (No.
11), the piece with a “hidden melody” that demands great independence of the fingers to be made
clear. It is also a long piece with some very similar passages and key-changes, and Omri kept his head
admirably when he momentarily lost his way in the middle; I think few would have noticed, but it
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