Shani Diluka SCHUBERT

Diluka’s performances of these dances are very musical, and I very much enjoy the sound of the Bechstein instrument she is using. This has a deep resonance in the low registers, a nicely rounded lyrical feel in the rich mid and pearlescent upper scales which work very well for Schubert, creating a more vocal feel than the usually more brilliant and forward projection of your typical Steinway. These days we’ve moved away from the old-fashioned image of Schubert as something of a Viennese chocolate-box composer, and my only fear in having these light pieces corralled together in this way was that we would end up finding it hard to shake such associations. With darker pieces such as the German Dance No. 3 D. 366 and a nice mixture of major and minor keys there is a certain amount of contrast, and with Diluka’s delightful playing one can but sit back and enjoy what’s on offer. The sheer brilliance of Schubert’s inventions in this genre carries the day, but I would still argue that this procession of miniatures is a little too much in one go. That’s just my view and I am sure many will disagree. The transition between the Mélodie hongroise and the opening of the following sonata sounds very natural and works superbly. (Dominy Clements)