By Lyn Bronson
On Sunday afternoon, March 29, London based pianist Dennis Lee blew into town like a breath of fresh air and played a “socko, boffo” recital at California State University Monterey Bay. Originally a native of Penang, Malaysia, Lee at the age of fourteen won an Associated Board scholarship to study piano at the Royal College of Music in London where he was a classmate of David Helfgott of “Shine” fame
Dennis Lee is one of those musicians whose gracious ease at the keyboard suggests that performing for him is as natural as breathing. There are no gratuitous gestures, no affected facial contortions, and no musical mannerisms to interfere with the music. His recital was pure music from beginning to end. Every work he performed suggested a natural affinity with the music and the uncanny ability to project this to an attentive audience.
The recital began with two Sonatas by Beethoven, the Sonata in G Major, Op. 14, No. 2, and the Sonata in C Minor, Op. 111. The G Major sonata revealed a nicely styled approach to early Beethoven, and all three movements revealed masterful, if somewhat restrained, playing that was well received by the audience. The C Minor Sonata Op. 111, was another matter. Off came the gloves as Mr. Lee tackled this great sonata and swallowed it whole. He revealed just the right amount of violent anger in the tempestuous first movement and guided us through the labyrinth of the beautiful Arietta second movement. His lovely quiet ending to the movement left us in a magical trance.
After intermission Mr. Lee played two Etudes by Szymanowski, the second of which, Op. 4. No. 3, made a powerful impression as it was lovingly caressed and molded into a sensuous romantic nocturne. The two works by Debussy that followed were the high point of the afternoon’s program. The delicate colors and many shades of pianissimo Mr. Lee achieved in Pagodes showed an extraordinary idiomatic affinity for Debussy of the likes that we rarely hear today. Similarly, in Reflets dans l’eau we heard beautifully refined phrasing and a magical sense of rhythmic flexibility and subtle coloration that propelled this performance into the stature of the legendary performances by Gieseking and Arturo Benedetti-Michalangeli.
To end the program, Mr. Lee played two works by Liszt: Sonetto 104 del Petrarca, which charmed us with its beautifully controlled bel canto figuration and the technical tour de force of the Polonaise No. 2 in E major which blazed with dazzling virtuosity.
Responding to calls for an encore, Mr. Lee admitted modestly that he did know one more piece and proceeded to prove it to us by playing a lovely rendition of Liszt’s transcription of Schumann’s song, “Widmung.”
