This week’s Music at Lunchtime recital featured Isabelle (Form 4) at the piano, performing a thoughtful and varied programme. She was joined by piano teacher Cason Kang for a gentle and expressive duet to close the concert.
The recital opened with Prelude and Fugue in B-flat major, BWV 866, from the first book of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. The Prelude had a flowing, dance-like quality, and Isabelle gave it a light touch and sense of direction. The Fugue, in contrast, offered more weight and intensity, and her careful voicing allowed the musical lines to come through with clarity and energy.
Next was Louise Farrenc’s Étude in D-flat, Op. 41 No. 5 – a piece full of movement and character, with rippling arpeggios and a singing melody above. Isabelle brought out its expressive detail, moving smoothly between its calmer passages and moments of greater drama, while maintaining a strong sense of line and texture.
Debussy’s Arabesque No. 2 followed – a personal favourite of Isabelle’s. She played with a lovely sense of flow and atmosphere, letting the music unfold with a quiet confidence. The changes in mood and colour were sensitively handled, and she captured the sense of lightness and movement that makes this piece so distinctive.
To end the recital, Isabelle was joined by Cason Kang for Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise, in a duet arrangement. Originally written for wordless voice, it’s a piece that speaks through its simplicity and warmth. The two pianists worked together with ease, allowing the lyrical phrases to breathe and the music to sing.
This was a well-judged and expressive recital from Isabelle, showing poise, musical understanding, and a real feeling for the character of each piece.
The recording from this week’s concert is available online here.
Our next Music at Lunchtime recital will be on Wednesday 4 June 2025 and feature Form 7 pupil Rosie performing music for voice by Brahms, Hahn, Haydn, Lloyd-Webber & Rodgers.
