Magic in the air at the National Gallery as Jessica Duchen and Lara Melda told the moving story of resilience and courage as Myra Hess became a National Treasure with the concerts that helped save people’s soul during the Second World War.
10th October 1939 was celebrated today in 2025 with the piano in the same spot and in the same gallery.
A story told in words and music. The words spoken with remarkable intensity and the presence of an actress who has lived with and digested these words.
She knows the poignant significance of what made Dame Myra every bit a hero as Churchill when our country was under siege. The people needed Hope,Courage and Solace and Myra showed them that music could be a soothing balm for such terrifying experiences.
Lara playing with the same authority and superb musicianship that Uncle Tobbs had bequeathed to his star student. A sense of colour and beauty where every note spoke so eloquently. Nowhere more was this evident than in the fleeting beauty of Schumann’s ‘Prophet Bird’. The sublime understatement of the chorale interruption was played with ravishing whispered beauty .The Prophet Bird was obviously enchanted because she took wing again with a nostalgic smile on her face, disappearing into the far distance. Lara could make the music come vividly to life, just as Myra Hess could do. Myra took America by storm filling the major halls to capacity wherever she went. In fact she could have stayed in America during the war, as many of her colleagues did ,but she like the Queen Mother wanted to be with her people in their hour of need. Myra was not a Chopin player in the traditional sense but would bring a classical understanding and beauty to a composer that had been distorted beyond belief in the name of tradition. Lara too brought an aristocratic beauty and architectural understanding to the first Ballade where even the jeux perlé cascades of notes were given a shape and meaning and not used as an egoistic showpiece of note spinning self gratification. Lara gave back to Chopin what his genius rightly deserves and she received an ovation from a distinguished audience, one or two even remember hearing Dame Myra too. The seriousness and musicianship she brought to Beethoven was indeed worthy of Dame Myra. A’Tempest’ Sonata we have heard many times but rarely as today. A sense of line and forward drive like riding on a great wave of hidden energy. A beautifully controlled ‘Adagio’ was followed by an ‘Allegretto’ that just took wing with a continual lift and rhythmic energy that was remarkable. Even the final note was placed with perfection instead of the more usual nonchalant indifference of lesser musicians.
Last but not least were Jessica’s poignant words describing Dame Myra’s wish to make music in the National Gallery just one last time, after the end of the war time concerts. A wish which was fulfilled only today with the piece that became synonymous with Dame Myra for a nation that she had given such comfort to in their hour of need . Lara visibly moved played ‘Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring’ with a whispered simplicity of ravishing playing of searing beauty.
What a tribute to our National Treasure and we could enjoy such mastery without even paying a shilling !
Jessica with an extraordinary presence after years of researching her National Treasure and Lara with music making of the same aristocratic beauty as Myra Hess .
The only way to end such a story of selfless humility and courage was as Myra herself would have done with ‘Jesu joy of man’s desiring ‘ …………Lara playing a Shegeru Kwai and filling Room 36 with the same magnificence as Dame Myra Hess all those years ago
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 