Music Reviews : Huw Lewis in Recital

In his approach to music of the Romantic era, organist Huw Lewis certainly likes to pull out some of the more spectacular stops. Monday night at the First United Methodist Church in Pasadena, a solo concert by the Welsh-born musician demonstrated a comanding showmanship in a program dominated by some very demanding 19th-Century works.

Although the evening offered standard fare with no real surprises, Lewis performed with flair and finesse, evoking a broad spectrum of emotional intensities. His technique flowed seamlessly while well-chosen registrations avoided the easy temptation of bombast.

Julius Reubke’s ambitious, precocious Organ Sonata was the centerpiece of the evening. Based on the 94th Psalm and influenced by the Romantic transcendentalism of Liszt, the three-part sonata tested Lewis’ versatility with contrasts and dynamic levels representing the many moods of a vengeful God.

The 65-rank, Romantic-style instrument at hand provided the necessary resources to bring out sforzando trumpets while at other times expressing a delicate pianissimo. Lewis met each virtuosic demand of the multifaceted score, and kept the pace fresh and vital.

In two pieces by Widor, the second movement from “Symphonie Gothique” and the first movement from Symphony No. 6, Lewis again took advantage of the grandiose organ and its capabilities. Passages demanding difficult pedalling seemed effortless.

Warm-up performances of Bach’s Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C and Mozart’s Adagio and Allegro in F minor completed the program with minor flaws. Lewis’ approach to the Baroque and Classical sensibilities was appropriate, although an abundant use of tremolo created a less convincing aspect.