The fall season of concerts at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Museum began with a solo piano recital by Laura Kargul. She is now celebrating her 25th year on the faculty at the University of Southern Maine. On the basis of previous appearances and particularly on the basis of what I heard at this concert, USM is more fortunate than it knows in having her on its faculty. I would not dispute that there may be others who may play the piano at her level of artistry, but I will go out on a limb and state that there are few who can play any better.

The concert began with works in her repertoire by Schubert (Klavierstucke) and Brahms (Variations on an Original Theme). In these works, she coaxed bell-like sonorities from the upper register and nuanced balanced tones from the lower register of the Bechstein grand. She played these works with sympathetic understanding.

However, in the second half of the program she literally let it all hang out, musically speaking. Some may shine in playing Mozart, Beethoven or Chopin, for example. Kargul was born to play Liszt. The lone work performed was the Sonata in B minor by Franz Liszt. The title “sonata” is really not an accurate description of this work; it is actually a 30-minute tone poem for the piano. The tone poem was a one movement form that Liszt invented, which consisted of several movements that were played without pause. Often there was a story associated with the composition, e.g. “Les Preludes” but there is no story or program with this piece.

Thirty minutes is a long time not only for the soloist, but also for the audience. We sat absorbed, amazed and awe struck at the performance as well as at the power of the music. I did not notice that anyone stirred. Liszt was perhaps the greatest piano virtuoso of all time. He demanded a level of technique that is still challenging for pianists and a level of artistry that is equally demanding.

Kargul may come off as an engaging, warm, friendly, motherly schoolmarm. She probably is all of that. Those qualities vanish when she attacks such works as this sonata by Liszt. She tossed off blistering arpeggios in the left hand raging toward the bottom of the keyboard while lavishing attention to passagework going in the opposite direction in the right hand. She exhibited power in multi-note chords while never sounding percussive. She performed cruel octaves accurately with both hands at reckless speed and played intricate, lace-like phrases with delicate pianissimo (very soft) touch. She made the transition of emotionally different phrases ever so logically and musically and seemingly effortlessly so as to take one’s breath away. I am not impressed by technique alone. When technique is used at the service of something called musicianship, poetry, and other things that cannot be taught, I am impressed.

Before performing this work, Kargul demonstrated several musical ideas that Liszt developed during the course of the work, particularly noting the transformation of the stark repeated notes in the left hand to the soaring expressive phrase that appeared later in the piece. (She is no slouch as a scholar either.) Unhappily she has not recorded this piece. I wish someone or some group would underwrite such a venture. It would be a shame for the wider world not to share in wonder at the recreation in sound that Liszt must have wanted for people to hear from the many notes he put on paper.

I would give Kargul six stars out of five. Bravo.

— Dr. Gold is a composer/conductor and an arts reviewer for the Journal Tribune.