The young Fernando Laires (b. 3 January 1925) went down in the annals of music history as being one of the few and one of the youngest to perform the complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle of 32 sonatas at age 19. At age 20, he performed with Antonino David the complete Beethoven violin and piano sonatas. Both cycles took place in Lisbon, Portugal, Laires' native city. I had the privilege to present a tribute to Laires on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the American Liszt Society, of which Laires is a co-founder. The event took place at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, a lovely university with wonderful music facilities in an all-Steinway school. The tribute to Laires was moving and contained reviews of his playing, excerpts of a live recital of his performing Beethoven’s “Waldstein” sonata and Liszt’s “Spanish Rhapsody”. The sensitivity and nobility of his playing inspired us all. His words about growing up in Mozambique and seeing the wild animals outside his window thrilled as did his recounting of playing Liszt’s Boisselot piano, still in Lisbon, in the “Spanish Rhapsody”. The tribute closed with my playing a work that was written shortly before Laires’ birth – “Nocturno em réb maior” by António Fragoso – and “Five Portuguese Folksongs” arranged by Halsey Stevens and dedicated to Laires. The program was then closed by the young Portuguese pianist, Miguel Campinho, who performed Óscar da Silva’s “Fantasia”, also dedicated to Laires. There is so much to be grateful to Fernando – as well, he founded the Pro Arte Society to promote art and Portuguese music in Portugal, in addition to a 20-volume record set of Portuguese music performed by colleagues and published on Educo.
Viva Fernando!
Viva Fernando!
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