Pianists come in as many varieties as other sectors of the human race: there are extroverts, introverts, intellectuals, technicians and poets to name but a few of the not necessarily mutually exclusive categories. Dr. John Roberts is among the poets of the keyboard; a master of subtle shades of color and expression. That does not preclude him from possessing a powerful technique; the distinction in any case is an artificial one, as the ability to produce a wide variety of tone color and dynamics is as much a matter of technique as playing very fast and loud. Dr. Roberts began his recital with the inevitable Mozart Sonata but his performance was more than just another obligatory gesture for the Viennese master’s bicentenary. It was a thoughtful and subtle account of the familiar Sonata K. 330; Dr. Roberts knows how to play Mozart so that it lives and breathes. While restricting himself to a limited dynamic range, he manages to suggest an almost orchestral range of color. Stravinsky’s three Movements from Petroushka was a curious choice from a pianist of such poetic, almost introverted temperament. Its popularity rests largely on its reputation as a virtuosic stunt and proven competition winner. Dr. Roberts’ performance was not in the super-virtuoso class as far as tempo and sheer physical excitement; on the other hand, it was one of the most musical performances I have heard. His command of the piano’s tonal resources produced effects of ear-tingling beauty. Chopin’s Sonata in B minor gave Dr. Roberts further occasion to display his particularly subtle brand of pianism, notably in the fleet-fingered scherzo and the long and beautifully colored slow movement.