Southwold Concert Series launch event review
Saturday April 4th 2009 - David Chivers, violin, Nathan Williamson, piano
Mozart and Brahms Violin Sonatas, Webern Four pieces op.7
The evening of Saturday 4th April saw the latest event in the new Southwold Concert Series in St. Edmund’s Church, Southwold, Suffolk.
Founded and directed by pianist-composer Nathan Williamson, a Southwold resident, the series aims to bring performances by the ‘finest young artists of their generation’ to this wonderful town and the surrounding area.
An ambitious manifesto, you might think. But not in the least unfounded judging from the standard heard on Saturday. With recent performers at the series giving several Wigmore and Southbank debuts between them in the last few years, this is clearly a serious, thoughtful and well-executed musical venture of the very highest level. Hardly surprising that audiences are already well established and local businesses are offering sponsorship.
On Saturday we heard a programme alternating between Mozart and Brahms violin and piano works, performed by French violinist David Chivers with Nathan Williamson on the piano. Both began with appropriate energy and seriousness in Brahms youthful Sonatensatz, before taking on a carefree mood in Mozart’s Sonata in G major, K.301. Williamson led with lively tempi, providing an atmosphere of fun as Mozart’s effortless but somehow intriguing melodies were delightfully spun.
Mozart’s Sonata K.379 was quite a different proposition, with the performers’ clearly aiming to highlight the passionate nature of this work – which they unquestionably did, despite one or two rough edges. The penultimate variation of the last movement was perhaps the highlight of the whole concert, the piano melody spoken with an exquisite, delicate touch and delightful ornamentation.
The Sonatas by Brahms – A Major op.100 and D minor op.108 – again afforded a good deal of contrast. Both performers produced completely new sounds to match the style, Chivers warming up his vibrato – he had used very little in the Mozart – to produce a beautiful rich tone, ably assisted by the fine acoustics of the stunning medieval church. The icy sounds of Webern’s Four Pieces op.7 provided the perfect foil to the impassioned strivings of the Brahms D minor work, which was driven along in the final movement to a spectacular conclusion.
This was a wonderful exhibition of music-making, far beyond anything I have seen in the local area (Snape Maltings excepted), in beautiful surroundings with free wine to boot, courtesy of sponsors Adnams. The 2009/10 season begins in September. Don’t miss it.
Georgina Wroe, April 2009
David Bunkel: Lowestoft Journal
An appreciative audience gathered on Saturday for the second concert in what is hoped to be a regular series.
Small-scaled Brahms is rare, but nevertheless the Sonatensatz had immediate power and passion. On the violin, David Chivers was able to match the power of the concert grand Steinway piano, played by Nathan Williamson.
In the first of two Mozart Sonatas for violin and piano (K301) Nathan Williamson's technique enabled the piano to sound like another instrument altogether for this very different style. The rapport between the artistes was always apparent, with absolute unanimity of phrasing and dynamics.
The other Mozart sonata followed (K379), in the same key of G major but in a different mood.
Four bite-sized Webern pieces were another complete contrast, showing the versatility of these fine performers.
Brahms' Third Sonata is much more turbulent than the earlier work, and the playing was even more impassioned, driving on to a flamboyant and spectacular end to the concert.
David Bunkell, April 5th 2009
Gala Launch Concert - October 23rd, 2008
Elinor Jane Moran, soprano, John Savournin, baritone Arisa Fujita, violin, Max Baillie, viola, Matthijs Broersma, cello, Nathan Williamson, piano.
Selections of English song, Crystal by Nathan Williamson, Schumann Piano Quartet, Mozart opera arias and duets.
Thursday evening saw the beginning of a new cultural experience in Southwold. The central element was a most enjoyable concert in the church, flanked by a drinks reception in the Adnams Cellar and Kitchen Store and a supper at the Swan Hotel. The concept is the brainchild of composer-pianist Nathan Williamson, artistic director of the series. This concert gave a flavour of the instrumental and vocal works that will feature in the forthcoming series.
Vocal solos were first, and soprano Elinor Jane Moran sang superbly four songs by Britten. Bass John Savournin was standing in at short notice, with only two small programme changes needed. The mellow depth of his voice was particularly suited to Ireland's Sea Fever and Stanford's Drake's Drum. The world première of Nathan Williamson's Crystal for piano quartet followed. At times melancholic and elsewhere severe, its modern idiom was nevertheless always approachable, moving intrinsically through three contrasting sections. It is a work that deserves to be heard again.
The instrumentalists were equally at home in Schumann's E flat piano quartet. The concert ended with a delightful sequence of operatic arias and duets by Mozart, arranged for the unusual, but highly effective accompaniment of solo violin, viola, cello and piano.
David Bunkell
25 October 2008, St Edmunds's Church, Southwold