Reviews
As yet, only the prologue and first act have been completed, and these were presented in the concert, in a semi-staged version. Set in a church, this building made the ideal performance venue.
The characters are young vicar Giles and his wife Ruth (Lukas Kargl and Hannah Sawle) and Daniel and Anna (David Knight and Emilie Brégeon), a couple in love and contemplating marriage. Giles’ memory of his younger self is played by counter-tenor Magid El-Bushra. This is particularly effective in a scene where Giles is attempting to be rational as he recollects a past relationship, but his younger self taunts him with another view.
The music is described as ‘unashamedly romantic’, yet is in a very modern idiom. It is often intense and passionate (perhaps too often), with a very high tessitura for the singers for much of the time. The music has yet to be orchestrated. Pianists John-Paul Gandy and Alizon Luz did sterling work, but one could only guess at the instrumental colours in the composer’s mind.
Act 1 ends with a cliff-hanger worthy of a soap-opera, and I for one can’t wait to see the finished work.
David Bunkell
Janáček’s second quartet ‘Intimate Letters’ gave another sound-world altogether, as the elderly composer’s extreme emotions cascaded through the music. Here we did hear the performers’ power and determination throughout this extraordinary work.
Nathan Williamson, Artistic Director for the series, joined the Quartet for a stunning interpretation of Dvořák’s Piano Quintet. Again, the musicians showed amazing rapport as they gave us a memorable and spectacular performance.
David Bunkell
Word must be getting round about just how good these concerts really are, as audience sizes are steadily increasing. The latest was a solo piano recital last Saturday by the series Artistic Director, Nathan Williamson.
The pieces were very carefully chosen, with great variety and some very well-known items. Four pieces from the Anna Magdalena Notebook, compiled by J S Bach for his young wife, were followed by more substantial Bach with a Fantasia and Fugue. The music was beautifully phrased and shaped. It’s a matter of personal taste (some would say this music should never even be played on a modern piano) but I would have preferred less use of the sustaining pedal, as harmonies were sometimes blurred.
Mozart’s Variations on Ah vous dirai-je, Maman were an absolute delight. Fast variations were executed with precision, and every ornament was really decorative.
A real highlight was Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, where the first movement was elegant, poised and truly pianissimo. The last movement was powerful and dramatic.
Farewell to Stromness by Peter Maxwell Davies made an ideal contrast, nestling between two Schubert Impromptus and two Brahms Rhapsodies, demonstrating the pianist’s undoubted skills in yet more musical styles.
David Bunkell
First was the unusual combination of unaccompanied violin and viola, with a delightful piece by Johan Halvorsen based on a Passacaglia by Handel. Janáček’s Pohádka is a little-known musical version of a fairy tale for cello and piano. It had many contrasts and some beautiful moments.
The players easily met the dramatic challenges of Mozart’s G minor Piano Quartet. An often relaxed mood had plenty of power in reserve when needed. Ensemble was absolutely unanimous in the sublime slow movement. These musicians have a quirky habit of accelerating through the final few bars of fast movements: although unexpected, it was effective and encouraged much well-deserved applause from the large audience.
The programme note for Schubert’s Trout Quintet described it as effervescent, which was most apt. Balance was excellent throughout, and the impassioned D minor variation a particular highlight. The final movement was very fast, but absolutely under the control of these fine musicians.
David Bunkell