Friday 13 September 2024
From the Celestial Hills - The University of Glasgow Chapel Choir perform a fascinating range of sacred Scottish choral repertoire from across five centuries
Thursday 12 September 2024
Baillie & Yandell impress in striking Crosse, restless Fauré, and lyrical Ravel
Crosse’s Wavesongs is a fascinating work which begins with a long introduction, Deep Sea. From empty space, glassy cello harmonics emerge, with rumbles and a persistent semitone pattern. It’s so quiet and mysterious, it’s initially hard to discern what’s happening, and low piano tolls hint of something in the distant depths of the ocean. Slow movement on both instruments develops, with fluttering from the cello and changing from the piano. Sea Shanty then emerges, with a lilting melody developing on the cello. Agitated repetition on the piano is taken over by the cello, building to wild piano scales and high wailing from the cello in Troubled Waves. Storm which follows is actually quieter, with rumbling turbulence, before piano strikes of lightening break through. The swinging shanty rhythms return over relentless movement in Cruel Sea, before calm arrives in Aria, cluster chords releasing into a soothingly harmonic melody. Turbulence returns in Tempest, with wild running piano scales and violent cello explosions. By now, the cello is screaming in its upper registers against repeated high piano notes in Lost at Sea. Homeward Bound is spiky and fragmentary with slithering, glassy cello. A train-like rhythm gets going, and there’s little let-up, until the piano slows first, and finally they both stop. Calm returns in Peace and Enlightenment, and the high cello harmonics of the very opening are back. Everything slows, with a final cry of the shanty tune from the cello, and quiet piano chords bringing the journey to a close. This is a highly effective piece, with evocative use of both instruments, and Baillie and Yandell’s performance is engaging, making coherent sense of this complicated and ever shifting score.
First on the disc comes a rendition of Fauré’s Cello Sonata No. 1. Both of his sonatas for the instrument came from the latter period of his life, when he was plagued by distortion of sound and increasing deafness. The first Cello Sonata, from 1917, is a compact work of three movements. The jumpy, impetuous start sets the mood of restlessness, and lyricism when it comes has edgy harmonic twists, meaning the music never relaxes. Despite the intensity, Baillie is never too weighty, and Yandell rises to the demanding persistence of the piano part. The central Andante is warmer, and here Baillie’s lyricism is underpinned by delicate chords from Yandell. The sense of turbulence from the opening movement creeps in, and the middle of the movement moves into wistful sadness. The Finale has greater drive, and a conversation dances along between the two instruments. Baillie’s melodic line sings, if occasionally becoming a little astringent at the top, and both drive through to a spirited, joyful finish.
They end their recording with an arrangement for cello and piano of Ravel’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor. This was a very early work, but was not published until 1975. It works very well on the cello, particularly in the wistful, wandering opening, with the piano responding with rippling textures. There are lots of lyrical lines for the cello, and plenty of rhapsodic development of the material from both instruments. Emphatic octaves from the cello lead to a yearning climax, then as the opening materials returns, substantially transformed, a more relaxed, summery mood is established, leading to a light, major key conclusion. Baillie and Yandell make a great case for this arrangement here.
The two French works provide an interesting contrast to the striking work by Crosse, and allow Baillie and Yandell to demonstrate their command in varied repertoire for cello and piano.
Various. 2023. Fauré, Crosse, Ravel. Alexander Baillie, Nigel Yandell. Compact Disc. First Hand Records FHR152.
Handel's Messiah overpowered by massed forces to close the Proms Choral Day
Messiah at the BBC Proms Choral Day © BBC/Andy Paradise |
John Butt conducts Messiah © BBC/Andy Paradise |
'Tenor Benjamin Hulett opened with a gently sustained “Comfort Ye”, followed by a nimble “Ev’ry Valley”.... When Mozart got out of the way and left things to strings alone for “Behold, and see”, (Helen) Charlston shone.... Soprano Nardus Williams delivered pure tone in “He shall feed his flock”, again, muted strings allowing for delicate colour....Bass-baritone Ashley Riches’ penetrating tone cut through the textures well'.
Wednesday 11 September 2024
Rattle and the Bavarian RSO offer a glimmer of hope in epic Mahler 6
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra percussionists © BBC/Chris Christodoulou |
'With short phrases thrown around the orchestra, detail can easily get lost, or lack connection. Yet Rattle (without score) led from one to the other, and just watching him alone delivered complete coherency'.
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra woodwinds © BBC/Chris Christodoulou |
'From the dreamlike opening with weirdly twanging, muted harp effects and more offstage cowbells, to the galloping brass and trilling birdlike woodwinds, the BRSO demonstrated their unquestionable prowess and ability to produce stunning orchestral colour'.
Monday 2 September 2024
Gazzaniga's Alcina's Island - a fizzing romp from Bampton Classical Opera at The Barn, Old Walland
Sarah Chae (Lesbia), Monwabisi Lindi (Brunoro), Owain Rowlands, (Brikbrak), Charlotte Badham (Clizia), Jonathan Eyers (Don Lopes) & Dafydd Allen (La Rose) © Anthony Hall |
A Frenchman, an Italian, a Spaniard and an Englishman all walk into a barn… And if that sounds like the start of a joke, well, Gazzaniga’s take on L’Isola d’Alcina, or Alcina’s Island, is a jolly romp, packed full of witty jibes at national stereotypes, all done with affectionate wit, and director, Jeremy Gray’s production really brings out the playful comedy throughout. So librettist Giovanni Bertati’s take here on the original story in Ariosto’s Orlando Furiosa (which in turn, drew on Circe in Homer’s Odyssey) is that the four men declare an oath to resist the enchantment of Alcina, but it takes the efforts of Alcina’s servants, and the late arrival of a German, Baron Brikbak to secure their escape (or do they?...). With three performances behind them in Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire, Bampton Classical Opera visited the charming setting of The Barn at Old Walland in East Sussex for another outing, before their final performance at Smith Square Hall (Friday 13 September).
Magnus Walker (James), Monwabisi Lindi (Brunoro), Jonathan Eyers (Don Lopes) & Inna Husieva (Alcina) © Anthony Hall |
In the considerably smaller space provided by the stage at The Barn, the cast nevertheless delivered a joyful performance, the restrictions of space somehow even adding to the comedic effect. For example, Brikbrak and Lesbia creeping back and forth across the stage in their attempt to escape from Alcina, only a couple of feet away from them made the nonsense of it all even funnier. However, I was nervous, thankfully unnecessarily, that someone – particularly the very tall Don Lopes – would crack their head ducking on and off the stage. Apparently, some scenery items had to be jettisoned (a lion was banished to sit on the lawn outside the stage door), but the staging and simple lighting effects were effective nonetheless. Costumes were bright and eclectic, with ample use of beachwear and props, and identifying features for the men – a fedora and red cape for the Spaniard, striped top for the Frenchman, you get the idea. Alcina had a couple of costume changes, ending with a glorious cape revealing lights and dragons for her parting curse on the escapees.
Owain Rowlands (Brikbrak) & Sarah Chae (Lesbia) © Anthony Hall |
The music is lively and bright throughout, and Blunt and his small band of players took things at a spirited pace. Ensemble was on the whole pretty tight, apart from a couple of pickups, and there was some fine playing from the horns in particular, with incisive harpsichord accompaniments to the brief recitatives from Alex Norton. Whilst there aren’t really any showstopping arias, the music pushes along the action well, and the balance between the band and singers was carefully judged throughout. And there are some fine ensemble pieces, with a glorious opening chorus from the four men, and a joyous septet at the end of Act I. Gilly French's translation also added fizz to proceedings, with some great rhyming puns and even a reversal of 'Your tiny hand is frozen' for Alcina when she realises Brikbrak's power in a handshake. 'The Frenchman has gone doolally' led to a clever string of rhymes, but unfortunately I couldn't quite catch them all at the rapid pace. And the Eurovision Song Conests even gets a look in, when the singers compete to find the best 'Arietta' to make La Rose feel 'better' after drinking too much of Alcina's potion.
Bampton Classical Opera at The Barn © Nick Boston |
Inna Husieva’s Alcina began on the lighter side, but gained in power as her role developed, achieving suitable scariness by the end. The strongest vocal performances of the evening came from Dafydd Allen as La Rose, with mellow tone and great comedic gusto throughout, and Charlotte Badham as Clizia, delivering the most assured vocal line with equally strong comedic instincts. But when it came to comedy, Owain Rolands as Brikbrak took this to even greater heights with a fine line in gestures and silent actions alongside his rich baritone lines. Monwabisi Lindi’s Brunoro had a suitably Italianate tenorial twang, with some deft coloratura, and Jonathan Eyers was commanding as Don Lopes, with some fancy cape work as well. Sarah Chae’s Lesbia was bright and playful, and Magnus Walker’s James was light and engaging, with suitably English reserve. As a company, they blended well together in the ensemble pieces. Although squeezing all eight on stage at once was clearly a challenge, they made it work and clearly were all having a ball.
The Barn at Old Walland © Nick Boston |
Alcina's Island at The Barn © Jeremy Gra |