The
first volume of conductor Rumon Gamba’s latest recording project of British
Tone Poems, with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a promising start. The disc opens with ‘Spring’, a Symphonic
Rhapsody, by Frederic Austin (1872-1952).
This is a lush, filmic work, sounding perhaps more summery than spring-like,
but nevertheless infectiously positive in outlook. William Alwyn’s (1905-1985) brief ‘Blackdown
- Tone Poem from the Surrey Hills’ follows, and is subtler in its pastoral
hues, despite being written when he was just twenty-one. Sir Granville Bantock (1868-1946) drew on a
poem by Shelley for his tone poem, ‘The Witch of Atlas’, a work full of
atmosphere and delicate orchestration and frequent solo passages, detail which
Gamba & the BBC NOW bring out beautifully. Troubled composer and poet Ivor
Gurney (1890-1937) ended his days in a mental hospital, destroyed by his
experiences in the First World War.
Philip Lancaster and Ian Venables have worked on his sketches for ‘A
Gloucestershire Rhapsody’, creating a performable work, darker and more wistful
in tone, and it is given a sensitive and touching performance here. Henry
Balfour Gardiner’s (1877-1950) ‘A Berkshire Idyll’ also contains darker moments
within its ostensibly sunny outer frame, and definite tinges of Debussy and
Delius, and again there are plenty of opportunities for individual members and
sections of the orchestra to shine, which they certainly do here. The disc
concludes with Ralph Vaughan Williams’ (1872-1958) early sea-inspired work,
‘The Solent’, with its hints of his Sea Symphony to come. Even in this early work, it sits in another
league of invention, with some particularly haunting quiet string writing.
Whilst all these works sit in a relatively limited and harmonically safe
soundworld (to our ears now), what stands out is the imaginative and varied
orchestration and use of colour to illuminate these quintessentially English
landscape portraits. With richly warm
and delicate performances from Gamba and the orchestra, this is a great start
to what will surely prove to be a fascinating series.
I
first heard viola player Timothy Ridout perform in the Brighton Festival with
the Teyber Trio in 2015. This year he
was back at the festival, this time with pianist John Reid, and he gave a
commanding performance. For his debut
recording, he has recorded, together with pianist Ke Ma, the complete works for
viola by Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-1881).
Vieuxtemps was a violin virtuoso hailed at his debut as ‘the next
Paganini’. Yet he also frequently played
the viola, and wrote a number of works for the instrument, all of which are
here. Only two movements exist of an
unfinished second Viola Sonata, although they amount to nearly twenty-five
minutes alone, and make for a striking opening to the disc here. The opening Allegro is full of melodic invention,
and the playful Scherzo that follows is a delight, to which Ridout gives great
character. A transcription by the
composer of a movement from Félicien David’s Le Désert, entitled ‘La Nuit’,
follows, a sweet, salon piece, exploiting the viola’s rich tone. Next an Etude, with its perpetual flow of
rapid semiquavers for the viola supported by delicate chords from the piano. The
first Viola Sonata opens with a beautiful lyrical tune in the viola’s lower
register before launching into an energetic allegro. The equally lyrical central
Barcarolle is followed by an animated finale, in which there is more of an
exchange between the piano and viola, giving Ma the chance to join Ridout in
the foreground a bit more. The only work
for solo viola here is the short Capriccio, in which Vieuxtemps underpins a
lyrical melody with spread chords, building to a highly virtuosic conclusion,
and Ridout’s command here is impressive. Once again, it is a lyrical melody that’s
central to the yearning Elégie, perhaps the most passionate piece on the disc,
and Ridout is highly engaging here. The
disc closes with a perfect encore piece, Souvenir d’Amérique, a set of
variations on Yankee Doodle, full of dazzling virtuosic display, and once again
Ridout is in complete command of its demands.
This is an impressive debut recording by any standards, and also great
to hear lesser-known repertoire for the Cinderella of the string family.
Vieuxtemps, H. 2017. Complete Works for Viola. Timothy Ridout, Ke Ma. Compact Disc. Champs Hill Records CHRCD130.
Finally,
an intriguing release from harpsichordist Catalina Vicens, inspired by the
opportunity given to her to perform on what is possibly the oldest playable
harpsichord in existence. Made in Naples
in around 1525, the instrument has been restored in South Dakota by John
Koster. While deciding on repertoire to
perform on the instrument, Vicens was inspired by the instrument’s possible
history, old maps of Naples and writings from the time, as well as her own
musings, and as a result she has written a short story to accompany the disc,
titled Il Cembalo di Partenope (‘Partenope’s Harpsichord’ – Queen Partenope was
the founder of Naples). It is an
atmospheric and dreamlike tale, I think best experienced in the free download
audio book (available here) read by Vicens herself,
accompanied with music from the CD. The
music itself is by a range of composers from the early part of the 16th
century, starting with Antonio Valente’s (fl.1564-1580) publication of
harpsichord works in 1576 and working backwards. There’s a surprising variety here, although
apart from the opening Fantasia del primo by Valente, they are mostly fleeting
miniatures. The dance-like movements,
such as Valente’s Gagliarda napolitana, and the lively Calata ala spagnola by
Joan Ambrosio Dalza (fl. 1508) add bursts of energy amongst the more reflective
love songs and poetic numbers. There is
Italian and Spanish music, and music written for the lute and the voice
too. The harpsichord has a bright tone,
and Vicens plays with great delicacy and poise, making this a delightful
collection, aside from the added depth of the instrument’s history and Vicens’
atmospheric accompanying tale. All in
all, a fascinating and absorbing project, beautifully performed and presented.
