Cummings, a team of crack soloists and the AAM win ‘Leipzig's Got Talent’

Helen Charlston, Rowan Pierce,
Nick Pritchard & Ben Kazez with the AAM
© Mark Allan

Rowan Pierce (soprano)

Helen Charlston (alto)

Nick Pritchard (tenor)

Ben Kazez (bass)

Academy of Ancient Music

Laurence Cummings (director & harpsichord)

7.30pm, Thursday 16 April, 2006

Milton Court Concert Hall, London

★★★★★

'The Chosen One'

Graupner, Christoph (1683-1760): Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, GWV 1113/23b

Rolle, Christian Friedrich (1681-1751): St. Luke Passion, 'Es wurden aber auch' & 'Verdammliche Bosheit'

Kaufmann, Georg Friedrich (1679-1735): O ich elender Mensch wer wird mich erlösen

Telemann, Georg Philipp (1681-1767): Ich muß auf den Bergen weinen und heulen

Fasch, Johann Friedrich (1688-1758): Concerto for flute & oboe

Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750): Du Wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23

Encore: 

Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750): Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, BWV 22, 'Ertöt uns durch dein Güte'

Rachel Brown & Leo Duarte
with the Academy of Ancient Music
© Mark Allan

Bach:

'Soprano Rowan Pierce and alto Helen Charlston wound their lines together beautifully with the lilting oboes, with Charlston in particular growing from nothing on long notes to emerge out of the texture'.

'Nick Pritchard’s recitative was tender yet with the communicative immediacy now familiar from his Evangelist performances in the Passions. And when joined with Pritchard, bass Ben Kazez delivered their busy duetting with perfect clarity'.

Telemann:

'Clear-focussed recitative from Pritchard, righteous shaking from Kazez, and gentle trotting from Pierce, against stunningly virtuosic filigree from flautist Rachel Brown'.

Fasch:

'Brown and (Leo) Duarte were a delight, mixing perfectly judged expression with deft virtuosity'.

'Cummings directed from the harpsichord with clarity and energy, and the players performed with sensitivity, dexterity and affection for the music throughout'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Maturity of expression and astonishing virtuosity in Jaeden Izik-Dzurko's Wigmore Hall debut

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko
© Wigmore Hall/Darius Weinberg

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko (piano)

7.30pm, Monday 15 December, 2025

Wigmore Hall, London

★★★★★

Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750): Partita No. 4 in D major, BWV828

Franck, César (1822-1890): Prélude, choral et fugue

Scriabin, Alexander (1872-1915): Fantasie, Op. 28

Rachmaninov, Sergei (1873-1943): 10 Preludes, Op. 23

Encores:

Medtner, Nikolai (1880-1951): Skazki (Fairy Tales), Op. 51 No. 6

Peterson, Oscar (1925-2007): Place St. Henri

Bach:

'Impressively mature Bach, setting out his stall as way more than a firework display'.

Franck:

'Izik-Dzurko’s opening Prelude was flowing and opaque, with the yearning melodic line surrounded by effortless cascades'. 

Scriabin:

'Izik-Dzurko showed he has the big guns, but also subtlety and finesse, and a deep understanding of this expressive yet at times darkly introspective work'.

Rachmaninov:

'An impressive reading throughout, capturing Rachmaninov’s shifts of mood, all with highly expressive and expansive tone'.

'Izik-Dzurko is definitely a talent to watch, and I am sure there’s a lot more to come'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Musical resilience from Pekka Kuusisto and Katarina Barruk at the Proms

Pekka Kuusisto &
members of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
© Andy Paradise

Katarina Barruk (vocals)

Arnljot Nordvik (guitar)

Christer Jørgensen (drums)

Norwegian Chamber Orchestra 

Pekka Kuusisto (violin/director)

BBC Proms
7.30pm, Sunday 31 August, 2025
Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★★

Katarina Barruk
© Andy Paradise

Barruk, Katarina (b.1994): Ruhttuo intro

                                          Miärraládda (arr. Sonstad, Øystein (b.1970)/Nordvik, Arnljot)

                                           Niäguoh (arr. Stangness, Christo, orch. Sonstad, Øystein)

                                           Sådna jahttá - Part 2: Maadter-aahka (arr. Nyman, Marzi (b.1979))

                                           Ij gåssieke (arr. Sonstad, Øystein/Nordvik, Arnjlot)

                                           Dállie (arr. Buene, Eivind (b.1973))

Tippett, Michael (1905-1998): Divertimento on Sellinger's Round - A Lament (2nd movement)

Philip Glass (b.1994): String Quartet No. 3, 'Mishima', 5. Blood Oath (arr. Kuusisto, Pekka (b.1976))

Kendall, Hannah (b.1984): Weroon Weroon (UK premiere)

Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Chorale prelude 'O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gross', BWV 622 (arr. Reger, Max (1873-1916))

Shaw, Caroline (b.1982): Plan & Elevation, 5. The Beech Tree (arr. Murphy, Ben/Shaw, Caroline)

Pärt, Arvo (b.1935): Fratres - version for solo violin, string orchestra and percussion

Shostakovich, Dmitri (1906-1975): Chamber Symphony, Op. 110a (arr. of String Quartet No. 8 by Barshai, Rudolf (1924-2010))

Encore:

Lennon, John (1940-1980): Imagine (arr. Kuusisto, Pekka)

Katarina Barruk
© Andy Paradise

Barruk:

'Barruk’s striking voice shifted from pure tone to nasal growls, then high and wispy, across a huge range'.

'Barruk’s voice rose high over lamenting strings, then fell into low creaks, with a clear exhortation to never surrender'.

Kendall:

'Kuusisto’s glassy rapid tremolo buzzed and scraped, emitting strange harmonics, and rising and falling in dynamic, before grinding to a halt, adding to the evening’s diversity of sound worlds'.

Pärt:

'NCO moved together with instinctive ensemble, the violins swaying as one. Kuusisto’s solo variations sang out with clarity and improvisatory expression'.

Shostakovich:

'Kuusisto and the NCO let rip with the fourth movement’s violent stabbing knocks ... The second movement's DSCH motif and wild dance and the third's macabre waltz were suitably terrifying'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Pekka Kuusisto & the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
© Nick Boston

Bach sheds light in a impressively dark outing from the Australian Chamber Orchestra

The Australian Chamber Orchestra at the Barbican
© Mark Allan/Barbican

Alexander Melnikov (piano)

Jeroen Berwaerts (trumpet)

Australian Chamber Orchestra

Richard Tognetti (director)

7.30pm, Friday 21 March 2025

Barbican Hall, London

★★★★

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1850): The Musical Offering, BWV1079: Ricercar a 6 (arr. Richard Tognetti (b.1965)

Bach: Brandenburg Concerto no. 3 in G major, BWV1048

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor for piano, trumpet and string orchestra, Op.35

Encore:

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963): Sonata for Trumpet & Piano, 3rd movement, extract

Sofia Gubaidulina (1931-2025): Reflections on the theme B-A-C-H, for string quartet (arr. for strings)

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): Chamber Symphony in C minor, Op.110a (arr. Rudolf Barshai (1924-2010))

Encore:

Thomas Adès (b.1971): Arcadiana, Op.12 No.6: Albion

Jeroen Berwaerts & the ACO
© Mark Allan/BarbicanBach:Bach:

Bach:

'The Third Brandenburg Concerto had lively pace, brightness and understated dynamics, allowing for joyful interplay of solo lines'. 

Shostakovich:

'All concerned certainly delivered excitement, but also the darker uncertainty that lurks beneath its surface frivolity'.

Hindemith:

'Berwaerts delivered Hindemith’s drawn-out setting with stately solemnity and impressive control, over strangely lilting piano rhythms from Melnikov'.

Gubaidulina:

'The ACO ratcheted it up with searing intensity to a screeching climax, with eery glissandi peppering the route along the way'. 

Alexander Melnikov
© Mark Allan/Barbican

Shostakovich:

'The ensemble here brought intensity and commitment, and the second movement’s wild dance was indeed disturbing'. 

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Savall and Hespèrion XXI celebrate 50 years with effortless style

Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XXI
© The Wigmore Hall Trust

Hespèrion XXI

Jordi Savall (director, treble viol)

Christophe Coin (treble viol)

Anna Lachegyi (tenor viol)

Lixsania Fernández (tenor viol)

Xavier Díaz-Latorre (theorbo, guitar)

Filipa Meneses (bass viol)

Philippe Pierlot (bass viol)

David Mayoral (percussion)

7.30pm, Wednesday 18 December 2024

Wigmore Hall, London

★★★★★

Jordi Savall
© The Wigmore Hall Trust

Innocentio Alberti (c.1535-1615): Pavin of Albarti - Gallyard

Christopher Tye (c.1505-1572): In Nomine a5 'Crye' 

Robert Parsons (c.1535-1571): The song called trumpets a6 

Pierre Attaingnant (1494-1552): Pavane de la Guerre 

Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625): In Nomine a5 No. 1 (pub. c.1610) 

John Dowland (1563-1626): Semper Dowland semper dolens (pub. 1604) 

                                              The King of Denmark's Galliard (pub. 1605) 

Giovanni Maria Trabaci (c.1575-1647): Toccata di Durezze et Ligature 

Gioseffo Guami (1542-1611): Canzon a4 sopra 'La Battaglia' 

Clement Woodcock (c.1540-1590): Browning my dear 

Antony Holborne (1545-1602): Galliard No. 24 

John Ward (c.1589-1638): Fantasia No. 4 

Anon.: Pavane de la petite Guerre & Gaillarde 

           Bourrée d’Avignonez 

William Brade (1560-1630): Turkische Intrada 

Alfonso Ferrabosco (1543-1588): Four-note pavan 

William Brade: Galliard a6 

John Jenkins (1592-1678): The Bell Pavan 

Sebastián Aguilera de Heredia (1561-1627): Tiento de batalla 

Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654): Galliard Battaglia 

William Lawes (1602-1645): Paven from Consort Sett a5 in C 

Robert Johnson (c.1583-1633) & William Brade: The King's Morisco 

Henry Purcell (1659-1695): Fantasia upon one note in F Z745 (c.1680) 

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Contrapunctus 9 from the Art of Fugue BWV1080 (by 1742, rev. 1745-9) 

Juan Bautista José Cabanilles (c.1644-1712): Obertura - Corrente Italiana 

Encores:

Anon.: Tonada del Chimo, from Codex Martínez Compañón

Anon.: Scottish Dance.

Jordi Savall & Hespèrion XXI
© Nick Boston

'Drums were used to great effect to announce and accompany the battle pieces, such as the rat-a-tat rhythms of Gioseffo Guami’s Canzon a4 sopra “La Battaglia”, with virtuosic ornamented lines from Savall at the top of the texture'. 

'Savall and friends delivered every gem with assured and effortless precision, letting slip an occasional sense of their enjoyment in their craft at the more boisterous moments'. 

'... the Oberture e Corrente Italian by Cabanilles... the drums announced the majestic opening, then there was a deft switch from theorbo to guitar for the livelier rhythms of the Corrente, with tambourine and cascading viol lines dancing to the very end'.

Jordi Savall
© Nick Boston

'Rocking theorbo rhythms and joyous dance energy from the players was topped with virtuosic riffing from Savall'.

'The velvet viol sounds, the spirited percussion, the subtle theorbo or strumming guitar, with occasional virtuosic bursts of ornamented energy proved that this music is their joy, and it was a privilege to witness it. Happy 50th birthday, Hespèrion XXI!'

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

 

Prom 26: Lyrical virtuosity from Ehnes, with majestic Sibelius from Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic

John Storgårds & the BBC Philharmonic
© BBC/Mark Allan

James Ehnes (violin)
BBC Philharmonic
John Storgårds (conductor)

7.30pm, Thursday 3 August 2023

BBC Prom 26

Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★★

Gerald Barry (b.1952): Kafka's Earplugs

William Walton (1902-1983): Violin Concerto

Encore:

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Sonata No. 3 for solo violin in C major, BWV1005, IV. Allegro assai

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957): Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39

James Ehnes & the BBC Philharmonic
© BBC/Mark Allan

Barry:

'Storgårds and the BBC Philharmonic managed to effectively keep a lid on things throughout, yet occasionally allowing tantalising glimpses to break through the texture'.

Walton:

'Ehnes was suitably wild in its virtuosic passages, but he also gave us delicate decorative adornments to the horn’s canzonetta theme'.

Bach: 

'Ehnes then treated us to a fleet-of-foot account of the finale to J.S. Bach’s Sonata no. 3 in C major, BWV 1005, with seamlessly smooth string crossing and sensitive use of echo effects'.

Sibelius:

'With a sense of urgency, Storgård steered the orchestra to a sunlit climax'.

'Storgårds’ drive and the tightness of the BBC Philharmonic’s ensemble, as well as strong solo work from many, made for a memorable performance here'. 

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

CD Reviews - February 2023

John Wilson is back with the Sinfonia of London with a great new disc to follow up on their acclaimed 2021 recording of English String Music. This time, alongside two stalwarts of the repertoire, Vaughan Williams’ (1872-1958) Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, and Elgar’s (1857-1934) Introduction & Allegro for strings, are the sorely overlooked Concerto for String Orchestra by Herbert Howells (1892-1983), and a delightful gem, Late Swallows, by Frederick Delius (1862-1934). As with previous recordings, the Sinfonia of London string sound is rich, and the Chandos recording is equally full of depth. Wilson is precise and always clear as a bell, never allowing for any wallowing in the often thick textures of these works for strings. Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia has beautiful shimmering moments, but accents are strong, almost violent in places. Tempi are driven – Wilson never hangs about, avoiding the forementioned wallowing, so this is a less relaxed performance than some, but that brings out the precision and complexity of Vaughan Williams’ layered writing all the more. Wilson and the players give full weight when needed, but also exploit the contrasts between the three groupings – string quartet, and two orchestral ensembles, small and large. Their Elgar is similarly driven, right from the strident, energetic opening, yet the viola, immediately warm in contrast, has great emotional weight. This captures a key element of Wilson’s approach, always contrasting almost clinical precision and momentum with passion and emotional impact in the right places. Some recordings of this music achieve one or the other, but rarely both. The climaxes are quick – and the cold, spiky fugue builds to a phenomenal frenzy, with a thrilling race to the finish. Late Swallows is actually an arrangement by Eric Fenby (suggested by Barbirolli) of the slow movement from his String Quartet. It perhaps lacks the drama and contrasts of the other works here, but it is full of beautifully evocative swoops and dives, given lush expression here by the Sinfonia of London strings. Howells’ orchestral works have never achieved the same level of recognition as his choral works, which is a pity, as he clearly knew how to write for orchestral forces. He set out to write his Concerto for String Orchestra as a tribute to Elgar who had recently died, but he also then suffered the loss of his own nine-year-old son, and the resulting dedication of the work was to them both. He even said of the slow movement, ‘it was inspired by the countryside between the Malverns and the Cotswolds, and by two people – one old and one young – who knew and loved that part of England’. Yet the opening movement is strident, even harsh, with bursts of energy throughout, contrasting with a plaintive, slower central section. That central slow movement is definitely full of soulful yearning, with the passion increasing to pleading cries in places. So here, as before, Wilson delivers the emotional impact when it’s required, whilst maintaining the overall sense of direction of the work. The final movement launches off, immediately strident and angular once again, yet this is also full of contrasts, with jazzy rhythms, lighter, more plaintive moments, and urgent chords bringing things to a sudden conclusion. As with the Elgar, which clearly inspired Howells, the solo viola features strongly throughout, successfully providing a thread tying the work together. This recording is worth attention purely for the Howells, but lively and energetic readings of the Elgar & Vaughan Williams, and the Delius rarity, make this another strong release all round for Wilson and the Sinfonia of London.

Various. 2023. Music for Strings: Vaughan Williams, Howells, Delius, Elgar. Sinfonia of London, John Wilson. Hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc. Chandos. CHSA 5291.

The ensemble ZRI take their name from Zum Roten Igel, the 19^th century Vienna coffee house that was a hub for many composers, such as Brahms and Schubert, but also many folk and gypsy musicians of the time, creating a musical melting pot of influences and ideas. Here, in  Cellar Sessions, the five-piece ensemble, consisting of clarinet (Ben Harlan), violin (Max Baillie), cello (Matthew Sharp), accordion (Jon Banks) and santouri (a member of the dulcimer family) (Iris Pissaride), have embraced this idea of melding together classical repertoire with gypsy and folk material, but bringing that up to the present day, adding contemporary pop influences such as Donna Summer, Taylor Swift and Solange into the mix. This works remarkably well, with playful, dancing works such as Tokay by George Boulanger (1893-1958), and the swinging Horă din Budești by Aurel Gore (1928-1989), both Romanian violinists and arrangers, sitting alongside the ensemble’s take on classical works. They give a gloriously mysterious rendition of Schubert’s ethereal Andante from the Piano Trio No. 3, with a wonderful santouri introduction giving a nod to his nickname as the ‘Knight of the Cimbalom’, due to his fascination for Hungarian traditional music. From this introduction, Schubert’s slow movement emerges out of a gently pulsing rhythm, with burbling clarinet and sweet violin capturing the intensity of the original, and following some improvisatory exploration by the clarinet, low cello rumblings herald the return of the haunting sadness of the santouri. The Presto from Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 1 receives the ZRI treatment too, with the clarinet swinging the cross rhythms over gentle plucking from strings, building to some great rippling flourishes from the clarinet. Donna Summer’s I Feel Love opens with a bouncing accordion, but it’s the cello that sets up the iconic driving rhythm, whilst ethereal violin harmonics take on the melodic line. This all builds to a crazy clarinet riff, before a gradual fade. Taylor Swist’s Shake it Off is combined with a klezmer melody Lebedik un Freylach by Abe Schwartz (1881-1963), from a mournfully atmospheric beginning through to a racing, dancing conclusion. Matthew Sharp even gives us an expressive, cabaret-style baritone for Jay Gorney’s (1896-1990) Brother can you spare a dime?, with a shimmering accompaniment developing into swinging jazz. Brahms makes an indirect appearance, in the form of Isteni Csárdás by Miska Borzó (1800-1864), itself no doubt drawn from an older Hungarian tune, but better known to us now from Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 1, here full of the tune’s wildness and virtuosic energy in ZRI’s interpretation. They end with a delicate tango, Rote Rosen by Helmut Ritter (1907-1988), full of gentle nostalgia, before fading off into the distance. Overall, an extremely clever and inventive collection of repertoire, performed with joy and spirit throughout.

Various. 2022. Cellar Sessions. ZRI. Compact Disc. First Hand Records FHR136.

 

Greek-born pianist Alexandra Papastefanou studied in Moscow, Budapest and the US, and has had lessons from Alfred Brendel. She has performed all of Bach’s keyboard works, and recorded most of them too. Here she brings us a collection of transcriptions – so we’re immediately moving beyond the issue of performing his keyboard works on a modern piano, as here we have a trio sonata, chorales and cantatas, all in her own transcriptions, apart from Myra Hess’ famous arrangement of Jesus bleibet meine Freude (‘Jesu, joy of man’s desiring’), with which she ends her recording. Along the way, there are a couple of surprises too, with Papastefanou adding her own jazzy variation on top of her transcription of the chorale Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her, calling her addition appropriately Playing (with) Bach. The bouncy repeated figures here are effective, with the increasingly clashing harmonies providing an unusual counterpoint. We also get A Tribute to Bill Evans combined with An Wasserflussen Babylon (which also gives the album its title, Tears from Babylon). Here, she draws on Evans’ Peace Piece, with her own extemporisations entwined with the chorale melody in a particularly effective way, making this in fact the disc’s highlight for me. The Trio Sonata No. 5, BWV 529’s opening Allegro is clean, bright and lively, whilst the Largo that follows is tender and expressive. Papastefanou captures these contrasts throughout the recording, with joyful spirit for Sei Lob und Preis mit Ehren, carefully bringing out the chorale melody from within the busy moving textures, whilst using a softer, more expressive tone for the Aria, Meine Seufzer, meine Tränen. The plodding bass line for Gott hat alles wohlgemacht from BWV35 works well, as does the energetic Sinfonia from BWV18. Ending with Myra Hess’ transcription is a fitting tribute to all those that have gone before, transcribing and arranging Bach’s music, and Papastefanou’s rendition of Hess’ classic is captivating. Throughout this collection, Papastefanou captures the essence of Bach’s music, whilst taking us in some new and unexpected directions too. 

Bach, J. S./Papastefanou, A. Tears from Babylon: J. S. Bach Piano Transcriptions. Alexandra Papastefanou. Compact Disc. First Hand Records FHR141.