Adventurous, virtuosic and highly expressive celebration of 15 years of the Canellakis-Brown Duo

Cellist Nicholas Canellakis and pianist-composer Michael Stephen Brown, met in their early twenties some fifteen years ago and have been performing as the Canellakis-Brown Duo ever since, as well as maintaining their separate solo careers. They clearly have a close friendship which has also stimulated compositions and arrangements  from both, a number of which receive première recordings here. 
 
First, let’s get the album title, ‘(b)romance’ out of the way. Now celebrating male friendship is no bad thing, but the term ‘bromance’ is unfortunately problematic for me. The implication is always that such a friendship between two presumably straight men needs a label, however tongue in cheek, lest we ‘misunderstand’. And just in case we are in any doubt, it is confirmed that Canellakis has a girlfriend, whilst Brown’s website informs us that he has two Steinways with female names (really?). Now there’s clearly a play on the term here, with reference to the numerous Romances for cello and piano amongst the eclectic and expressive repertoire, and their friendship and professional partnership of 15 years is worthy of celebration. But still…
 
Anyway, closeness of communication and warmth of connection are immediately evident in the Saint-Saëns Romance opener, with Canellakis in particular producing a glorious cantabile sound. Brown is equally expressive in the Romantic piano solo of the Romanze from Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto, with Canellakis joining for the expressive, luxurious duet that emerges. Fauré’s Romance has a wonderful flow in the meandering, expressive cello melody, with Brown providing the necessary sense of motion from the piano. The rich, lower register opening from Canellakis is particularly striking here too. This is followed by Romance à GF, composed by Canellakis himself. He doesn’t clarify whether GF is his girlfriend, or the former composer’s initials, but regardless, it is an evocative piece, with the cello on long sustained piano notes of a rising scale emerging from the quiet mysterious piano opening. Once the melody gets going there is definitely a nod to Fauré here. Brown picks up the pace and intensity to support Canellakis’ outbursts, before it all dies away, leaving Canellakis at the heights of the fingerboard. Brown’s compositional offerings here include 35 Chords for Nick (a 35^th birthday present). The score (reproduced in the notes) indicates that the tempo, character and dynamics of the chords is up to the performer, and should be different every time – whilst setting down a recording obviously limits us to one version. But Canellakis’ mixture of spread chords, multiple stoppings, pizzicato and harmonics is engaging, and he again puts that richness of tone to great effect. There is also a Prelude and Dance from Brown, originally written as a solo cello piece for Canellakis, but with Brown adding the piano part later. The Prelude is an expressive, questioning conversation, in which the cello part’s repeated notes in particular get more insistent. The Dance that follows is wild and relentless, with most of the drive coming from the cello, with the piano adding complexity to the rhythms, before they swirl towards its frenzied conclusion.
 
The longest piece here is Sibelius’ dark Malinconia, and at just over 11 minutes in a programme of largely miniatures, it feels epic in proportions. Full of anguish, written in response to the death of the composer’s infant daughter, from the dark mysterious cello opening rising in anguish to the piano cascades, and then the folk-like cello lament over the piano’s rhythmic pulse, this certainly packs an emotional punch. As the intensity rises, Brown’s crashing piano is matched by Canellakis’ heart-wrenching full sound, followed by a quietly raging conclusion, making for a highly moving performance of this astonishing piece. Ginastera’s Pampeana No. 2follows this with the bell-like piano and extended dramatic cello flourish leading into a swirling dance and long passages of extreme expressive outbursts, then just when you think it’s almost over, there is a wild dance to finish, with both Canellakis & Brown showing their virtuosic prowess. 
 
Elsewhere, Canellakis makes the melody of Rachmaninov’s Lied sing alongside the relatively simple piano accompaniment, whilst Copland’s Poème, a contrastingly reflective piece, is given a peaceful, almost sensual reading. Debussy’s song Beau soir, here transcribed by Canellakis, is limpid and warm, with a beautifully controlled high ending from Canellakis. And Lukas Foss’ (1922-2009) Capriccio is full of American folksy melodies, galloping pace and train-like rhythmic energy, once again allowing both players to demonstrate their virtuosity. 
 
They end the disc playfully, first with 3 Preludes by Gershwin, arranged by Canellakis. The first is great fun, and the third is a joyful romp, whilst the central prelude is sultry, with a bluesy (if a little ‘clean’ here) second half. But they finish with a wild, virtuosic and crazy dance, Don Ellis’ (1934-1978) Bulgarian Bulge, originally for big band, in another Canellakis arrangement. Its 33/16 metre is fiendishly infectious, and Canellakis and Brown swirl and spin with sparkling energy to bring their programme to a glorious close. All in all, a great programme, performed with style, virtuosic command and expression – just a shame about that title!

Various. 2024. (b)romance. Nicholas Canellakis, Michael Stephen Brown. Compact Disc. First Hand Records. FHR134.

 
 

Energetic Scottish Symphony lifts a weighty evening of the Schumanns and Mendelssohns

Natalia Ponomarchuk
© Alina Harmash

Alexander Melnikov (piano)

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Natalia Ponomarchuk (conductor)

 

7.30pm, Saturday 20 January 2024

Brighton Dome 

★★★

Fanny Hensel, née Mendelssohn (1805-1847): Overture in C major

Clara Schumann (1819-1896): Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 7

Robert Schumann (1810-1856): Introduction and Allegro for piano and orchestra, Op. 134

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): Symphonhy No. 3 in A minor (Scottish)

Fanny Hensel:

'The LPO's violins responded to the horn’s quiet opening with lyricism, although their pick-up following the introduction was a little imprecise'.

Clara Schumann:

'Melnikov was most at home in the lyrically rhapsodic slow movement, joined by guest principal cellist, Waynne Kwon, beautifully complementing Melnikov’s lyricism with warmth and depth'.

Robert Schumann:

'Melnikov’s chromatic scales swirled and the orchestra surged appropriately in response. He was assured in the delicate intricate passagework, but occasionally, in the more bombastic moments, attention to detail was surprisingly matter of fact, with more than a few imprecisions creeping in'.

Felix Mendelssohn:

'Here the LPO winds came into their own, with a flowing clarinet opening and fizzing articulation from them all, complemented well by the joyful string filigree passages'.

'Once at full pelt, Ponomarchuk elicited rich and expressive drama. The finale had immediate attack, and the fugal sections here were tight. Clarinet and bassoon gave a delightfully expressive duet, and then the transformed ‘Holyrood’ delivered stately grandeur, with glorious horns to finish'. 

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

CD Reviews - November 2022

Pianist Clare Hammond’s new disc (realised 4 November) of Études by Hélène de Montgeroult (1764-1836) is a complete revelation. Eight years younger than Mozart, Montgeroult, from a noble background, led a dramatic life involving a secret diplomatic mission, kidnap and imprisonment. Despite this, she was made professor of piano at Paris Conservatoire de Musique, and published nine sonatas, three fantasies, and her ‘Cours complet’ containing 114 études and over 900 exercises, as well as various other pieces. The style is so ahead of her time, in terms of what we might expect, that it is hard not to think that her work was not heard by the likes of Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Chopin. It is often the case that we fall into the trap of listening to unknown music composed by women and constantly liken it to that of male composers, as if to say they must have been the prime influence. Here it is so clearly the other way around, as many of the characteristics of her compositions, in terms of adventurous harmonies, complexity of texture, tempo changes and singing melodies, are foretastes of what we hear in the Romantic composers that followed her. The études were composed from around 1788 to 1812, by which time Schumann and Chopin were just 2 and Mendelssohn 3 years old. Yet if you didn’t know otherwise, the singing melodies over perpetual motion accompaniment of Études nos. 26 and 41, or the dancing energy or percussive textures of nos. 35 & 65, or the virtuosic trilling and insistent rhythmic energy of nos. 100 & 103, could be mistaken for Mendelssohn, Schubert or Chopin respectively. There are Beethovenian bagatalles, Field-like nocturnes, poignancy foreshadowing late Schubert, and even Brahmsian impromptus. Yet there is a clear individuality too in her expressive use of melody and her dense, rapid-moving textures. Did all of these composers know her work? There are possible connections to Mendelssohn via one of his teachers, and Clara Schumann’s father used the Cours complet in his teaching. But beyond that, we can’t be sure. We can only conclude from the quality and creative invention of her compositions that, had she not been a woman, her work would surely be better known today. Hammond has absorbed her soundworld and performs these gems with nuance, warmth and virtuosic fluidity throughout. Given that there are 29 études from the 114 here, there is surely scope for a follow-up, which would be greatly welcomed.

Montgeroult, H. de. 2022. Études. Clare Hammond. Hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc. BIS Records BIS-2603. 

American pianist Sarah Cahill returns with the second volume of her survey of keyboard music composed by women, The Future is Female. As with the first volume, the choice is eclectic, ranging from the late 17^thcentury to the present day, and the loose theme this time is The Dance. She opens with the delightful Suite No. 1 from Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre’s (1665-1729) Pièces de clavecin. If we put to oneside any concerns about this being performed on a modern piano, Cahill’s approach is light and delicate, with rippling ornaments and the five short movements bounce along with a gentle lilt. The middle Sarabande is quiet and contemplative, whilst the final Gigue, whilst not overly extravagant, is pacier, within an overall introspective soundworld. Clara Schumann (1819-1896) is next, and her Variations of a theme of Robert Schumann, Op. 20. Written as a present for her husband’s 43^rd birthday, it was one of her last compositions for the piano. The theme itself is rather mournful, almost funereal – and it was her husband’s last birthday before entering the asylum where he would end his days. However, she creates romantic passion in the variations that follow, increasing the intensity and rhythmic energy and moving the melody around in the texture. Yet she returns several times to the chorale-like plainness of the theme, and the six variation is particularly poignant and questioning. Cahill captures the atmosphere of this deeply personal composition with understated affection. We leap forward to 1957 for Germaine Tailleferre’s (1892-1983) Partita, with its wandering melodic lines and jazzy harmonies, and a playfully balletic dance to end. We move through the latter half of the twentieth century with a mournfully nostalgic Rhapsody from Zenobia Powell Perry (1908-2004) and two evocative movements from Madeleine Dring’s (1923-1977) Colour Suite, full of cabaret-style swing and dance rhythms. Elena Kats-Chernin’s (b.1957) Peggy’s Rag is delightfully nostalgic, and Betsy Jolas’ (b.1926) Tango Si deconstructs elements of the dance, with stop-start hints of tango rhythms. The St Petersburg Waltz by Meredith Monk (b.1942) swirls around repeated chords with Eastern European inflections and distant cries from the top of the keyboard. Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz’s (b.1964) Preludio y Estudio No. 3 has a mysterious, free prelude with high outbursts contrasting with a drone-like bass, and the virtuosic Estudio is full of insistent driving rhythms, splashing chords and metallic use of the very top of the instrument. The disc ends with a dramatically expressive piece, ‘She Dances Naked Under Palm Trees’, by Theresa Wong (b.1976), with haunting use of the pedal to create ringing notes, thundering textures, glissandi and a deeply unsettling 13-beat metre. As with the first disc, with such a fascinating and well-chosen selection of diverse works, it is easy to forget the pianist here, and once again Cahill demonstrates an impressive command of such a wide variety of styles, so as well as being a great testament to the women composers here, high praise is deserved for these performances too.

Various. 2022. The Future is Female, Vol. 2, The Dance. Sarah Cahill. Compact Disc. First Hand Records FHR132.

Ruth Gipps (1921-1999) was an English composer, oboist, pianist and conductor, studying the oboe at the Royal College of Music with Léon Goossens, and composition with Gordon Jacob and Vaughan Williams. Her music eschewed serialism or atonalism and as such, perhaps fell out of fashion somewhat – and of course she sadly suffered at the hands of a misogynistic and male-dominated world of composition in the early to mid-twentieth century. Thankfully, her music is experiencing something of a revival, and Chandos’ second volume of her orchestral music further demonstrates the inventiveness of her orchestration and her understanding of orchestral colour. Her youthful Oboe Concerto, Op. 20, expertly performed here by Juliana Koch, along with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Rumon Gamba, is full of lively writing for the oboe, along with lyricism in the slow movement, folksy dancing melodies in its finale. But its strengths also lie in the delicacy of the scoring, with just muted strings in the central Andante, and mysterious string textures in the opening movement. There are two short orchestral works here too, firstly an Overture to a never completed opera, Chanticleer, Op. 28, with atmospheric wind writing and surging strings, as well as rasping brass evoking the cockerel of the title. There is also a dark elegy on war, Death on the Pale Horse, Op. 25 (written in 1943), drawing inspiration from Blake’s painting of the same name. Here, gently pulsing timpani build to the climactic moments, and the opening horn solo, repeated at various points, adds to the sense of doom. The rest of the disc is given over to Gipps’ Symphony No. 3, Op. 57. Written in 1965, the style was surely running against the fashions of the time, which might explain its relative obscurity, but the wealth of expression and orchestral colour on offer here is immediately attractive. The shifting tonalities of the opening movement, with rich string writing, builds to exhilharating, surging climaxes, and the Theme and Variations second movement is warm and lush, with highly imaginative use of percussion. Again, unusual orchestral colour is on display in the Scherzo, with an ostinato (repeated figure) for harp and glockenspiel, against skittish string writing. The finale is jaunty, with some striking moments for the brass – she certainly knows how to make the most of all parts of orchestral textures, and Gamba and the BBC Philharmonic exploit this to the full. I missed Volume 1, and will certainly now be seeking it out.

Gipps, R. 2022. Ruth Gipps Orchestral Works, Vol. 2. Juliana Koch, BBC Philharmonic, Rumon Gamba. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 20161.

 

 

 

CD Reviews - September 2019

Violinist Tasmin Little is joined by pianist John Lenehan for a glorious programme of works by Amy Beach (1867-1944), Clara Schumann (1819-1896) and Dame Ethel Smyth (1858-1944). They open with Beach’s wonderful Sonata, Op. 34. Beach was an accomplished pianist, debuting at the age of seven, but curtailed her highly successful performing career at the request of her husband, who preferred that she concentrate only on composition.  Her Sonata is full of lyricism and great virtuosity in the violin part, but, understandably given her pianism, the piano part is no slouch. Little and Lenehan clearly relish the beauty of Beach’s lush writing, as well as enjoying the virtuosity and playfulness, particularly in the quixotic Scherzo. There is as ever a warmth in Little’s tone that is ideally suited to this expansive music, and the flourish they both bring to the fiery finale is glorious. Clara Schumann was another piano virtuoso, but interestingly she had the opposite experience to Beach, her composing more or less coming to an end following her marriage.  Her Three Romances, Op. 22 were her final chamber composition, and these three short movements are full of rich melodic invention, with rippling piano accompaniments, particularly in the lightly playful third Romance. Dame Ethel Smyth was active in the woman’s suffrage movement, and her composition career was relatively successful (Clara Schumann was in fact one of her greatest supporters), although she faced much prejudice, her music being either deemed ‘too masculine’ or ‘too feminine’, depending on whether it was dramatic, rhythmic and powerful, or lyrical and melodic. In fact her Sonata Op. 7 contains both, with a dancing Scherzo and a beautiful, lilting slow movement, flanked by a richly inventive Allegro moderato, and a fabulously unapologetic Finale. Little and Lenehan perform with pace throughout, never allowing the more lyrical moments to become over indulgent, yet the pianissimo conclusion to the slow movement has beautiful delicacy. The finale is full of spirit, yet there is subtlety in Smyth’s writing here, so this is not just a throwaway finish. Little and Lenehan respect this with great attention to detail, but do allow proceedings to build to thrilling finish. To close the disc, we’re treated to two more short works by Beach, firstly a beautifully expressive Romance, Op. 23, with its heart definitely on its sleeve, followed by Invocation, Op. 55, equally romantic, but a little more introspective. Both receive heartfelt performances from Little and Lenehan here. With Little announcing her retirement from live performance earlier this year, her vast recording output becomes all the more precious, and this is definitely one to treasure.

Various. 2019. Tasmin Little plays Clara Schumann, Dame Ethel Smyth, Amy Beach. Tasmin Little, John Lenehan. Compact Disc. Chandos Records CHAN 20030.

During his tenure as composer in residence for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Stephen McNeff (b.1951) wrote a number of works for the orchestra, and for Kokoro, the orchestra’s new music ensemble. He has also written music for Ensemble 10/10, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s contemporary music ensemble. A selection of these works has been recorded by Kokoro, and their disc opens with Counting (Two), scored for an ensemble of solo wind, strings, piano and percussion. The rhythms are spiky and insistent, and there is a constant sense of energy in the fragments of virtuosic material passed between instruments. The central movement has a different feel, inspired by ‘an altogether different sort of ordered counting’, following a visit by McNeff to a war cemetery in Italy, and it opens and closes with a mournful, repetitive lament. Growing intensity builds to an outburst from the horn, before the lament returns. The rushing third movement brushes the sadness aside, concluding the work with a procession of winding material and persistent percussion. The Four Van Gogh Chalks are for a smaller ensemble, and open with a thoughtful, atmospheric impression, Mademoiselle Gachet at the Piano, with high violin, tinkling percussion and rippling piano and wind. Venus in a Top Hat is a quirky, slightly frenzied scherzo, and L’Écorché is darkly atmospheric. The collection ends with Couple Dancing, although their dancing is unsettlingly off-kilter, and ultimately collapses into nothing, the couple presumably exhausted from their efforts. The four pieces form a great miniature suite, performed here with great energy and precision by the Kokoro players. Next on the disc comes Strip Jack Naked, a vehicle for mezzo-soprano Lore Lixenberg. McNeff has written a considerable amount for opera and music theatre, and this is described as a ‘burlesque tragedy’ and a ‘contemporary comic opera’. The story, told in a libretto by comedy actor and writer Vicki Pepperdine, basically tells of a woman waking on her birthday and realising that people don’t like the way she now looks – so she embarks on a drastic course of cosmetic surgery, which goes horribly wrong with dark consequences. Lixenberg delivers the highly challenging mix of virtuosic singing, cutting speech and ‘Sprechstimme’ with startling command. The full work was performed on stage in 2007, and McNeff has produced a Song Suite, containing most of the songs, for this recording. The small instrumental ensemble adds moments of jazzy counterpoint and percussive emphasis, with some occasional chilling sound effects too, and despite obviously being a stage piece, this works remarkably well on disc, a testament to McNeff and Lixenberg’s impressive ability to communicate the chilling story. The final work here is Lux, for octet. McNeff explores light, how it changes and shifts, through eight sections that follow without break. The music has a spooky, ephemeral feel, fleeting and hard to pin down, like shifting shafts of light, and the faster sections have a strong sense of energy, assisted once again by driving percussion rhythms. The Kokoro players perform all this music with impressive virtuosity and clarity, and the rather dry recorded sound actually helps articulate McNeff’s complex writing, making this a fascinating exploration of his striking music.

McNeff, S. 2019. Strip Jack Naked - Ensemble works by Stephen McNeff. Kokoro. Compact Disc. Prima Facie PFCD106.

Finally, in brief, another great recording from Edward Gardner, recently announced as new Principal Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Here he is with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, performing three Symphonies by Schubert (1797-1828), Nos. 3, 5 and 8, the ‘Unfinished’. Gardner’s Schubert is quick-paced but never rushed, and there is a lightness of touch throughout. No. 3 has charm and Haydn-esque spirit, with a blistering finale. No. 5 is more Mozartian, and here Gardner infuses the ‘little’ symphony, scored for smaller orchestra, with grace and elegance, particularly in the slow movement, yet he gives the rather straightforward Menuetto a much needed edge, and the finale rattles by in a whirl of energy. No. 8 starts whisperingly quietly, and the woodwind melody emerges out of nothing. This is a fine performance, expertly paced, never feeling rushed, but equally never wallowing in Schubert’s tempting lyrical melodies, thereby preserving the crucial arc of momentum many performances lose, and the impact of the development section’s dramatic outburst is consequently all the more effective. The seemingly calm second movement has always a sense of underlying tension, which bubbles to the surface in the second theme, over a gently pulsing off-beat rhythm, which then bursts out in a full-on tutti explosion. The contrasts here are the key, and Gardner’s dynamic range is impressive. A great opening volume, I look forward to more.  

Schubert, F. 2019. Symphonies Vol. 1: Nos. 3, 5 and 8. City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Edward Gardner. Hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc. Chandos Records CHSA 5234. 

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, September 2019)

The Amatis Piano Trio celebrate Clara Schumann with warmth and delicacy - Proms at ... Cadogan Hall 6

Amatis Piano Trio
© Allard Photo

Amatis Piano Trio:
Lea Hausmann (violin)
Samuel Shepherd (cello)
Mengjie Han (piano)

Monday 26 August, 1pm

Proms at ... Cadogan Hall 6
Cadogan Hall, London

★★★




Robert Schumann (1810-1856): 
Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70

Clara Schumann (1819-1896): 
Three Romances, Op. 22
Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 17

R Schumann:
'They began the Adagio with a brave pianissimo, the cello slowly warming into a sweet tone, matched by soft warmth from the piano'.

C Schumann:
Three Romances:
'Haussmann (violin) played here with a soft tone ... with well-judged dynamic phrasing throughout'.

Piano Trio:
'The close communication between the three players was evident'.

'The trio had great fun with the finale, with its folk-like playfulness'.


Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Passion and playfulness in an engaging programme from Joshua Bell and Sam Haywood

Joshua Bell, © Richard Ashcroft

Joshua Bell (violin)
Sam Hayward (piano)

Wednesday 27 February 2019

Barbican Hall, London

★★★★

Beethoven: Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23

Prokofiev: Sonata No. 2 in D major, Op. 94a

Grieg: Sonata No. 2 in G major, Op. 13

Encores: 

Clara Schumann: Three Romances, Op. 22 – No.1: Andante molto

Brahms: Hungarian Dances WoO1, No. 1 in G minor, arr. Joachim

Wieniawski: Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op. 16

'Their Beethoven had spark and delicate simplicity, whilst their Prokofiev was full of bite and foot-stomping rhythms'.

Prokofiev: 

'Bell took flight with the circus acrobatics of the finale'.

Grieg:

'Bell and Hayward’s passionate performance was a delight'.

Schumann:

'Haywood's limpid opening supporting Bell's beautifully silky tone'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.