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.

CD Reviews & Concert Listings - April 2022

Reviews

Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch (1736-1800) was expected to follow in the footsteps of his more famous father, Johann Friedrich Fasch, as Kapellmeister in Zerbst, but instead he went on to share the position of harpsichordist to Frederick II with CPE Bach, and then ultimately when CPE Bach left after the seven years war, he remained. He was also responsible for establishing the Singakademie in Berlin, which was chiefly responsible for the rediscovery of JS Bach’s music which by then had fallen into obscurity. Philippe Grisvard has recorded a selection of Fasch’s keyboard works, performing them on a gloriously ringing fortepiano from around 1790. The disc includes three of Fasch’s Sonatas, and several short ‘character’ pieces, ending with a wonderful Ariette with Fourteen Variations. The B flat minor Sonata has a dramatically rippling opening, and continues with almost perpetual motion, with falling arpeggios dropping to a sombre trill at the bass of the keyboard. In its slow movement, the rich lower tones of Grisvard’s instrument are warmly echoey, and the trumpet-like repeated notes ring out almost like an organ stop. Whilst conventional in structure, its finale has drama too in its fantasia-like explosion before the return of the opening material. The C major Sonata is full of Viennese gentility, despite its challenging hand crossing, and an expressive central movement is followed by a fiery yet playful finale, with its stop-start rhythms. Grisvard creates such a variety of tones here, from the sound of a music box in the quieter sections to a guitar-like sound at the light, hiccupping finish. The F major Sonata is equally lively and emphatic in style, with beautifully expressive touch from Grisvard in the mournful central movement, whilst demonstrating his virtuosity in the bright finale. Of the character pieces, L’Antoine perhaps stands out, with Grisvard again bringing out its mournful expressiveness with the muted tone of the instrument. La Cecchina is delightful, with its sudden runs and pleasing melodic material. But it is the Ariette and its variations that prove to be the real demonstration of Fasch’s inventiveness, taking the graceful and delicate theme through a gentle dance (3), perpetual spinning wheel motion (4), dramatic statements (7) and rich repeated chords (13) to mention just a few. Grisvard is on a roll here, and shifts effortlessly from variation to variation, shifting from a gently rocking lilt to rapid top to bottom scales with effortless smoothness. Fasch ends with a rattling motion, and Grisvard’s clattering chords bring this to a suitably striking conclusion. The combination of some delightfully inventive keyboard music, the surprisingly versatile and sonorous fortepiano, and Grisvard’s virtuosity combined with delicacy and lightness of touch make this recording a resounding hit.

Fasch, C. F. C. 2020. Works for Keyboard. Philippe Grisvard. Compact Disc. Audax Records ADX 13725.

Pianist Simon Callaghan joins the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Martyn Brabbins for a great selection of obscure British Piano Concertos. ‘New’ piano concertos, often for modest orchestral forces, were a popular feature of concert programmes in the early half of the twentieth century, but by their very nature, many of them failed to achieve longevity and often disappeared without trace. Yet there are some great pieces here, ranging from the light and almost comical to more weightily, expressive offerings. Only one of the works here has been previously recorded (the Benjamin), and that was back in 1959. John Addison’s (1920-1998) Wellington Suite kicks things off, and this is a great, playful romp. Scored for two horns, piano, percussion and strings, the horns actually take centre stage with some really challenging and rapid exchanges, deftly handled here by Tim Thorpe and Meilyr Hughes. Written in 1959, we can hear the film music that Addison was best known for (eg. Reach for the Sky, A Taste of Honey). He relocated to Los Angeles in 1975 – receiving an Emmy for his signature tune for Murder, She Wrote. There are cartoon capers in the opening movement, with sliding piano lines and bright horns. The horns are slinkier in the more reflective second movement, with delicate piano pecks over gentle strings, before concluding with a lumbering march. Delicate pizzicato strings, played with great control by the BBC NOW build towards an almost Shostakovich-like comic second section. A light, halting waltz ends with vaudeville piano tremolos, before a playfully jaunty ride lead by the horns, with quickening pace in the piano and strings exchanges to finish. Australian born Arthur Benjamin (1893-1960) studied and later taught at the Royal College of Music, where Britten was one of his pupils. His Concertino for Piano and Orchestra (1927) was influenced by the popularity of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and its single movement has its bluesy movements courtesy of the addition of an alto saxophone. Perhaps less extrovertly extravagant than Gershwin, it nevertheless has effective passages of sweeping strings with the piano providing energetic counterpoint. Callaghan delivers the racing light piano ripples and the wandering cadenza towards the end with elegant panache. Elizabeth Maconchy (1907-1994) was another RCM alumnus, and was an important figure in the world of new music composition, becoming the first woman chair of the Composers’ Guild of Great Britain in 1959, and the president of the Society for the Promotion of New Music in 1976, succeeding Britten. Her Concertino for Piano and String Orchestra (1949) is dramatic and virtuosic for the piano, with angular strings and intense, insistent rhythms throughout. The middle movement has more lyricism, but here still the jagged rhythmic knocks are unsettling. Insistence continues in the final movement, with rapid motion passed between piano and orchestra, and repetition of ideas hammering home its darkly infectious spirit. Humphrey Searle’s (1915-1982) short Concertante for Piano, Percussion & Strings (1954) is full of spiky rhythms and interchanges between piano and orchestra, with slinky strings and birdlike piano interjections. Following a short cadenza at the centre, the atmospheric sliding strings become more frenzied to great effect. Edmund Rubbra’s (1901-1986) ‘Nature’s Song’, a tone poem for orchestra, piano and organ (1920) is up next, and this is perhaps the most immediately engaging work here, with its filmic, rich scoring and expressive melodic lines. The sea’s ‘rich roar’ surges in the strings, and Callaghan is particularly expressive in the solo section towards the end, before the flute and oboe rise up to the sky over quiet strings to finish. Geoffrey Bush’s (1920-1998) A Little Concerto on themes of Thomas Arne (1939) is definitely of its time, yet his delicate arrangement of music taken several of Arne’s Harpsichord Sonatas and the Keyboard Concerto No. 3 is surprisingly delicate and refined. He keeps the textures relatively light, and here Callaghan weaves the piano part, often running in octaves, around the bare string textures. Overall, this is a fascinating collection. With a range of styles on offer, the Rubbra and Maconchy stand out for their overall depth, but the Addison is a comic gem.

Various. 2022. British Piano Concertos. Simon Callaghan, BBC NOW, Martyn Brabbins. Compact Disc. Lyrita SRCD407.

Concerts

Jess Gilham (credit Robin Clewley)

The London Philharmonic Orchestra perform Mussorgsky, Ravel, and Glazunov’s Concerto for Saxophone, with Jess Gillam (saxophone), conducted by Finnegan Downie-Dear (7.30pm, Saturday 23, Brighton Dome). Tickets here.

Daniel Pioro (credit: David James Grinly)

The LPO then hop over to Eastbourne to play Coleridge-Taylor, Vaughan Williams and Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, with Daniel Pioro (violin), this time conducted by Tom Gauterin (3pm, Sunday 24, Congress Theatre, Eastbourne). Tickets here.

Cristian Grajner de Sa

The Worthing Symphony Orchestra perform Romantic Classics, including the Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, with Cristian Grajner de Sa (violin), conducted by guest conductor, Hilary Davan Wetton (2.45pm, Sunday 24, Assembly Hall, Worthing). Tickets here.

John Hancorn

The Baroque Collective Singers perform Music for Passiontide, with Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater and music by Byrd, Gibbons and Farrant, conducted by John Hancorn (5pm, Sunday 3 April, St Peter’s Church, Firle, and 5pm, Sunday 10 April, St Michael’s Church, Lewes). Tickets here.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared at Scene, April 2022) 

CD Reviews - February 2019

Violinist Johannes Pramsohler is back with more unexplored treasures, highlighting virtuoso violin concertos by Johann Jakob Kress (c.1685-1738), the court concertmaster at Darmstadt.  Four out of the five works here are receiving world premiere recordings, and Pramsohler is joined by the Darmstädter Barocksolisten.  Interestingly, they perform on modern instruments, thereby challenging the idea that Baroque music should now only be the territory of period-instrument groups.  Their attention to historically performed detail and articulation is certainly striking. The disc opens with a wonderful Concerto by Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767), with Pramsohler and the players joined by Manfred Bocksweiger on solo trumpet.  Possibly written for Kress to perform, the bright trumpet is matched by a scintillating high register violin part, and a delightful central Adagio is followed by a joyous Allegro finale, with watery running lines cascading from the solo violin.  There are two Kress Concerti on the disc. No. 1 has a beautifully touching, arioso Adagio, with staccato orchestral accompaniment, and a dancing Allegro to finish, and No. 6 has a stately slow introduction with delicate writing for the violin. Its Adagio is mournful, with sustained, unusual harmonic shifts, and the Allegro is a light dance.  The other two works here call for three trumpets in addition to the lighter orchestral forces, and this provides a great contrast.  The Concerto by Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758) contrasts a birdlike solo violin part against the full orchestra, with minor key interjections from trumpets and oboes.  There’s a skip in the step of the walking bass line in the Andante, and the Allegro is celebratory and virtuosic, with bright trumpet fanfares.  The disc concludes with a lively Ouverture (Orchestral Suite) by Johann Samuel Endler (1694-1762).  Its eight movements include plenty of highly virtuosic solo violin displays, often punctuated by punchy rhythmic accompaniment from the orchestra.  Yet there are lighter moments too, with a simple stately dance for strings alone (Fantasie) and a delicate, delightful oboe/violin dialogue in the Passepied.  This is a disc full of delights, and Pramsohler is clearly in his element.  His brightness of tone and lightening touch is matched by great energy and vivid articulation from the Darmstadt players.  Highly recommended.

Various. 2018. Violin Concertos from Darmstadt - Kress, Telemman, Fasch, Endler. Johannes Pramsohler, Darmstädter Barocksolisten. Compact Disc. Audax Records ADX 13716.

The Telling specialise in staged performances and ‘concert-theatre’ pieces to bring the ballads, poetry and story-telling of the Middle Ages to life. They will be familiar to many in Brighton, as they have performed regularly in the Brighton Early Music Festival, and one of their members, Clare Norburn was  co-founder and until recently Co-Director of the festival.  Together with fellow singer Ariane Prüssner, and medieval harp player and singer Leah Stuttard, the three have recorded a collection of striking works under the title Gardens of Delight, exploring the use of flowers as imagery and inspiration in medieval song.  They take us on a trip around Europe, through Spain, France, England, Italy and Germany, and also through time, with music spanning the 11^th to 15^th centuries.  Norburn has a bright, bell-like soprano voice, contrasted beautifully by Prüssner’s rich, deeper tones.  This is particularly evident in the opening traditional Sephardic song, La rosa enflorese, with Prüssner’s haunting voice, full of sadness, followed by Norburn’s yearning tones, all supported by Stuttard with an atmospheric, light harp accompaniment.  The works range from the florid and virtuosic, wandering lines of O rosa bella by Johannes Ciconia (1370-1412), to the unexpectedly passionate anonymous German song Der Winter will hin weichen, and the disc concludes with Hildegard von Bingen’s (1098-1179) passionately ecstatic Ave generosa (with Norburn’s voice souring aloft), followed by a closing Procession.  There are delicate solo works performed beautifully by Stuttard on the harp, as well as richly blended three part singing from them all in Ther is no rose of swych virtu, which may be a familiar tune to some.  Roses and lilies, and their symbolism associated with the Virgin Mary, figure large, but even gladioli make an appearance in one song.  This is a glorious selection of music, performed with clear devotion and the ability to communicate the varied emotions of this fascinating repertoire. Well worth exploring.

Various. 2018. Gardens of Delight - Roses, Lilies and Other Flowers in Medieval Song. The Telling. Compact Disc. First Hand Records FHR68.

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

CD Reviews - November 2014

Baroque violinist Johannes Pramsohler returns with his second album on his own label, Audax Records, this time with friends Varoujan Doneyan (violin), Gulrim Choi (cello) and Philippe Grisvard (harpsichord), under the name of Ensemble Diderot.  I contributed to a crowd-funding initiative to support this recording, and I have to say I am not at all disappointed with the end result.  This is an outstanding recording and one which deserves the widest recognition possible.  The repertoire is chamber music from the Court of Dresden from the first half of the 18^th century, to where the great German violinist and composer Pisendel moved from Leipzig, and established phenomenal influence over a whole network of composers, some of whom we know well - Handel and Telemann, for example – but some of whom will be new names for most.  In fact the three central works on this disc, Trio Sonatas from Johann Fux (1660-1741), Johann Fasch (1688-1758) and Ignác Tůma (1704-1774) are world première recordings.  They are joined by a Trio Sonata from Telemann’s ‘Musique de Table’, and then the whole disc is topped and tailed by two Handel Trio Sonatas.  There are some great background notes from the great Reinhard Goebel (although not a great deal of specific commentary on the works themselves).  But what stands out above all is the bright, lively and delicately poised musicianship on show.  The two violins fizz and shine with perfectly matched tones, and the continuo from harpsichord and cello compliment the solo lines throughout.  The repertoire is also a revelation – one might think a whole disc of Trio Sonatas, with alternating fast, slow movements would pall, but not so.  In the Fux, there are the most beautiful, delicately ornamented duets between the two violins, and in the faster movements, they engage in a game of tag, with each violin taking over from the other as the lines rise and fall.  The Fasch feels slightly less inspired in comparison, with the rising and falling sequences feeling a little more mechanical – but again, the players create interest here nonetheless.  The Tůma fragments (just two movements here) are fascinating, the second of which has exciting faster outer sections sandwiching a short adagio.  The finale of the Telemann has a real fizz, and the Handel that ends the disc is a real joy.  If you have the slightest interest in Baroque music and/or the violin, you must hear this.

Various. 2014. The Dresden Album. Ensemble Diderot, Johannes Pramsohler. Compact Disc. Audax Records ADX 13701.

Louis Lortie is on his third volume of Chopin, and he continues his practice of alternating pieces (here Nocturnes and Impromptus), paired by connected key relationships.  This works very well, and avoids the danger of monotony that can creep into whole discs of Nocturnes, say.  He then gives over the second half of the disc to the third Sonata.  I particularly like Lortie’s approach to Chopin – as I have commented before, he allows the music to speak, and it is the composer that is foregrounded, not the pianist himself.  Right from the first notes of the delicate Nocturne in C sharp minor at the start of the disc, he draws us into Chopin’s world – and once we are there, he releases the wilder, declamatory nature of that Nocturne’s middle section.  And the fiery Impromptu that follows makes perfect sense here – with the reverse pattern of a beautifully tender and lyrical central section, highlighting Lortie’s sensitivity and beauty of tone.  This sums up his approach overall – the passionate, virtuosic moments always have a context, and are not just fireworks displays for the sake of it, and the lyricism so essential in Chopin is never lost.  When it comes to the Sonata, the constant rippling of the Scherzo has real energy.  The Finale might be the one place where a little more abandon would be acceptable, but within the context of Lortie’s consistent style, this is a great performance.

Chopin, F. 2014. Louis Lortie plays Chopin, Volume 3. Louis Lortie. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10813.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, November 2014)

International Baroque Players - Violin Concertos from Dresden, Pisendel and others

I was very fortunate to sing in a concert in the Brighton Early Music Festival 2011 with Emma Kirkby and the International Baroque Players, a chamber group of young musicians formed just two years prior.  I was blown away by their energy and enthusiasm, and their lively performances, and they have rapidly acquired a strong following.  


Their debut disc is an absolute joy, and focuses on violin concertos from Dresden, under the concertmaster Johann Georg Pisendel (1687-1755).  The musicians of the Dresden court were known and revered throughout Europe, and on the basis of the repertoire written for them, they must have been a highly talented ensemble.  The International Baroque Players’ leader, violinist Johannes Pramsohler, seems to have been responsible for researching the music performed here, most of which they have recorded for the first time.  There are concertos from the better known Handel (1685-1759), Telemann (1681-1767) and Fasch (1688-1758), as well as concertos from Pisendel himself, and one by Johann David Heinichen (1683-1729).  


The Handel work is in fact a Trio Sonata, arranged by Pisendel for chamber orchestra forces, so is another premiere.  The Telemann concerto, specifcally composed for Pisendel to perform, demonstrates what a virtuosic violinist he must have been, and he clearly inspired Telemann to write music more innovative and inspired than the bulk of his slightly workaday output, and the third movement, with the violin singing over a rippling accompaniment, is simply beautiful.  The Heinichen concerto has much in common with Vivaldi, but it is nevertheless a very enjoyable work, with plenty of opportunity for the violin to show off.  Pisendel’s own concerto finishes off the disc in an appropriately virtuosic and joyful fashion.  These players show without a shadow of a doubt how historically informed performance on original instruments can be performed with real spirit and energy – this CD is highly recommended, and if you can catch them live, even better – look out for them in BREMF 2012!


Pisendel, Johann Georg et al. Pisendel: Violin Concertos from Dresden, International Baroque Players, Johannes Pramsohler. 2012. Compact Disc. Raumklang RK3105.