Showing posts with label James Baillieu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Baillieu. Show all posts

Wednesday, 20 August 2025

A spectacular swansong for the Rosendal Chamber Music Festival

Kvinnherad Church in Rosendal
© Liv Øvland
Leif Ove Andsnes (Artistic Director, piano)

Johan Dalene (violin)
Julia Hagen (cello)
Edvard Erdal (violin)


Leif Ove Andsnes & Ragnhild Gudbrandsen
© Liv Øvland
Ida Aubert Bang (harp)
Björn Nyman (clarinet)
Åsmund Moen (percussion)
Bernhard Butenschön (percussion)
Magnus Lille Haugen (percussion)
Sebastian Lindland (percussion)
Mari Eriksmoen (soprano)
Daniel Sæther (countertenor)
Yulianna Avdeeva, Johan Dalene & Julia Hagen
© Liv Øvland
Ensemble C4:
Maria Innes Zanovello (violin)
Edda Stix (viola)
Gunnar Hauge (cello)
André Lislevand (viola da gamba)
Christian Kjos (harpsichord & organ)
Jadran Duncumb (theorbo)
Kjell Tore Innervik (percussion)
Bjarni Frímann (conductor)
Knut Vaage (composer)



6-10 August 2025
Rosendal, Norway -
Riddershalen, Baroniet Rosendal
Kvinnherad Church, Rosendal
The Red Room, Baroniet Rosendal

★★★★★

Ensemble C4
© Liv Øvland
Shostakovich:
'Ridout’s taut, passionate playing drew out every note, yet his crying solo, as if from a distance, at the opening of the finale was achingly impressive'.

Mendelssohn:
'The enhanced acoustic and their enthusiasm raised the volume to extremes in places, but the sheer exuberance and obvious pleasure evident in their performance had the entire hall rapt'.

'Mari Eriksmoen communicated her Grieg with operatic drama and a bright yet powerful tone throughout'.

'Eirik Grøtvedt was the real vocal revelation, however. He showed incredible bravery when producing a tremulous, fragile pianissimo at the top of his range...yet he also had huge power when needed'.

Timothy Ridout & Leif Ove Andsnes
© Liv Øvland
Leif Ove Andnes:
'In his quiet, gentle way, he demonstrated a sense of the visionary leadership that has clearly built something very special in this beautiful part of Norway'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.












James Baillieu & Mari Eriksmoen
© Liv Øvland
Grieg, Edvard (1843-1907): 19 Norske Folkeviser, Op. 66 No. 1, 'Kulok'
Mendelssohn, Felix (1809-1847): Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49
Tveitt, Geirr (1908-1981): Hestemennan (Horsemen)
                                         Marskveld (March evening)
                                         Bera ei sorg (Carrying grief), Op. 246 No. 9
Vaage, Knut (b.1961): Bumerang
Grieg, Edvard: Tolv Melodier (Vinjesangene), Op. 33 Nos. 6-12
                            Eit Syn (A Vision)

                            Gamle Mor (The Old Mother)

                            Det Første (The first thing)

                            Ved Rundarne (At Rondane)

                            Et Vennestykke (A Piece on Friendship)

                            Trudom (Faith)

                                Fyremål (The Goal)
Mendelssohn, Felix: Six Duets Op. 63, No. 1, Ich wollt' meine Leib' ergösse sich
                                  Die Hochzeit des Capacho, Op. 10, So kehrest du wieder
Grieg, Edvard: Seks Digte, Op. 4
                            Die Waise (The Orphan)

                            Morgen Thau (Morning Dew)

                            Abschied (Farewell)

                            Jägerlied (Hunting Song)

                            Das alte Lied (The Old Story)

                            Wo sind sie hin? (Where have they gone?)

Members of Opus13
© Liv Øvland

Gade, Niels (1817-1890): 4 Fantasiestücke, Op. 43 No. 3

Schumann, Robert (1810-1856): Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105

Mendelssohn, Felix:  String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13
Vaage, Knut: From 20 Views at Opus 54
Grieg, Edvard: Haugtussa, Op. 67
                            Det syng (The Enticement)

                            Veslemøy (Veslemøy)

                            Blaabærli (Blueberry Slope)

                            Møte (The Tryst)

                            Elsk (Love)

                            Killingdans (Kidlings' Dance)

                            Vond Dag (Hurtful Day)

                            Ved Gjætle-Bekken (At the Brook)

                             Lyric Pieces, Op. 54 No. 6, Bell Ringing

Vaage, Knut: Skråblikk på Haugtussa (Oblique Glance at Haugtussa)

Grieg, Edvard: Intermezzo for cello and piano in A minor, EG115

Vaughan Williams, Ralph (1872-1958): Six Studies in English Folk Song

Grieg, Edvard: from Barnlige Sange, Op. 61

                              3. Lok (Farmyard)

                              6. De norske fjelde (The Norwegian Mountains)

                              2. Sang til juletraet (The Christmas Tree)

                              5. Kveldssang for Blakken (Goodnight song for Dobbin)

Schumann, Robert: Märchenbilder, Op. 113

Opus13
© Liv Øvland

Grieg, Edvard:    Andantino serioso, Op. 28 No.4

                            Andante con moto, EG116

                            Tolv Melodier (Vinjesangene), Op. 33 No. 5, Langs ei Aa (Beside the Stream)

                            Norwegian Dances, Op. 35 Nos. 2-3

                            Holberg Suite, Op. 40, Sarabande & Rigaudon

Debussy, Claude (1862-1918): Syrinx

Ravel, Maurice (1875-1937): Introduction & Allegro

Clarke, Rebecca (1886-1979): Sonata for Viola and Piano

Ravel, Maurice:  3 Poèmes de Stéphane Mallar mé

                            Piano Trio

Grieg, Edvard: Fem Digte af John Paulsen, Op. 26

                            1. Et Håb (Hope)

                            2. Jeg reiste en deilig Sommerkvæld (I walked one balmy summer eve)

                            3. De Ærgjerrige (You whispered that you loved me)

                            4. Med en Primula veris (The first primrose)

                            5. På Skogstien (Autumn thoughts)

                         Sex Digte af Ibsens, Op. 25

                            1. Spillemænd (Fiddlers)

                            2. En Svane (A Swan)

                            3. Stambogsrim (Album Lines)

                            4. Med en Vandlilje (With a Waterlily)

                            5. Borte! (Departed!)

                            6. En Fuglevise (A Birdsong)

                         String Quartet in G minor, Op. 27


Rosendal Chamber Music Festival 2025
© Nick Boston
Rosendal Chamber Music Festival 2025
© Nick Boston

Vierne, Louis (1870-1937): Piano Quintet, Op. 42
Nordheim, Arne (1931-2010): from Three Unexpected Songs, No.2 Ore, fermate il solo

Marini, Biagio (1594-1663): Balletto secondo, Op. 22 No. 2

Vaage, Knut: Tilstandar, 'Opp av jorda' (Spring)

Silvestrov, Valentin (b.1937): Bagatelle Op. 1 No. 2

Marais, Marin (1656-1728): Suite VII en sol majeur du Troisième Livre de pièces de viole, Prelude No. 93

                                             Suite VI en sol majeur du Cinquième Livre de pièces de viole, Chaconne No. 83

                                             Suite VII en sol majeur du Troisième Livre de pièces de viole, Sarabande No. 99

                                             Suite VII en sol majeur du Troisième Livre de pièces de viole, La Guitare No. 107

Leclair, Jean-Marie (1697-1964): from Deuxième récréation de musique, Op. 8, No. 6 Chaconne

Vaage, Knut: Tilstandar, 'Hauste inn' (Autumn)

Shostakovich, Dmitri (1906-1975): Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 147

Scarlatti, Alessandro (1660-1725): Sinfonia di concerto grosso, No. 8 in G major

Grieg, Edvard: Romancer (ældre og nyere), Op. 39

                            1. Fra Monte Pincio (From Monte Pincio)

                            3. I Liden højt deroppe (Upon a grassy hillside)

                            4. Millon Roser (Among roses)

                        6 Digte af Holger Drachmann, Op. 49, No. 6 Forårsregn (Spring Showers)


Rosendal Chamber Music Festival 2025
© Nick Boston
Rosendal Chamber Music Festival 2025
© Nick Boston

Tveitt, Geirr: Femti Folkatonar frao Hardanger for klaver, Op. 150
                             25. The call of the dairy maid

                             39. Visiting Saturday in the mountains

                             10. What beer!

                             11. God's goodness and God's greatness

Duparc, Henri (1848-1933): Phidylé

                                             Cinq mélodies, Op. 2 No. 1. Soupir

                                             La vague et la cloche

Vaage, Knut: Tilstandar, 'kom lindereid kom' (Summer)

Mendelssohn, Felix: String Octet in E flat major, Op. 20

Vivaldi, Antonio (1678-1741):

Trio Sonata No. 12 in D minor, RV 63 'La Folia'

Andriessen, Louis (1939-2021): Workers Union

Rosendal Chamber Music Festival 2025
© Nick Boston






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Thursday, 8 June 2017

Brighton Festival 2017


















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Tuesday, 29 May 2012

Brighton Festival - Lunchtime Concerts, Part 2

And so to catch up on some more of the Lunchtime concerts from the Brighton Festival.


Pianist Ashley Fripp (Thursday 17 May) began with a delightful performance of Haydn's Sonata in D major, Hob. XVII:D1.  He followed this with Liszt's Vier kleine Klavierstücke, a late set of miniatures, and not ones I previously knew.  They are less obviously showy than the more well known Liszt repertoire, and Fripp brought great sensitivity to their more introspective style.  The rest of the programme was given over to Rachmaninov - first of all the challenging Ten Preludes, Op. 23.  The 10 came some time after Rachmaninov's mammoth single Prelude in C sharp minor, and he followed these later with thirteen more to provide a complete set of all the major and minor keys.  Whilst some are less challenging than others to play, they all require great skill to bring out inner melodies and balance the dynamics, particularly when playing the set together.  Fripp managed this beautifully, a highlight for me being the contrast of the almost dance-like, dramatic third Prelude in D minor, followed by the exquisitely lyrical and romantic fourth Prelude in D major.  He ended his programme with the Humoresque from the Sept Morceaux de Salon, Op. 10 - lighter in style, but suitably effervescent to complete a very enjoyable performance.  



Next, cellist Tim Lowe was accompanied by pianist James Baillieu (Friday 18 May).  The meat of their programme was Brahms' F major Sonata, a passionate and dramatic piece, composed over twenty years after his first sonata for the instrument.  I really enjoyed Lowe's playing here, and Baillieu proved himself a very skilled partner too, as achieving the right balance, particularly in the dry acoustic of the Pavilion Theatre, is not straightforward at all.  Another new piece to me, Sibelius' Malinconia, Op. 20, preceded the Brahms - this was composed following the tragic death of the composer's infant daughter, and it is an intensely moving, even painful piece.  They topped and tailed the programme with two sets of variations - they began with Mendelssohn's rousing Variations Concertantes, and ended with the less well-known Variations on a theme by Rossini, composed by Martinu.  Both these works gave Lowe ample opportunity to demonstrate his technical command.  


The Eidos Trio, William Stafford (clarinet), Ilya Movchan (violin) and Konstantin Lapshin (piano) have been playing together since 2008, when they got together at the Royal College of Music.  They opened their concert (Sunday 20 May) with Milhaud's Suite, and technically their performance was spot on.  However, what concerned me here immediately was a lack of communication between the players.  There was barely a moment of eye contact between any of the three players, and there was certainly no real sense of fun - not even in the third movement, entitled 'Jeu'.  Unfortunately, this continued throughout their programme for me, and increasingly I felt frustrated by the fact that, despite their obvious skill and musicianship, the audience was not really being brought into their world through the performances.  This is particularly important in this less familiar, and somewhat challenging, repertoire, and was a great contrast to other musicians in this series who went out of their way to communicate with their audience.  However, there was still much to admire here.  The Trio by Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007) was composed in 1996.  An opera composer predominantly, he was also the partner of Samuel Barber, and wrote the libretto for his opera, Vanessa.  The trio is an interesting piece, and again, there is humour in the music here too, which once again didn't come across.  However, in the more melodic moments, particularly for the clarinet in the final movement, there was some subtle playing here.  The Largo by Ives is quite a lyrical, nostalgic piece, yet still containing typically quirky Ivesian detail.  They completed their programme with the lively Khachaturian Trio, and finally here the Eidos Trio came alive.  Perhaps it was the folk-inspired melodies and rhythms, or maybe they were beginning to relax a little more, but here I began to feel they were actually enjoying themselves a bit, and consequently the audience responded accordingly.  So overall, strong musicians that need to work on performance communication for me.  
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