Exciting Stravinsky and powerful Tchaikovsky to kick off Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra's 100th season

Aidan Mikdad, Joanna MacGregor
& the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
© Fernando Manoso-Borgas

Aidan Mikdad (piano)

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

Joanna MacGregor (conductor)

2.45pm, Sunday 22 September 2024

Dome Concert Hall, Brighton

★★★

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893): Piano Concerto Nol 1 in B flat major, Op. 23

Encore:

Franz Liszt (1811-1886): Liebestraüme, S451, No. 3 in A flat major

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971): Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring)

Conductor Joanna MacGregor and Brighton Philharmonia Orchestra kicked off their 100^th season with an afternoon of barnstorming greats of the repertoire. They opened with Tchaikovsky’s ever-popular Piano Concerto No. 1, with Dutch pianist (and former pupil of MacGregor’s at the RAM), Aidan Mikdad at the keyboard. But when their ambitious 100^th season programme was first published, the big question was, could they pull off Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, notoriously challenging, and requiring greater forces than are usually assembled by the BPO on the Brighton Dome stage. And it's not just size – The Rite of Spring calls for instrumentation at the far ends of most of the woodwind and brass sections – Wagner tubas, bass clarinets, alto flute, bass trumpet and trombone at the low end, and high E-flat and D clarinets at the top. The virtuosity required of the players is significant, with solos shared around most of the orchestra at one point or another. Were they up to the challenge?

 

Joanna MacGregor conducting the
Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
© Fernando Manoso-Borgas

But first the Tchaikovsky. After a slightly nervy horn opening, a rich string sound soon took over, and Mikdad immediately responded with weighty, full chords. Things took off at a lilting pace, then Mikdad injected greater pace and energy with the folk melody that follows. The strings sounded particularly warm, not always matched in tone by the drier woodwind sound, however. Mikdad’s cadenza cross rhythms and subsequent trills against the returning tune were commandingly secure and confident. Although the following orchestral pickup was not totally secure, MacGregor and Mikdad nonetheless built to an impressively strong finish. The pianissimo pizzicato strings at the opening of the second movement slowly quietened the enthusiastic audience, and retiring Principal Flute, Christine Messiter delivered the melody with tender lightness. MacGregor did well to keep the strings at bay when the piano entered proceedings, although later, the orchestra and offbeat piano got momentarily out of kilter with each other. The Finale had great energy and enthusiasm, with some thundering octave runs from Mikdad. The orchestral surges could have taken more contrast, and once again here, timing was once or twice a slight issue, but Mikdad’s show of excellence was impressive, and the conclusion was suitably exciting. He then treated the eager audience to a technically assured rendition of Liszt’s Liebestraum No. 3 to conclude his contribution to the afternoon’s programme, although it was pleasing to note that he joined the audience for the second half.

 

Joanna MacGregor
& the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
© Fernando Manoso-Borgas

And then to the Stravinsky. Principal Bassoon Jonathan Price led things off with a fine delivery of the twisted, high introduction, leading into birdcalls from each woodwind instrument in turn. This signalled what was to be a secure performance from all, and MacGregor and the players certainly rose to the challenges set by Stravinsky. MacGregor’s guidance through the complex rhythms was clear, and only very occasionally did the orchestral rhythms not gel perfectly. They produced a suitably huge sound when required at the various ritual sections, and the final Sacrifical Dance had stabbing, scary energy. The thrashing string chords in The Augurs of Spring needed greater violence and malevolence, and there could have been a greater sense of the edge of chaos and riot, and there was occasionally a sense that they needed to keep everything under control. However, MacGregor and the BPO did pull it off with an exciting performance, once again demonstrating their continued growth and development as they push the boundaries of their expected repertoire. If this was ambitious for the BPO, wait for later in the season, and in particular, their Centenary Gala on 13 April 2025 – Messaien’s mighty Turangalîla Symphony. On today’s evidence, this will certainly be something to watch out for. 

Sian Edwards and the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra bring jazz and cabaret to the Corn Exchange

Sian Edwards and the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
© Nick Boston

Sian Edwards (Conductor)

Alistair McGowan (The Devil)

Jo Castleton (Narrator)

Max Keeble (Soldier)

Claire Guntrip (Princess)

Richard Williams (Director)

Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

Ruth Rogers (Leader)

Fiona Cross (Clarinet)

Joanna MacGregor (Music Director)

7.30pm, Sunday 25 February 2024
Corn Exchange, Brighton

★★★★

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971): Ebony Concerto

Darius Milhaud (1892-1974): La Création du monde, Op. 81a

Kurt Weill (1900-1950): Kleine Dreigrochenmusik: Suite from the Threepenny Opera 

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971): Histoire du soldat

Sian Edwards, Joanna McGregor
& the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra
© Nick Boston

Sian Edwards returned to Brighton to conduct members of the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra in a fascinating programme of early twentieth century works, showing the powerful influence of New York and Parisian jazz and Berlin cabaret on composers of the time. 

 

Stravinsky began and ended the evening. His striking and substantial theatre piece, The Soldier’s Tale formed the second half of tonight’s concert. But proceedings opened with something altogether more playful, his brief Ebony Concerto, written for Woody Herman and his band. As Sian Edwards pointed out in one of her brief informative chats with Joanna MacGregor during stage resets, the works on tonight’s programme are somewhat rarities on the concert platform, mainly due to their unusual scorings, mostly for wind and brass. The clarinet features most in the final of the Concerto’s three short movements, and Fiona Cross’ virtuosity and ease with the idiom here (as throughout the whole concert programme) was impressive. The mournful central movement had a suitably bluesy feel, although the saxophones were a little jagged in places, although the virtuosic perpetual motion set up by a saxophone in the finale was smoothly secure, and the ringing final chords set up an appropriately jazzy feel for the evening.

Milhaud first heard American jazz in London, but soon after headed off to New York to explore jazz music in Harlem, and then emersed himself in the jazz bars of Paris, embracing what he referred to as the ‘jazz idiom’ in his compositions. La Création du monde, a short ballet work written for the Ballet Suédois in Paris, is a case in point. Written for solo strings (although no viola – this part being replaced by the alto saxophone) and woodwind, brass and percussion, it is a gloriously atmospheric piece, with an African creation myth as its scenario. The original ballet wasn’t a huge success, but the music stands alone as an inventive concert piece. The BPO players relished the opportunity for ample solo spotlights with the complex textures, although some appeared more at home in that ‘jazz idiom’ than others. A few tutti moments felt a little over counted, with some rhythms rocking as players interpreted the degree of swing differently, the percussion in particular pushing ahead once or twice. I expect all are still getting used to the newly, beautifully refurbished Corn Exchange’s acoustic, with some balance issues needing to be ironed out, such as cello and percussion significantly louder in the mix, as opposed to rather muffled flutes at the back of the stage. However, Edwards steered them all safely through, and the central joyful riot of creation and desire came across well, as well as the springtime return to calm, with slinky horn and oboe and buzzing flutes and muted trumpets to finish.

 

Weill’s Kleine Dreigrochenmusik takes us from the Paris jazz bars to Berlin’s cabaret scene, bringing some of the music from his opera with Bertolt Brecht to the concert hall. Set in Victorian London, the opera cast a harsh satirical eye on Weimar Germany of the 1920s, with its array of antiheros, led by Mack the Knife, and was a huge success at home, as well as spreading around Europe and to the USA. The Suite includes ‘hits’ such as the Ballad of Mack the Knife, and Polly’s Song, as well as the sensual Tango-Ballade and the dark Kanonen-Song, and is scored for wind, brass, percussion and piano, with banjo and guitar. The BPO players were strongest in the march-like sections, with strong rhythmic drive provided by Joanna MacGregor on the piano, although the darker sections could have taken more force from all to accentuate the dark satirical mood. Edwards had a challenge to bridge the distance on stage between the piano and percussion at either side, and the final accelerando into the chorale was in danger of coming loose, but enthusiastic energy carried things along, with some strong moments from the swirling clarinet and sultry saxophone, and a particularly chilling chorale over the tolling bells to finish.

Alistair McGowan, Max Keeble, Jo Castleton,
Claire Guntrip, Sian Edwards & the BPO

And so to Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale. This is a curious piece, part theatre, part chamber work, with even some dance thrown into the mix, and it feels somewhat of its time. That said, the music is full of vivid colour, and the darkly comedic tale of a soldier being duped by the devil is entertaining and succinctly told with humour in the libretto by Stravinsky’s friend C F Ramuz (here translated from the original French). There are three readers, with the Devil, in a variety of guises, played here by Alistair McGowan, with understated humour and an impressive array of accents. The Narrator, who drives the story along as well as providing snappy interactions with the cast to liven things up was delivered with commanding ease by Jo Castleton, and the bumbling soldier was charmingly played by Max Keeble. Richard Williams’ direction was light and unfussy, with simple staging elements not getting in the way of the musical performance, yet using the space on stage effectively. Dancer Claire Guntrip brought elegance to the non-speaking role of Princess, and the sequence of persuading and teaching the initially clumsy soldier to dance worked well with the music’s sequence of Tango, Waltz and Ragtime dances. As the soldier’s fiddle is central to the tale, there is lots for the first violin to do here, and Ruth Rogers’ devilish dances had real spark and flourish. The Royal March heralding the Princess’ entrance and the final Triumphant March of the Devil had great energy and solid ensemble from the full band, perhaps the tightest formation of players of the evening. Ultimately, a curio of the repertoire not destined for frequent performance, but given a persuasive performance here tonight by all.

 

Once again, Joanna MacGregor and friends have demonstrated a real creative approach to bringing varied programmes to BPO audiences, and it was great to see the new Corn Exchange full for such an eclectic mix of rarely performed works.

Electric Shostakovich and polished Stravinsky from Andris Nelsons in Boston

Andris Nelsons conducts the BSO
© Aram Boghosian

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Andris Nelsons (conductor)

Michael Zaretsky (viola)

Randall Hodgkinson (piano)

Streamed online via BSO NOW

from 4pm GMT, Thursday 25 March 2021 

Symphony Hall, Boston, MA, USA

★★★★

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971): Symphonies of Wind Instruments

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 10

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): Tahiti Trot, Op. 16

Eda Rapoport (1890-1968): Poem, for viola and piano, Op. 14

Andris Nelsons
© Aram Boghosian

Stravinsky:

'The shrill opening woodwind call to attention, answered by warm-toned low chordal brass, set the scene and the angular oboe solo, circling flute and clarinet lines and final mournful chorale were delivered with captivating precision'.

Shostakovich Symphony No. 1:

'Nelsons and the BSO gave us razor sharp precision, and great energy, with some impressive solo work from principal players'.

Shostakovich Tahiti Trot:

'Nelsons and the BSO gave it a pleasingly delicate touch'.

Rapoport:

'An engaging performance of an intriguing miniature'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here. 

Impressive and inspiring Anglo-American cooperation - BBC Prom 6

Edward Gardner
© Chris Christodoulou

James Ehnes (violin)
Orchestra of the Royal Academy of Music and The Juilliard School
Edward Gardner (conductor)

Monday 22 July, 7.30 pm

BBC Prom 6

Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★★


Anna Thorvaldsdottir (b.1977): Metacosmos (UK premiere)

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976): Violin Concerto, Op. 15

Encore:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Andante, from Sonata in A minor for solo violin, BWV1003

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971): The Rite of Spring

Encore:
Oliver Knussen (1952-2018): Flourish with Fireworks, Op. 22

Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Edward Gardner
& the Orchestra of the Royal Academy of Music
and The Julliard School
© Chris Christodoulou

Thorvaldsdottir:
'A remarkable piece, showing such command of large orchestral forces ... unsettlingly moving'.

Britten:
'Ehnes held the Royal Albert Hall rapt ... he delivered the preceding Scherzo with flourish and a dancing step'.

Stravinsky:
'Gardner marshalled forces for the final onslaught and elicited a wild, terrifying final sacrificial dance from the massed orchestral forces'.

Knussen:
'The combined student forces demonstrated considerable virtuosic command to conclude an impressive night’s performance'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

CD Reviews - March & April 2018

Johannes Pramsohler (violin) and Philippe Grisvard (harpsichord) have worked together on a number of recordings. Their latest, lavishly produced and beautifully packaged double CD recording focuses on French Sonatas for the Harpsichord and Violin.  They begin with Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville (1711-1772), and explore his influence on other composers from around 1740-1760, and the changing role of the violin in accompanying sonatas for the harpsichord from that period.  So across the two discs, we have two of Mondonville’s influential Sonatas, as well as sonatas from six other composers, including no fewer than five world premiere recordings.  As ever, the energy and dedication that Pramsohler & Grisvard bring to the repertoire is highly engaging.  There is a consistent brightness and energy in their sound, always refined, and with incredible attention to the fine detail, with delicate ornamentation and graceful poise.  It is also fascinating to hear the contrasting styles of different composers, from the sophisticated grace of Jacques Duphly’s (1715-1789) characterful pieces, grouped and presented here as two ‘sonatas’, to the virtuosic and more dramatic Sonatas by Louis-Gabriel Guillemain (1705-1770).  These latter works put great technical demands on both players, and the evident enthusiasm Pramsohler and Grisvard have for them is infectious.  The harpsichord is perhaps most dominant in the Versaille harpsichordist Luc Marchand’s (1709-1799) Suite here, with its rattling repetitions and ringing scales in the final Carillon du Parnasse, whereas the melodic lines and ideas are shared and swapped back and forth between the instruments more in Michel Corrette’s (1707-1795) Sonata.  This is a fascinating collection, put together with great insight (and highly informative notes from the players), and performed with such energy and commitment throughout.  Highly recommended.

Various. 2018. French Sonatas for Harpsichord and Violin. Philippe Grisvard, Johannes Pramsohler. Compact Discs (2). Audax Records ADX 13710.

The Flautadors formed just over ten years ago when they met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  The recorder quartet have performed a wide repertoire, spanning 900 or so years, and they have built up an impressive collection of all kinds of instruments, ranging through medieval, renaissance and baroque, through to modern instruments – a total of 54 different recorders are used on this new recording alone.  On this latest recording, they mix works from the last 40 years or so with arrangements of Scottish traditional melodies by Ian Wilson, one of the quartet members.  They are at times joined by three more recorder players, to perform Arvo Pärt’s (b.1935) ringing Arbos, with its characteristic falling lines and layers built up by different instruments playing the lines at differently proportioned speeds, with added overtones from three triangles.  The extra recorder players also join in for the most substantial work here, the iconic In C by Terry Riley (b.1964).  Here they use 25 different instruments to create a wider range of pitches, to perform the 53 repeated cells that make up the work, to be performed consecutively by all the players at times of their own choosing.  The homogenous textures created by performing this work on the same instruments (albeit different sizes) makes this different from many other performances I’ve heard – but then that’s part of the beauty of this hypnotically fascinating piece, that it will by definition be different every time you hear it.  Other works worthy of mention here include the disc’s title piece, Bavardage by David Murphy (b.1970).  This is full of highly virtuosic chromatic runs, intentionally overblown, harsh chordal effects and great gossipy, chattering effects.  In contrast, Ryohei Hirose’s (1930-2008) Idyll 1 is full of dark, mysterious atmosphere, which the performers enhance by using Norwegian ‘sea flutes’.  The highly effective arrangements, including the rapid patterns in Brose and Butter and the organ-like warmth on the lower instruments in Niel Gow’s (1727-1807) Lament provide welcome contrast to some of the harsher technical exploits on display in other works, and the disc is nicely rounded off with another effective arrangement of Peter Maxwell Davies’ (1934-2016) Fairwell to Stromness.  An intriguing exploration of the perhaps unexpected versatility of the recorder, expertly performed by The Flautadors throughout.

Various. 2017. Bavardage. The Flautadors. Compact Disc. First Hand Records FHR55. 

Pianist Peter Donohoe has released a comprehensive double disc of music for piano solo, and music for piano and orchestra, by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971).  The solo works take up about a disc and a half, and include two early but highly contrasting Sonatas, as well as Three Movements from Petrushka, Stravinsky’s own recasting of music from his successful ballet score.  The first Sonata from 1904 shows the influence of his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov, with strong flavours of Rachmaninov and Prokofiev, amongst others.  Its dramatic opening and rhythmic finale in particular are full of Rachmaninovian romanticism.  Yet its sensually warm, jazzy slow movement and playful scherzo have more individual inventiveness.  For the second Sonata here, we jump forward 21 years, into Stravinsky’s neo-classical phase, and the writing is much more angular and sparse, and here Donohoe plays Stravinsky’s ironic score with great precision and bite, without ever allowing it to tip over into pastiche. The Three Movements from Petrushka have drive and those wonderfully Stravinskian crashing rhythms, and Donohoe produces a bright, almost glassy sound here.  Other works include the Serenade in A, with its Chopinesque opening, and perky Cadenza finale, and a quirky, humourously dark Tango, as well as Piano-Rag-Music, in which the jazz influences are mixed with dislocated rhythms that could only be Stravinsky’s. Donohoe is joined by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by David Atherton, for the three orchestral works here.  These were recorded in the nineties, and there is a bit of a sudden shift in the acoustic from the solo recordings, which means that the stately brass opening to the Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments sounds a little muffled.  But once the ear adapts to the different sound, this is a tight performance, with spiky woodwind matching the percussive piano.  The mournful and ponderous central movement is lifted by the cadenza like passages, given great energy by Donohoe here.  The short serialist Movements for Piano and Orchestra is performed here with great clarity and conviction, and the interest of the detail shines through the austere writing.  The Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra that closes proceedings is playful and exuberant, where rhythm is paramount, and there is some really tight playing from the woodwind in particular.  Overall, Donohoe convincingly traverses the wide range of styles here, from the early romanticism, through neo-classicism, jazz influences and serialism, giving us great insight into Stravinsky’s writing for the instrument over his lifetime.

Stravinsky, I. 2018. Music for Piano Solo and Piano and Orchestra. Peter Donohoe, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, David Atherton. Compact Disc. Somm Recordings. SOMMCD 266-2.

Pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet returns with the Manchester Camerata, conducted by Gábor Takács-Nagy for their second volume of Mozart’s (1756-1791) Piano Concertos.  As before, there are two concerti here, and they are separated by two of Mozart’s Divertimenti.  The two concerti date from 1784, composed in Vienna, although they differ in their orchestration.   In K449, Mozart adds oboes and horns to strings, but they have a largely supporting role.  He adds flute, oboes, bassoons and horns to K459, and it is the wind writing that brings added colour and interest, particularly in the opening movement, with lots of dialogue between the solo piano and woodwind.  There is some especially beautiful Mozartian wind writing in the slow movement too.  Back to K449, the Manchester Camerata begin proceedings with a warm, emphatic opening, sharply paced by Takács-Nagy.  This is matched by authoritative command from Bavouzet when the piano enters, and the overall feel is fresh and joyful.  By contrast, the slow movement is subdued, almost distant, and Bavouzet’s introspective interpretation brings out an underlying darkness here.  The rondo finale is definitely tongue-in-cheek, with perky violins poking fun at the faux formality. Bavouzet takes delight in the rapid figurations and runs, Mozart at his most inventively playful.  K459 is all about contrast and dialogue, particularly with the woodwind.  So the opening movement’s piano entry initially sounds rather plain, like a sonata for a pupil, but immediately the dialogue with the wind raises the interest, and Mozart takes advantage of the richer opportunities for contrast that his orchestration provides.  The Manchester Camerata wind players deserve special mention here, and Bavouzet’s response is sensitively balanced. The strings get their moment in the finale, with a sudden striking fugue section, and the dashing tempo brings things to a joyous conclusion.  The two Divertimenti for strings placed between the concerti give the Camerata strings more chance to shine, and shine they do, with great precision and energy. The opening movement of K136 has bite, and also real dynamic shape, Takács-Nagy ensuring the energy builds through the frequent repeated figures. The slow movements of both K136 & K138 have poise, delicacy and warm but never weighty string sound, with perhaps a touch of subtle sadness added in K138.  The violins are once again lithe and spirited in their skittering runs in K136’s finale, and the finale of K138 is boisterous, dashed off with panache. Overall, this is a joyful disc, and Bavouzet’s effortless excellence is paired so well with the precision and energy of the Manchester Camerata and Takács-Nagy.

Mozart, W. A. 2017. Piano Concertos, etc., Volume 2. Jean-Efllam Bavouzet, Manchester Camerata, Gábor Takács-Nagy. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10958.

Duo Enßle-Lamprecht are Anne Suse Enßle (recorders) and Philipp Lamprecht (percussion), and they specialise in music from the Middle Ages, as well as new and experimental music. Tesserae, their new recording of medieval music, both sacred and secular, is a fascinating exploration, with inventive combinations of recorders and flute with percussion, including bells, tabor and naker (drums), tamburello (a kind of tambourine) and castanets.  As a result, they create a wide variety of textures and moods here.  So in music by the enigmatic 14^th century ‘Monk of Salzburg’, about whom little is known, we have simple plainchant on bells in one piece, and a double flute producing a strange effect of a drone with a surprisingly florid melody in another.  And a hurdy-gurdy makes an appearance, with its swelling drone and strange clickings in the dance-like ‘O Vasenacht’.  Lamprecht even lends his earthy, mournful voice to the ‘lark song’ of the famous French troubadour Bernart de Ventadorn (12^th century), accompanied again by the hurdy-gurdy and winding tenor recorder. This is highly atmospheric music, and Enßle demonstrates impressive versatility, both in switching between the various recorders, but also between the simple drawn out plainchant style melodies and the more virtuosic, florid pieces, such as in the soaring, joyful ‘Chominciamento di Gioia’, with rapid precision tonguing and birdlike swoops.  The various drums and percussion are added to different pieces sparingly and sensitively, and overall, this is a highly enjoyable collection, with virtuosity and unexpected variety from both musicians.

Various. 2017. Tesserae: Medieval music for recorders and percussion. Duo Enßle-Lamprecht. Compact Disc. Addax Records ADX 13712.

For his fifth volume of Chopin (1810-1849), pianist Louis Lortie enters the world of the mazurka.  There are twelve Mazurkas here (out of the 59 plus that Chopin wrote), and as with previous volumes, Lortie breaks up the sets of short pieces based on the traditional Polish dance with some of Chopin’s more substantial offerings, here three of the Polonaises.  As with many of Chopin’s ‘genre’ pieces, it is sometimes hard to define what links the mazurkas together – in fact it is their very oddness and individuality, harmonically and rhythmically, albeit often within a simple three-part form that marks them out.  So the drone-like bass in the middle section of Op. 7 No. 1, the constant offbeat accents in Op. 33 No. 3, and the distant key relationship of the opening theme’s return (from A minor to G sharp minor) in Op. 59 No. 1.  Lortie adds a personal flavour, with authentic rubato in Op. 7 No. 1, and those offbeat accents in Op. 33 No. 3 are highly pointed.  With such individual, quirky miniatures as these, interpretations will inevitably be personal and varied, and Lortie’s approach is generally light and airy, emphasising the delicacy and whimsy – but he captures the dark moments too, such as that strange melody over the drone in Op. 7 No.1.  The Polonaises are a different matter – grand dramatic statements with dynamic extremes. Yet here too, Lortie avoids the overly heavy attack that some use to create those extremes.  So the huge chords and octaves in Op. 26 No. 1, for example, have weight and thundering impact, but without being overblown and aggressive.  Lortie ends the disc with Chopin’s Allegro de concert, Op. 46 – possibly a projected third piano concerto in formation, and a great opportunity for Lortie to end proceedings with some dazzling virtuosity and character.  Another great volume in an impressive series.

Chopin, F. 2017. Louis Lortie plays Chopin, Volume 5. Louis Lortie. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10943.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, March & April 2018)

Lupo’s Ravel with Mena & the LPO steals the show from The Rite of Spring

Benedetto Lupo (© Carlo Cofano)

Juanjo Mena (conductor)

Benedetto Lupo (piano)

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Wednesday 21 February 2018

Royal Festival Hall, London

★★★★

Debussy (orch. Büsser): Printemps: Symphonic Suite

Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand

Delius: Idylle de Printemps

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

Juanjo Mena

Debussy: 'The final 'burst of joy' ..., with Mena almost leaping off the podium, made for a great start to the evening'.

Ravel:  (Lupo) 'balanced the virtuosic challenges, covering the full extent of the keyboard with Ravel’s skilfully lyrical writing for the piano'.

'Effortlessly natural, making this the stand out performance of the evening'.

Stravinsky: 'Mena is a joy to watch, and the final abrupt ending was truly exciting'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

CD Reviews - February 2016

Two great French pianists, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and François-Frédéric Guy, have teamed up to record three great piano transcriptions, all premiered in 1913.  The most well-known work here is Igor Stravinsky’s (1882-1971) radical Le Sacre de Printemps (The Rite of Spring), which famously caused a near-riot at its first performance in Paris.  The composer himself transcribed it quickly for piano with four hands, and following the work’s initial run of performances, it would have been in this transcribed version that people would have known the work, as the full version wasn’t performed again until after the First World War.  Inevitably there are losses of texture and detail when such a visceral orchestral work is transcribed, but there is also a metallic, mechanistic drive that is gained here, which adds a different flavour of early twentieth century modernism. The inflections of the wailing bassoon theme at the opening are obviously not possible, but the pounding rhythms have an additional sense of relentlessness, and at times their clinical precision is even more scary than in the orchestral version. They open the disc with Zoltán Kocsis’ transcription for two pianos of Béla Bartók’s (1881-1945) Two Pictures.  This is a work with rich Debussian harmonies and extensive use of glassy whole-tone scales, particularly in the opening movement, ‘In Full Flower’.  The atmospheric thick chordal textures build to an intense climax, with rippling whole-tone scales given extra sonority on the pianos. The following ‘Village Dance’ is jerky and spiky, and full of eastern melodic inflections and folk dance rhythms, which at times remind one of the incesant drumming in Le Sacre de Printemps (although Bartók’s work was composed first). The centrepiece of this disc is Debussy’s (1862-1918) Jeux, in a new transcription for two pianos by Bavouzet. This ballet score, for Diaghilev, and danced by Nijinsky, is about three young tennis players, one man and two women, who are all attracted to each other.  Bavouzet makes use of trills to get over the problem of sustaining lines, and somehow this adds to a sense of the fragile, tremulous emotions of supressed passion and jealousy. There is also flirty humour here, although some of the score’s characterisation, particularly the wind instruments, is missing. However, the clean piano detail brings a certain transparency, and both pianists play with great delicacy and precision. The twists and turns build in a swirling waltz to a climactic three-way kiss, before the dancers disappear into the night.

Various. 2015. Transcriptions for Two Pianists. Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, François-Frédéric Guy. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10863.

Readers of a certain age may remember the original TV adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and from that, a haunting Nunc Dimittis (by Geoffrey Burgon) sung by a boy treble.  Well, that treble, Paul Phoenix, became a successful tenor, singing with the The King Singers for 17 years.  He is now focussing on his solo career, as well as working with singers and choral groups around the world.  He released a short album before Christmas, and although some of the tracks have a definite Christmas theme, I thought it still worthwhile to highlight it here, as it provides a good insight into the range of this versatile singer. That Nunc Dimittis opens the disc, obviously now with tenor voice, and immediately Phoenix’s warm, even tone is evidenced here. It is followed by a Pie Jesu setting by John Brunning (well known as a Classic FM presenter for many years), allowing Phoenix to show off his clear higher registers with some double tracked vocals, against some rich (if a little predictable) harp and string orchestrations. The first Christmas track, Child of the Stable’s Secret Birth, by Thomas Hewitt Jones, wears its heart on its sleeve, and reminded me of the work of Howard Goodall.  Phoenix is joined here by soprano Andrea Haines, whose crystal voice adds interest to the straightforward tune.  For my favourite track on the album, Phoenix is joined by the a cappella quintet, Apollo5 for MLK, Bob Chilcott’s arrangement of the U2 lullaby in honour of Martin Luther King, which The King Singers have sung for many years.  Here, the blend between Phoenix and Apollo5 is perfect, and they enjoy the rich harmonies.  This is followed by another a capella piece with Apollo5, the traditional Russian folksong, Oh You Wide Steppe, arranged by Alexander Levine. Phoenix again demonstrates a bell-like, pure upper register, and the rich choral textures are built up and layered as the song develops. Apollo5 are let loose on their own in a beautiful arrangement by Barnaby Smith of the Coventry Carol, and the disc ends with another unashamedly Christmassy Hewitt Jones number, On Christmas Night.  For me, the strongest works here are the Nunc Dimittis and the a capella numbers, and I look forward to hearing more solo work from Phoenix.  Definitely worth a listen, even if it’s no longer Christmas!

Various. 2015. Journey. Paul Phoenix, Apollo5. Compact Disc. Edition Peters Sounds EPS 002.

Brothers Paul Watkins (cello) and Huw Watkins (piano) continue their exploration of lesser known works with their fourth volume of British Works for Cello and Piano.  We have here a Partita by Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988), Constants by Elisabeth Lutyens (1906-1983), and Sonatas by Alun Hoddinott (1929-2008) and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (1936-2012). Leighton’s Partita beings with an Elegy, which has a winding, angular theme which is exchanged between the cello and piano, who largely operate independently here.  It is followed by an energetic, syncopated Scherzo, and then comes a set of Theme and Variations, longer than the two previous movements together, and here the piano comes more to the fore, with ringing sonorities, particularly in the fourth variation.  Lutyens’ Constants is less immediately accessible, and Lutyens used her own form of notation to indicate lengths of nots, and cues between the instruments.  She creates a mysterious sound-world here, which is very striking, and requires some particularly delicate and very quiet playing from the cello. It ends with some wailing two-note cries from the cello, which was an apparent reference to the sudden death of her husband Edward.  Welsh composer Hoddinott’s Sonata (his second for the instruments) begins with almost simplistic writing, the cello often in conversation with the piano playing open octaves. There is great use of melodic line for the cello in the slow movement, and the finale brings back early music, and the conversational style of the opening movement. Richard Rodney Bennett’s Sonata is my favourite of the works on offer here.  There is a fluidity to his bouncy, mercurial opening movement, and the muted cello in the second movement brings lighter textures, before the Bartók-like scherzo and the virtuosic final set of variations. Cellist and pianist demonstrate strong command throughout, and Paul Watkins’ variety of tone is impressive.

Various. 2015. British Works for Cello and Piano, Volume 4. Paul Watkins, Huw Watkins. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10862.

(Edited versions of these reviews first appeared in GScene, February 2016)