CD Reviews - November

Flautist Emily Beynon has joined forces with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Bramwell Tovey, to record an interesting selection of British flute concertos.  The disc opens with Jonathan Dove’s (b.1959) The Magic Flute Dances, composed for Beynon.  Dove has taken motifs from Mozart’s opera and woven them into a pleasing set of dances, which go far beyond the obvious ‘flute’ connection, with some fascinating effects of orchestration.  William Alwyn’s (1905-1985) Concerto for Flute and Eight Wind Instruments, arranged by John McCabe (b.1939) for flute and orchestra comes next.  This is more immediately virtuosic for the soloist, perhaps understandable given that Alwyn was an orchestral flautist before turning to composition.  A slight ‘cheat’ next, with French composer Francis Poulenc’s (1899-1963) Flute Sonata, arranged for flute and orchestra by Sir Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989), whose own Flute Concerto closes the disc.  These are both great works that deserve greater exposure, and Beynon does them justice, with a bright and engaging sound throughout.

Various. British Flute Concertos. Emily Beynon, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Bramwell Tovey. 2012. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10718.

The great violinist Ruggiero Ricci died in August, aged 94.  Born to Italian parents in California, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall aged 11.  Often referred to as the ‘Paganini of the 20^th Century’, he was the first to record the complete Paganini Caprices in their original form.  This month I’ve been listening to a two CD set of Virtuoso Violin Concertos, with the Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Khachaturian concertos, along with Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy, Saint-Saëns’ Havanaise, and various other works.  The recordings date from 1959-1961, yet sound remarkably fresh.  There is a slight thinness to the sound, but my ears soon atuned to this – and the pay-off is hearing a romantic virtuoso at the height of his abilities.  Sadly, he carried on recording long after his technique had begun to wane.  But returning to these recordings, his true talent shines out.  His style, and the orchestral playing (from the LSO and LPO, under conductors including Sir Malcolm Sargent and Piero Gamba), are from a different age, but there can be no doubting he was truly a great violinist.  

Various. Virtuoso Violin Concertos. Ruggiero Ricci, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Øivin Fjeldstad, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Piero Gamba, Anatole Fistoulari. 2010. Compact Disc (2). Decca Eloquence DECCA 480 2083.

Every cellist must feel obliged to record the Elgar Cello Concerto at some point, yet it must be hard to know how to say something new, with such an iconic piece.  However, Paul Watkins has entered the fray, along with great Elgarian Sir Andrew Davis, and the BBC Philharmonic.  Having performed the work live on many occasions, he manages to make this recording feel fresh and immediate, and Davis and he produce touching sadness without ever wallowing.    The disc also contains the full set of ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ Marches, and Davis and the BBC Philharmonic avoid the overblown excesses of many ‘Last Night’ performances, yet bring out the inherent joy in these pieces.  The Elegy is also sensitively performed, emotion barely contained here.  The final piece here is the Introduction and Allegro for solo quartet and string orchestra, and this also receives an outstanding performance.  Overall, a strong offering, with perfect recording sound throughout. 

Elgar, Sir Edward. Cello Concerto, etc. Paul Watkins, BBC Philharmonic, Sir Andrew Davis. 2012. Compact Disc. Chandos CHAN 10709.

Armenian pianist Nareh Argamanyan has relased a CD of Rachmaninov, with the Morceaux de Fantasie, the Etudes Tableaux, and the Corelli Variations.  These are well-known show pieces, yet Rachmaninov also demands a great understanding of emotion and lyricism, if they are not to become overblown and sentimental.  Argamanyan is clearly committed to communicating this emotion, as is evident in the interview with her on the bonus DVD (which also contains performances of part of the Corelli Variations, and the great C sharp minor Prelude).  Yet on the whole, she manages to not allow this expression of emotion to become over-indulgent.  These are all fiendishly difficult pieces, yet with playing as confident as this, you are not made overly aware of this.  A whole disc of Rachmaninov can make you feel a bit bloated, but Argamanyan maintains enough interest and lightness of touch to avoid this – in fact, the final (and longest) work on this disc, the Corelli Variations, held my interest the most. 

 
Rachmaninov, Sergei. Morceaux de Fantasie, etc. Nareh Argamanyan. 2012. Hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc and Digital Versatile Disc. Pentatone PTC 5186 399.

(These reviews first appeared in GScene magazine)

Brighton Early Music Festival - Young Artists' Showcase

Right from the start it was clear that last night's concert from two young ensembles, The Marian Consort and La Terra e il Mare, was going to be special.  Unfortunately I missed both groups performing at last year's festival as part of the White Night concert, but I'm so glad to have made up for this by catching their performances at St Mary's Church, Rock Gardens, Brighton last night (Thursday 1 November) in this year's Brighton Early Music Festival.

As the concert was ready to start, it appeared only two of the singers were ready on stage, and two appeared to be loitering in the side aisle.  But then suddenly the glorious sound of two perfectly blended bright soprano voices (Emma Walshe and Gwendolen Martin) rang out from behind us, the generous acoustic filling the church with their duet.  Countertenor (and the Marian Consort's Director) Rory McCleery and tenor William Knight took over with their duet from the side aisle, and finally baritone Rupert Reid and bass Christopher Borrett, waiting patiently at the front, had their turn, before their colleagues joined them to bring Heinrich Isaac's (c.1450-1517) Virgo prudentissima to a glorious close.  We were then treated to a succession of pieces, all by different composers, and many of them new to me.  The connecting thread, as Rory McCleery explained, was an exploration of the 'multi-faceted portrayal of women in the male-dominated world of renaissance vocal music'.  Clearly, and not surprising given the groups's name, a major female figure explored here is the Virgin Mary, but we also had a piece possibly composed for Queen Mary (Du bon du cueur by Philip van Wilder (c.1500-1554)) as well as madrigals and songs portraying women less favourably as cuckolders or competitive lovers.  Francisco Guerrero's (1528-1599) Ave Virgo sanctissima and the beautiful madrigal Sfogava con le stelle by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), about a love-sick man singing to the stars and asking them to communicate his feelings to his lover, were particular highlights for me, as well as the fun closing piece by Andrea Gabrieli (c.1532-1585), Chi chi li chi, the performers relishing the comic and bawdy texts.  In the middle of the programme, they included a premiere of a piece by Hilary Campbell (b.1983), a short but highly effective Ave Maria demonstrating another side to the consort's skills, and highlighting their impeccable tuning.  Overall, the sound they produce is beautifully blended - most striking in the perfectly matched clear soprano voices - and their command of the broad repertoire was highly impressive.  I've also been listening with great pleasure whilst writing this to their two CDs, one of Spanish Marian devotional music, and the other of music from the Dow Partbooks, when they are joined by the Rose Consort of Viols.

It is worth highlighting at this stage something that struck me about both ensembles in tonight's concert, and it is something I have noticed increasingly with younger performers and ensembles.  Their ability, and actual desire, to communicate with the audience and create a real sense of performance is so striking, perhaps because it is in such stark contrast to earlier generations of performers.  A generalisation, I know, but I do wonder whether this ability to communicate - whether by introducing pieces in an entertaining and informative way without patronising, or simply in the way they perform, making use of the stage, lighting and props, for example - is something young musicians are being taught in colleges and conservatories, or whether it is that they are just used to such styles of performance from other music and arts genres, and so it comes naturally.  In the case of The Marian Consort, one key factor was also the absence of a conductor - this is clearly most possible in a small consort singing, but immediately it creates a situation where the singers must be looking up and out, in order to communicate with each other, and this inevitably leads to them communicating outwards to the audience.  I have to say, if I could make a small criticism following the Tallis Scholars otherwise wonderful concert last week, it would be that they were at times somewhat score-bound, and when they did look up it was largely to communicate with director Peter Phillips, not so much with the audience.  A different performance style, perhaps, but I think younger performers with this natural ability to communicate may yet give the more established ensembles a run for their money.

After the interval, the ensemble La Terra e il Mare, consisting of soprano Louise Adler, Leo Duarte on oboe, violinist Naomi Burrell, Jonathan Rees on the viola da gamba, and harpsichordist Tom Foster took us forward in time to pre-Revolution France.  Once again, the performers exuded energy and commitment to their music, and they began with a substantial cantata, Orphée, by Louis-Nicolas Clérambault (1676-1749).  The story is well-worn, but Clérambault's expressive arias and elaborate ornamentation, interspersed with brief dramatic recitatives bring a refreshing take.  Louise Adler communicated the tale convincingly, and had full command of the audience, supported by sensitive and assured accompaniment from her colleagues.  The ensemble followed this with a set of trio sonata movements, Noëls en trio, by Michel-Richard de Lalande, composed for the Christmas season.  The players enjoyed the variety of tempi and focus on the different instruments, in particular the interplay between the oboe and violin parts. Meanwhile, Louise Adler added to the sense of performance by gradually lighting candles around the stage, once again demonstrating these young musicians' strong sense of performance.  She then joined the players and led straight into the first of three 'Street Songs'.  We were then given a short but highly informative explanation of the background to this street music by Dr Nick Hammond, author of 'Gossip, Sexuality and Scandal in France (1610-1715)', and we were informed we had just heard gossip relating to the Sun King's brother and a donkey (!).  The songs which followed involved gossip about Lully bemoaning the fact that a young music page, Brunet, with whom he had a notorious affair, was banished to a monastery - apparently less distraught about the separation than about what his lover might be getting up to in the monastery - and finally a song mocking Lully's apparent inability to come up with any new tunes.  The Marian Consort joined in for the chorus of this last piece, from their seats at the back of the church, before then joining La Terra e il Mare on the stage for a rousing conclusion to an incredibly varied and imaginatively constructed programme, expertly performed by all the musicians involved.

Both these groups clearly have long and successful careers ahead of them, and I for one will be watching, and listening, closely.

Various. O Virgo Benedicta: Music of Marian Devotion from Spain's Century of Gold. The Marian Consort, Rory McCleery. 2010. Compact Disc. Delphian DCD34086.

Various. An Emerald in a Work of Gold: Music from the Dow Partbooks. The Marian Consort, Rory McCleery, Rose Consort of Viols. 2012. Compact Disc. Delphian DCD34115.

Brighton Early Music Festival - Reviews

Thought I'd collect together the great reviews that have been coming in for concerts in the 10th Brighton Early Music Festival which is under way right now - 26 October to 11 November.  Tickets still available for some concerts at www.bremf.org.uk. 

The Tallis Scholars, The Field of Cloth of Gold - Celebrating a Great Treaty, Friday 26 October 2012

My review

Latest 7

The Argus

GScene (my review again!)

Autumn Lates: BREMF 10th Birthday Celebration - Journeys through Europe
Musica Poetica London, Borromini String Quartet, Ensemble de Trianon, Flauguissimo, Oxford Baroque,
Saturday 27 October 2012

Sadly, couldn't make this one myself, but it sounds like it was great!

Planet Hugill 

Some great photographs from the talented Robert Piwko - see them here.

A Celebration of the Italian High Baroque - Elin Manahan Thomas, The BREMF Players and BREMF Singers, directed by John Hancorn, Sunday 28 October 2012

The Argus

Latest 7


Young Artists' Showcase - The Marian Consort & La Terra e il Mare, Thursday 1 November 2012

My review



Soundscapes: Mozart's Kegelstatt Trio - DeNOTE, 

Friday 2 November

The Argus

1589 Florentine Intermedi - BREMF Consort of Voices, The Rennaissance Singers, the BREMF Rennaisance Orchestra (including members of the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, the Monteverdi String Band & Chordophony Lute Ensemble), soloists Katy Hill, Emily Gadd, Catherine King, Lucy Ballard, Mark Tucker, William Knight, Thomas Herford & Robert MacDonald, Zu Aerial Dance, conductors Deborah Roberts and David Allinson, all directed by Deborah Roberts, Saturday 3 November 2012

Credit: Robert Piwko

The Telegraph

The Times (subscription required)

Planet Hugill

Latest 7

The Goldberg Variations, J S Bach - Steven Devine (harpsichord), Sunday 4 November 2012

Another one I sadly missed (rehearsing for the Gabrieli, see below), but sounds like it was a great concert.

Credit: John Buckman, Magnatune

The Argus

Celebrating Food, Wine and Song, The Orlando Consort, Friday 9 November 2012

     Latest 7

Celebrating Gabrieli - a 400th Anniversary Concert - BREMF Consort of Voices, the English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble, conducted by Deborah Roberts, Sunday 4 November 2012

Planet Hugill

Latest 7

Celebrating Inspiration: In Memory of David Munrow, BREMF Rennaissance Players, led by Philip Thorby and David Hatcher, Saturday 10 November 2012

David Munrow (1942-1976)

      Latest 7

Secret Carnivals - Musica Secreta and the Celestial Sirens, directed by Deborah Roberts & Laurie Stras, Saturday 10 November 2012

Latest 7

Credit: Jonathan Nicholl

Celebrating Coronations - and a Diamond Jubilee - International Baroque Players, BREMF Singers, directed by John Hancorn (with surprise guest soloists, Deborah Roberts & John Hancorn!), Sunday 11 November 2012

Latest 7

Planet Hugill

I'll add to this as the reviews come in - do let me know if you find any I've missed.

Nick

The Field of the Cloth of Gold - Celebrating a Great Treaty

Credit: Eric Richmond

The Tallis Scholars opened the 10th Brighton Early Music Festival with a programme celebrating the work of French composer Jean Mouton (c1459-1522) and the English composer William Cornysh (1465-1523).  The programme's premise was that the two composers may well have met at the famous meeting between Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England - hence the programme title - as both led the respective Chapels Royal at the time, and they formed a key part of the lavish celebrations surrounding the signing of the treaty.  One of the earliest examples of a 'sing-off', perhaps?

On a miserable autumnal evening, we were treated to a selection of music by both composers, as well as one piece (Salve Regina) from contemporary John Browne (fl. c1480-1505).  They began with Mouton's Nesciens Mater, and immediately the warm tones and smooth flowing lines of his writing banished the cold from St Bartholomew's Church in Brighton.  Mouton was an unparallelled expert in the use of canon in his writing, yet this technical expertise is never at the expense of a beautifully blended overall sound.  Nesciens Mater in fact consists of a strict canon between two groups of four voices, with a tenor part based on plainchant woven through - yet without knowing this, you would be hard pressed to spot it.  Some ensembles might choose to point this out by accentuating the entries of different voices, but the Tallis Scholars wisely go for the overall (and surely intended) effect of producing a seamless, ebbing and flowing tenderness appropriate to the Marian text of the virgin suckling the baby Jesus.

Peter Phillips
 (Credit: Albert Roosenburg)

They followed this with Cornysh's Ave Maria, and immediately the contrast between the two composers was apparent.  Cornysh's writing has less overall structure, and his lines interweave much more freely.  He also makes much use of 'gimells' for two or three voices, which break up the structure.  These gimell can be extremely complex and florid, and provide great contrast to the full voiced sections, as heard in the Amen of the Ave Maria.

Mouton's Ave Maria which followed, however, couldn't be more different - once again, the smoothness of his writing is what strikes.  Yet Mouton also knows how to mix it up when he wants - he reserves the use of homophonic chords for the climax here, the three 'O Maria' invocations, also moving from duple to triple time for just this section.   The piece which followed, Quaeramus cum pastoribus, also showed another side to Mouton.  This Christmas motet has a much simpler, more immediate fell, with the 'Noe, noe' refrain creating a light and joyous feel.

The Tallis Scholars ended the first half with Browne's Salve Regina, from the Eton Choirbook.  This substantial piece builds wonderfully to a magnificent final lengthy melisma on the final 'Salve'.  After the interval, they returned to Mouton, with two movements from the Missa Dictes moy toutes voz pensées.  This mass is based on a chanson by Loyset Compère (c1445-1518), and on The Tallis Scholars latest CD of music by Mouton, you can hear the whole mass, as well as the three partchanson from Compère.  In the CD notes, director Peter Phillips talks about how it was the gimell in the Agnus Dei which splits the bass part into three that attracted him most to this mass, and it was impressively performed here, as on the disc, by Tim Scott Whiteley, Rob Macdonald and Stephen Charlesworth.  Presumably this also inspired the 'Blues Brothers' photo shoot for the CD.  Scored for five lower parts, it is the altos Caroline Trevor and Patrick Craig that get the top line here - in fact the sopranos have comparatively less to do in this low scored programme.  But the deeper sonorities certainly added to the warm and mellifluous sound world in the concert - I wonder whether further back in the generous St Bart's acoustic this may have come across a little muddy, however.

After the brief but impressive Salve nos, Domine, once again demonstrating Mouton's dazzling command of canon, the rest of the programme was given over to Cornysh.  Firstly, an unexpected and rather sweet secular canon for just two tenors and two basses, Ah Robin - tenors Mark Dobell and George Pooley deserve specific mention here.  Baritone Greg Skidmore will also be familiar to BREMF regulars, from his performances in previous years' BREMF Live scheme with the 1607 Ensemble.  Woefully Arrayed followed - a much darker work, meditating somewhat gruesomely on Christ's body on the cross - in sharp contrast somewhat to the massive embellished gold crucifix above the altar behind the performers.

They ended the concert with Cornysh's wonderful Magnificat.  Yet even here, although all the voices were involved, use of the sopranos is sparse, with more extended use of the lower parts.  The sopranos Janet Coxwell and Amy Haworth were rewarded with a final two-part flourish for 'et in saeculorum' at the end.  

So in terms of that 'sing-off'?  Sorry to side with the French, but Mouton had it for me.  But the contrast of Cornysh's style was inspired programming here, and this was a concert that will stick in my memory for some time.  And do check out the Mouton CD - in addition to all the Mouton music from the concert (apart from Quaeramus cum pastoribus), and the complete Mass, there's another Ave Maria, and a beautiful lament for Queen Anne, Quis dabit oculis?  Most of the vocal line-up is the same, with a few changes, and the overall sound is obviously cleaner than the St Bart's acoustic allows for.  Highly recommended.

So BREMF is off to a cracking start - Happy 10th Birthday!  The festival continues until 11 November.  Check it out here.

See this review also at GScene.

Other reviews:

Latest 7

The Argus

And you can read a preview article in The Argus about the link between The Tallis Scholars and 'Fifty Shades of Grey'!

Mouton, Jean.  Missa Dictes moy toutes voz pensées. The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips. 2012. Compact Disc. Gimell CDGM047.

Brighton Early Music Festival 2012 begins!

Credit: Eric Richmond

Tomorrow, Friday 26 October, the 10th Brighton Early Music Festival kicks off, with the wonderful Tallis Scholars.  Their concert, 'The Field of the Cloth of Glory - Celebrating a Great Treaty', explores music from the English and French Chapels Royal, led by composers Jean Mouton and William Cornysh.  Their latest CD is also of music by Jean Mouton.

I will be there, and will review the concert and the CD here, but if you can get a ticket to the concert, I highly recommend you do.  8pm at St Bartholomew's Church, Brighton.  Buy tickets here, or call into the Brighton Dome Ticket Office, New Rd, Brighton, or call 01273 709709.