Can you let us all know when something this good is on TV ?

I'd like to dip me toe in the classical water

Talent is the right word !!

Dave

You have the Hallé in Manchester!

Yup - good list, Julian. I encourage you all to go see a classical concert, especially if you've never been. You simply cannot believe the sound a real orchestra can make in full flow, it will readjust your boundaries (and help you to set up your system better). One thing's for sure, whether a young student studying, a young couple in casual clothing, or a middle-aged couple smartly dressed, the audience are all there for the love of music.

I am lucky enough to have been to a number of the free lunchtime concerts at St Martin in the Fields. They are a fabulous way to enjoy performances from some of the very best up and coming talent in a historic church setting, and always attract a good crowd of regulars and tourists alike.

Last Tuesday I attended a recital by David Sloan, cello and Somi Kim, piano. Programme was as follows -

Cello Sonata no 3 in A major - Beethoven
Seuil - Neil Martin
Cello Sonata in D minor - Debussy

In the Debussy I have discovered an absolute gem, but more of that later. The recital got off to a fairly inauspicious start which I was very surprised about due to the very high standards that the series sets. I don't know how long the duo have been playing together, but to my ears it sounded like two people playing in separate rooms - there was a distinct lack of togetherness or empathy, especially on the part of Ms Kim. Her playing was technically superb and fautless, but if anything, I found her somewhat over confident and there was a slightly robotic feel about the performance which never drew me into the music. At times in the first movement the balance between the instruments just wasn't right and the piano rather overwhelmed the cello. I didn't see her look at the cellist once; she seemed set on doing her own thing … Sloan was certainly putting more feeling into his performance but he didn't seem entirely comfortable, and the accuracy of his pitching suffered on a few occasions. Both felt in a bit of a rush to get through this piece. However, the way they approached the slower sections of the work gave me hope that there was better to come and indeed there was.

'Seuil' was commissioned by David Sloan's parents as a surprise present for his 21st birthday - nice! I really enjoyed this expansive, introspective work and now we got to see what the cellist could really do. A totally committed and intense performance, it was an intriguing combination of sustained, brooding notes and more technically demanding passages. It really set quite an atmosphere and I was transfixed, which is most unusual for me with contemporary music! It was obvious to see the soloist's affinity for this work and what an accomplished solo performer he really is.

I have never heard the Debussy before but will be tracking it down on vinyl, 'tout de suite' … It is quite wonderful. Full of typical Debussian charm and breezy Parisian themes, it has a lovely wistful quality to it - apparently Debussy considered the title "Pierrot angry with the moon" for this work, so this gives you an idea of the kind of atmosphere he wished to conjure up. The second movement features some extended jazz-like pizzicato sections which were brilliantly executed. Full credit must also go to Ms Kim for providing much more sympathetic support here. I noticed her paying much more attention to her partner, often looking over at him, and there was a much better 'flow' to her playing here. The performers were given a well-deserved applause and all in all, another thoroughly enjoyable lunchtime musical excursion …

Joseph Tong piano

Beethoven: Sonata in A major, Op.2, No.2
Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales
Sibelius: Five Esquisses, Op.114
Liszt: Mephisto Waltz No.1

St James's Piccadilly is a gem of a venue - they hold regular free lunchtime concerts in this historic setting designed by Sir Christopher Wren, full of wonderful carving and gilt work. Well worth a visit. There was a reasonable audience but the hall deserved to have been packed out. Sadly, this series of concerts doesn't quite have the audience that St Martins in the Fields enjoys, perhaps as its location is that tiny bit less central, which is sad as the concerts can be of the highest quality.

Kudos and respect to soloist, Joseph Tong, for a compelling performance of a beautifully balanced programme. Now, given the choice of taking or leaving a Beethoven sonata, I'll generally leave it. I sometimes wonder if they are chosen to ease the audience into the programme in a gentle and undemanding manner, as opposed to their inherent musical merits. Whilst pleasant enough, I personally find little to get excited about and actually wasn't sure if the soloist wasn't of the same opinion. His body language was rather introverted and stoic, but nowt wrong with that - we don't want a generation of Lang Lang histrionics. I just found that he was playing the music, as opposed to truly believing and owning it … However, the way he tackled the final movement suggested there might be more to come. Indeed, if he was a card player, he hadn't shown his full hand.

So I had initially thought his playing was going to remain on the cold side, a little detached, but how wrong this proved to be … Mr Tong positively exploded into life, as he launched himself like an exocet missile into the opening passages of the renowned 'Valses nobles', a staple classic of the pianoforte repertoire and an absolute favourite of mine. He proceeded to set about a veritable masterclass of languid Ravelian introspection. One was truly able to lose oneself in this utterly absorbing interpretation. As the tempo subsided, he created a compelling atmosphere of time and space, where themes and thoughts were allowed to develop and decay in their own time. Make no mistake, this was high class playing indeed. In addition to having heard the work live a number of times previously, I can compare it to some of the finest interpreters of Ravel on vinyl - Ashkenazy / Argerich / Roge etc

So to the Sibelius. These works are very rarely performed live, simply because his piano works are totally overshadowed by the symphonies, violin concerto and tone poems. That is not to say they are mere 'trifles', they have their merits and I am indebted to Mr Tong for the chance to discover them. I believe only three of the five esquisses were performed in the end, and I found most pleasure in the second, 'Winter Scene,' which managed to conjure up the most Nordic atmosphere one associates with this master composer … If you have overlooked these works in the past, as I have, they are certainly worth a listen.

And then to an absolutely thrilling finale, Liszt's 'Mephisto Waltz' no 1. I have not heard this work before, but it was performed with the most amazing conviction. It was a warm day, and Mr Tong wisely took off his jacket before tackling this epic! It's the kind of work that will find out anyone whose technique is less than perfect, it is totally unforgiving. I was totally mesmerised by this tour de force, bravura performance, which featured stunning power aligned with delicacy and poise. The work is full of duly romantic and uplifting themes and melodies; it really is quite compelling and I will be hunting it down on vinyl for sure. I was left with an absolutely beaming smile on my face. Thank you Mr Tong.

Prom 32 - Royal Albert Hall August 10

Academy of St Martin in the Fields directed by Joshua Bell

Beethoven Symphony No. 1 in C major
Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor - Joshua Bell soloist
Walton Henry V: A Shakespeare Scenario (arr. C. Palmer)

John Hurt narrator
London Philharmonic Choir
Trinity Boys Choir
Neville Marriner conductor

There had been an almighty downpour in the morning but as I arrived at the Albert Hall, the sun came out to make for a rather dramatic effect.



I'd woken up a little late when the on-line booking opened which meant that after I'd waited in the virtual queue for ages, only seats in the choir behind the orchestra were left.  Not to worry, it was a steep but clear and unobstructed view, fairly close to the orchestra. As they took to the stage for Beethoven 1, I hadn't realised that Joshua Bell was going to play and 'conduct' at the same time! Initially I found this very distracting and impossible to get used to. He seemed to be playing half sitting down and half standing up when he needed to urge on the orchestra with lavish gesticulations of his bow. At one point I feared he would take his second-in-command's eye out! However, the orchestra were so incredibly tightly drilled that I don't think most of them were bothering to look at him anyway, and it felt that some of his rather dramatic mannerisms were more for effect and for his benefit than that of the orchestra. I'm really not a Beethoven fan. The music just doesn't involve me on an emotional level and rather washes over me, but nonetheless I found the work enjoyable and have to say that the performance of the orchestra seemed very close to perfection; it was played with an invigorating commitment and total precision.

I had anticipated that the Bruch would turn out to be the highlight of the concert but it wasn't to be ... I am a huge fan of this work and rate it only just behind the Tchaikovsky, Sibelius and Brahms in terms of my favourite violin concertos. It really has everything - drama and mystery juxtaposed with sweet and beguiling melodies that linger long in the memory. For this masterly work, Joshua Bell took on the challenging role of conductor and soloist. He would turn round to the orchestra when not playing his solos, with some rather overly dramatic gestures and glances - he certainly has a touch of the showman about him. If his performance had been absolutely top-class, I would say he could get away with combining the role of conductor and soloist, but as it turned out, I'm not sure it was a wise decision … He started promisingly enough with a strong sense of drama, urgency and purpose but as the tempo dropped I found myself wanting more depth and involvement from his playing and I felt somewhat curiously detached from his performance, instead of being totally engrossed as I wanted to be. More worryingly, from a technical perspective, his pitching just wasn't what it should have been at this level. Too many notes went astray early on in the work, and this put me on edge, as I waited for the next inaccuracies. He seemed much more at ease with the work in the final movement, the exuberance of which suits his somewhat bravura style. Overall I found the performance not as involving as I had hoped and technically not what it should have been. A few weeks ago, I had been lucky enough to see Nicola Benedetti at the Barbican with her scintillating rendition of Bruch's 'Scottish Fantasy' and you just can't compare the two performances. She seems to have an innate empathy with Bruch and just extracted so much more emotion out of the music. Her's is a sweeter tone, without being cloying and technically she was rock solid. I must say however that the Proms audience was more than appreciative in its applause for Joshua Bell though, and he came back for an encore of the theme from the film 'Ladies in Lavender'.

And so to Henry V. Such was my previous anticipation and preoccupation with the Bruch, I had not realised that this was to be the soundtrack to Laurence Olivier's Henry V! And what a memorable occasion it turned out to be. Sir Neville was given a near ovation before the orchestra had played a note, such is the affection and esteem in which he is held. The large orchestra was joined by a choir of both adult and child voices, the organ, and John Hurt narrating. This made for a tumultuous sound at full tilt! It was rather amusing - some people were staring at the organ in wide-eyed amazement when the very deep bass notes were played, like they were expecting to actually see something out of the ordinary. The music is very much 'of its time' but it's very difficult not to be moved and impressed by its effectiveness. Walton, composer of 'Crown Imperial', was of course an expert manipulator of patriotic fervour using his very skilled composition. The way he employs the brass to drive these themes, with cascades of romantic strings to soften the effect; it is really quite masterly. This splendid event was tightly marshalled by Sir Neville, who at 90 became the oldest Proms conductor in its history, returning to conduct this arrangement that he himself had first premiered in 1988. The only glitch I could point to was that the levels of John Hurt's amplified narration was not as high as it should have been at times and got drowned out by the orchestra.  It was a long work, for which I was glad I wasn't one of those standing, but thoroughly involving on every level.

On a final note, I should say that the playing of the orchestra was of the highest standard and immaculate throughout.

I don't think anyone could seriously doubt her dedication Martin - after all, she passed her Grade 8 exam at the age of 9 and was studying at the Menuhin school at 10!

Albany Piano Trio
St James's Church Picadilly

Pippa Harrison, piano
Gemma Sharples, violin
Verity Evanson, cello

Haydn - Trio in C major Hob 21
Schubert - Notturno in E flat Major
Rebecca Clarke - Piano Trio (1921)


I've been to many lunchtime concerts at both St James's and St Martins but this surely ranks as one of the finest performances I have seen to date.

The Albany Trio is a young, all female trio who specialise in mixing traditional repertoire with the work of their favourite female composers. This admirably innovative approach worked to perfection today, with a beautifully balanced programme.

I hadn't expected to enjoy the Haydn quite so much. It was delivered with a fresh and effervescent style, immaculately paced and always held my attention. The melodies were dictated by keenly wrought interplay between piano and violin, whilst  the cello selflessly held proceedings together in the background.  What a joy to start a concert with something other than Beethoven ...

The Schubert began with a 'Bolero-esque' feel and pace before settling down to display delightful character, with wistful, airy melodies played in unison by violin and cello, interspersed with delicately rendered pizzicato sections also in unison. I found it a brief, yet charming encounter which set us up for a thrilling finale.

I must confess to being totally unaware of the talents of Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) prior to the concert. However, I was hooked from the beginning of this stellar work. I was immediately aware of the presence of what I recognised as Scriabin's beguiling 'mystic chord' which sets an unmistakeable atmosphere and tone. The melodic development of the first movement featured some nagging, dissonant themes which I found undeniably beautiful at the same time. Our programme notes suggested that the Trio was possibly written in response to the experience of the First World War. The two movements which followed were very fine indeed but not quite as idiomatic and compelling as the first, but there was just so much to admire in this work and I am sure I will find more to enjoy in it with repeat visits. It is a gem indeed and a real discovery for me; I urge you to discover its charms as well. I'll be sure to investigate her Violin Sonata and Rhapsody for cello and piano - the three works are said to mark her creative peak. It is a shame that she did not compose more works but I understand that in her lifetime the combination of depression and a lack of encouragement she received as a composer, meant that her output was limited.  Indeed, she was more well known as a violinist, with her composing receiving much more attention after her death at the age of 93.

Here is the first movement, played by the Albany Trio themselves.


https%3A//soundcloud.com/albany-piano-trio/rebecca-clarke-piano-trio-1st-movement


As a whole, the Trio play with a maturity and an empathy which belies their youth. Indeed, they sound like they have played together for an eternity. I have to confess to have been somewhat overwhelmed by the performance of violinist, Gemma Sharples. She plays with a sweet but never saccharine tone, which also had the clarity and purpose to cut through and lead effectively when required. Furthermore, to my ears she consistently showed such wonderfully nuanced phrasing and attention to detail throughout all three works. Cellist Verity Evanson was given more a chance to shine in the Clarke work and at times I briefly wondered if her playing required a little more power and projection, but this did not linger as I always admired her keenly lyrical and musical approach. The performance as a whole was marshalled by the sympathetic and simply pristine piano playing of Pippa Harrison.

If you get a chance to enjoy the Albany Trio, I urge you to do so. They deserve to grace international stages for many years to come.