Royal Festival Hall 

Paavo Jarvi & Philharmonia Orchestra
Gautier Capucon - Cello

Dvorak - Carnival Overture Op 92
Dvorak - Cello Concerto Op 104
Dvorak - Symphony 7 Op 70

I got absolutely soaked by freezing rain on my way to the Festival Hall, but with an all Dvorak affair and the immortal Cello Concerto at the heart of the programme, the evening promised much.

Well we didn’t get off to a great start. The Carnival Overture as its name suggests is a fun, vibrant and spirited affair but the orchestra appeared to have not quite warmed up; I found them a little ragged and out of sync on more than one occasion. It wasn’t till the rousing climax of the work that one felt they were all truly on the same page and we heard the ensemble precision the work requires to reach any kind of heights.

And so to the Cello Concerto. Gautier Capucon certainly appears to be the ‘man of the moment’ when it comes to the cello and I had high expectations for this, one of my favourite works of all. The Philharmonia warmed to their task and provided a refined and moving introduction for the young soloist. It didn’t take long for me to find his playing technically assured as one would expect, with perfect intonation, but boasting a floral and romantic tone that I found just too light for my liking. Where was the ‘powerful’ and ‘muscular’ tone I had been reading about in the press? For sure I needed more depth, body and earnestness to the tone. Yes it’s a romantic work but there is also much drama and soul searching. I was missing that heady mix of power, control and virtuosity that the very best interpretations can convey. I am not for a moment doubting the commitment of the soloist, but it’s as though we skated prettily over the surface of this great work, rather than truly delving deep into it. The delicate interchange between soloist and 1st violin in the final movement was a brief highlight of the performance and overall I found myself curiously unmoved by a work that can bring me so much joy.

Admittedly I didn’t have the best seats and the Festival Hall doesn't boast state of the art acoustics, but too often I had to concentrate so hard to follow the solo cello. Could there have been a slight imbalance with the orchestra? I can’t say for sure but all this meant I wasn’t as involved in the performance as I wanted to be. In the end I found it a slightly empty and hollow experience. I should add that the soloist received a warm reception at the end and was brought back for an intriguingly plaintive and poignant encore which was entirely unfamiliar to me. However, I may not have been entirely alone in my feelings about the Concerto, as the weight of applause was certainly nothing compared to that which a mighty Dvorak 7 received!

The performance of the seventh redeemed the entire evening for me. It was a full-blooded affair from orchestra and conductor, both with an unwavering commitment to navigate the swirling vortex of emotions this symphony portrays. The final movement’s constant ebb and flow, was expertly marshalled by the ever energetic Jarvi. The orchestra was first class, with the woodwind section being particularly bright and on song I thought. What a superb way to end the evening and it was indeed a thunderous extended applause that was richly deserved by all.

You are absolutely right Martin - I've listened to a pile of versions to look for another addition to my collection and Fournier is at the top of the pile, as is this which you may be interested in - the performance is superb and it warns that the BIS dynamic range could damage your speakers!  Bet your Ushers would enjoy it ... 

Barbican

Martha Argerich, Mischa Maisky and Janine Jansen

Beethoven Cello Sonata No 5 in G minor, Op 5 No 2
Shostakovich Piano Trio No 2 in E minor, Op 67
Schumann Violin Sonata No 1 in A minor, Op 105
Mendelssohn Piano Trio No 1 in D minor, Op 49

Perfection in music is difficult to define and rare to experience. You need all the musical elements to come together to make something magical. On this evening all the elements were there - peerless technique, depth of emotion but most important of all, harmony. You know that sense of harmony you get when you hear musical perfection, there’s a sense of balance and correctness that just feels right. That’s what this group of performers have; it’s as though they have been playing together for decades, such is the musical understanding and empathy they have for one another. I don’t think I have ever felt this as strongly at any previous concert.  None of the above works were familiar to me prior to the concert and whilst they are not my favourite repertoire, it just doesn't matter when you hear music being played at such a stellar level. It seemed like there was nothing left to know about the works, every last ounce of feeling and exploration was extracted so willingly and voraciously.

I have to admit to not being a Beethoven fan (with the exception of the Violin Concerto) however I completely forgot about my prejudice when Maisky started playing. He is a fearless performer with an amazing attention to detail. He also has a quite startling control of dynamics, seemingly able to move from pianissimo to fortissimo in the blink of an eye. Intensely lyrical and musical, this was a fine way to start the evening.

Janine Jansen made quite an entrance for the Shosta in a glittering floor length black gown. But this was about the trio, not a solo performance. Perhaps the best compliment I can pay this trio was that although there were three musicians, it felt like they were playing with one unified voice, with the same divine guiding force and inspiration. I found this a very moving and striking work indeed, full of musical surprises. The start to the work is remarkably eerie, with the cello playing harmonics way up the fretboard. The way dissonance is blended with recognisable melodies gives the work a typically Shosta structure. Particularly memorable for me were the climaxes in the “Dance of Death” movement that were so vividly portrayed.

In the Schumann we were treated to a simply virtuoso performance from Ms Jansen. This was the first time I have seen her in concert but will surely not be the last; she is quite the force of nature. She is another fearless performer whose total commitment never has to waver because of her rock solid technique and energy - I just love the way she makes every bar count.

I would need to listen to the Mendelssohn again to really work out what I think about it, but I liked the fact that it gave more space for Martha Argerich to shine. Of course her quality never let up for a second throughout the evening, always guiding the music so effortlessly, with a generous and careful regard for her fellow musicians that allowed their individual virtuosity to shine through time and time again. In the Andante there was some quite wonderfully subtle interchange between the trio, as if a three way conversation - the pianos starts the theme which is then repeated by the violin, with the cello responding in counterpoint.

The reception was predictably rapturous at the end of the concert and we were duly treated to a brief encore. There were two distractions that I could have done without. Firstly, the specimen next to me who seemed to be more fixated on his text messages than the music. Also, Mischa Maisky’s persistent foot-tapping was at times somewhat intrusive, especially as I wasn’t expecting this. It took me a while to actually work out what it was!

Martin, book her next UK concert.

She is 76 now - her playing is still immaculate but how long will she want to continue for, who knows?

Yes, she appeared at two out of the four concerts I booked for!

Haydn: Andante con variazione in F minor
Thomas Adès: 3 Mazurkas for piano, Op.27
JS Bach: Goldberg Variations

Reiko Fujisawa, Piano

Last night Jules and I attended a piano recital by Reiko Fujisawa in the Purcell Room at the South bank, London. I had not come across Fujisawa before but she has a good reputation as a Trinity College trained Japanese-born but UK based international concert pianist. The Purcell Room is an intimately small auditorium housing just over 350 seats, nicely refurbished quite recently and with a decent acoustic.

First up was Haydn with the Andante con variazione in F minor. I though Fujisawa's timing sounded a little clunky in the opening section's staccato playing, but it could have been just her needing to warm up a little as when she started into the second section with its highly fluid and rapid playing all that was forgotten and her technique started to really shine. Using my ham-fisted non-musician's language, I would compare her style as being more Perahia than Lupu, more Schiff than Gould. She is not particularly mannered, plays it straight, and sounds gorgeous when skipping across the keys rather than, say, Lupu's piano-as-percussion-instrument style (which I really like, too). The Haydn is an interesting baroque piece but didn't grab me in any special way, although it certainly made some demands on Fujisawa's playing.

Next up was Thomas Adès 3 Mazurkas for piano, Op.27, not a piece I'd ever heard before. Dramatically different in style from the Haydn and bang up to date with its delicate dissonances. Forming a distinct sound-picture, the middle Mazurka sounded like rainfall to me.

We were then treated to a pre-interval encore, which to my ears sounded Japanese. Jules suggested Takemitsu and I thought Sorabji but we remain none the wiser.

Finally, the piece I had been waiting for, the Bach Goldberg Variations. Sublime music that depends as much on timing, as with all Bach, as on virtuoso playing. It appears to really stretch the pianist and here Fujisawa took it all in her stride, frantic crossed-hands and all. The all-important slow first section is about timing and here Fujisawa was perfect, her unmannered style being just right for Bach, the master composer. As we progressed towards the denser and obviously more difficult middle and final sections, Fujisawa just appeared to raise her game and the fluidity and flow of her playing, as well as the faithfulness to Bach's writing, to my ears at least, were breathtaking. The final section, a return to the first, finished on the perfect note and I was left in awe that anyone can play this entire piece from memory.

A really thoroughly enjoyable evening in the presence of a pianist at the top of her game in a very welcoming ambience.

You've reminded me that I found myself following her left hand quite a lot last night, laying down the foundation, if you like. I don't think I've ever focussed on it quite so much when listening to recordings.

Nicola Benedetti
Richard Eggar & Academy of Ancient Music
Barbican 31 May 2018

Music by Vivaldi and Telemann

Can Nicola Benedetti (Ba)Roque?

After this outstanding display of Baroque violin, I can say unequivocally that she does. I’ve only been to performances of classical and romantic music by Ms Benedetti where she has wowed me by her highly passionate, musical and committed style. So I really was wondering how she would approach an evening of purely Baroque music. We were already given a clue by the news that her instrument had been re-strung with gut strings to provide a more authentic period sound but we didn’t have to wait long for the answer that I was looking for.

The programme opened with Vivaldi’s “Il Grosso Mogul” RV208 c 1716 and this is all about the solo violin. With AoAM very much in a supporting role, this work is a remarkable tour-de-force of Baroque violin. I don’t tend to think of Baroque works being so technically challenging, but this certainly is. Very much like the ‘mogul skier’, extreme athleticism, technical mastery and pin-point timing at high speed are the order of the day! The way Ms Benedetti navigated her entire fingerboard with unnerving accuracy of intonation was quite enthralling but never remotely flashy or mechanical. She decided to concentrate on a very pure and unaffected tone without any embellishment or indulgences, with a most sparing and judicious use of vibrato. Handel may have composed Music for the Royal Fireworks, but Vivaldi certainly created his own fireworks for the brave violinist here. My only query is why this bravura work was chosen to open the evening? To me, it would have made the perfect finale; I was left wondering it was so good where do we go from here? And I was correct, as the rest of the evening had some fine moments but nothing quite as exhilarating as this!

And so Richard Eggar introduced with good humour a short Vivaldi Harpsichord Concerto RV780 that may or may not have originally been written with that instrument in mind.  In the Barbican main hall the keyboard really struggled to cut through, no matter how much Eggar tried to muscle it .  The work would have been much better suited to a Baroque drawing room and I’ll be honest, in terms of the composition it’s not anywhere near Vivaldi at his finest or most inventive. There then followed what was billed as a ‘mystery work’! The audience was invited to guess the composer and year of composition by handing in a card after the concert for a little interactive experiment. All we were told was that it was the first movement of a sinfonia. Whilst it sounded quite ‘courtly’ to me, I have absolutely no idea who it was and couldn’t even hazard an educated guess, I’m not ashamed to say …

We then welcomed Ms Benedetti back to the stage for more of an ensemble work - Telemann’s Violin Concerto in A major ‘The Frogs’ TWV51:A4.  Now I have to admit to not being the greatest fan of this composer - I sometimes think that I should appreciate him more, but invariably I find his compositions somewhat ‘second-rate’ and lacking any great spark of inspiration. This particular work though is something of a novelty item with the strings arranged to mimic the sound of croaking frogs. If that sounds tacky, it’s not, in fact it is rather charming and demure, the entire ensemble giving an admirably sympathetic performance. Was this going to change my opinion of the composer, no, not yet …

After the interval there were two further Telemann works to test me. The first was the Alster Overture-Suite TWV55:F11 (1725) but oh dear, this confirmed all my prejudices. The thankfully short movements had all the quality of run-of-the-mill European court music. Severely lacking in invention or inspiration, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more had I been sitting in a courtly setting surrounded by the finest beauties of the land to distract me from the rather predictable and drab music. There was a rather fine slow movement which was followed by some of the strangest and most disturbing music I’ve heard in some time. I can’t begin to describe it, so we’ll leave it at ‘discordant’. But then a trump card was mercifully played with the Telemann Concerto for Four Violins in C Major TWV40:203, where Ms Benedetti was joined by three other violinists from the Academy. It was divine and sublime in equal measure. Wonderfully restrained and plaintive, the searching harmonies proved a true ensemble triumph. The quartet showed a perfect unity of tone and expression which I found really quite moving. And what surprised me most, was that it was Telemann - was it really the same composer?

The evening came to a close with Vivaldi Concerto in F major RV569 (1716) which I feel would have been a more appropriate opening to the programme. It’s not the most memorable or idiosyncratic Vivadi but was given its full worth by AoATM and Ms Benedetti. The slow movement was certainly the most appealing part of the work for me where it started to dig below the surface of human experience. I thought the woodwind section particularly fine throughout. We were then treated to a quite wonderful encore, of which all I know is that it was the second movement of another Vivaldi concerto. Like the ‘Grosso Mogul’ it was all about handing over the baton to Ms Benedetti to display her virtuosity and musicality. The instrumental backing was very restrained, slightly hypnotic and metronomic, as the solo violin carved out some delightfully wistful and soul-searching melodies. A wonderful and unexpected close to the evening.

And finally, a further word about Ms Benedetti. She is a class act beyond her evident prowess as one of the leading young violinists of her generation. All the members of AoAM were dressed in black and Ms Benedetti chose a simple but extremely elegant floor length black gown that made no statement about her superstar status. I also very much liked the way she spoke to the audience prior to the encore, introducing the work and thanking us for attending this concert when we are faced with so much choice when it comes to music in the capital.

Very well written, Jules, and I agree with everything you've said. It was an extremely enjoyable concert and Nicola Benedetti was even better than when I had previously heard her play the Bruch Concerto (which she does with some considerable style).

That opening Vivaldi was a superb tour de force for a violinist and certainly gives the lie to baroque music being easy-going parlour pieces. I'm no musician but I could tell that her technique was flawless and very skilled, yet it was music being presented, not showmanship. You're right and it should have been the finale to the concert. Vivaldi continues to amaze me with his repertoire, there is nothing dull about any of his compositions.

Telemann, agreed I could take or leave, mostly leave.

Eggar and the AAM are also a class act and those period instruments (especially the valve-less French Horns) looked tricky to play well. I did giggle a few times when he was giving the harpsichord everything he had but it was barely audible over the strings going full throttle. That instrument needs a volume control or, as Jules quipped, a Marshall stack!

By the way, for the record, I'm thinking that the 'mystery piece' was a homage in the style of, so I'm plumping for Respighi and composed in 1905. I'm sure I'm completely wrong, but it was a fun puzzler. I wonder if we'll ever find out?