heavier mob on the other side of the strong) orchestra of mainly young prof- an admirable prelude to Carl Reinecke’s D stage, is a highly effective resource; his essionals began its second season of minor Ballade for flute and orchestra, deployment of percussion (quietly men- concerts under its gifted conductor Christ- bearing the composer’s impressive final acing timpani, skeletal tambourine) adds opher Petrie at Cadogan Hall on October opus number 288. This, too, proved to be to the points being made, and the strings 11 with an unusually-shaped programme a suitably contemporary work from the sing and cushion with gorgeous depths of based around its new recording for the early 20th-century flute repertoire (there tone. American Centaur label, in which the are two earlier works by Reinecke – a Certainly the timbres are opulent, look- soloist was the American flautist Margaret Concerto and a Sonata – as Peter ing back to the First Symphony instead of Cornils Luke. Reynolds’ informative programme note forward to the spare grittiness of the Third, The unusual shape of the programme told us) in which, once again, we could but they and the textures are genuinely, was that the first half comprised no fewer relish the beautiful tone and profound uncannily Elgarian. than four short works for flute and orch- musicianship of our distinguished soloist. The ESO certainly played with an enth- estra; the second half was Tchaikovsky’s The first half ended with a British work usiastic awareness that they were making Pathétique Symjphony. Odd though this – Hamilton Harty’s ‘In Ireland’, an orchest- history, and the devoted, unassuming programme may have appeared at first, in ration by the composer from the 1930s Kenneth Woods conducted with an easy practice it worked very well, for the choice of an earlier piece originally for flute and flexibility that recalled the work’s chamber- of those four works was cleverly done and piano. It was an absolute charmer – pity, music origins. This “War Symphony” des- the performances were uniformly excellent. one felt, that Harty did not vouchsafe to erves to be acknowledged immediately as The concert began with Cécile Cham- us a full-scale flute concerto in this a worthy addition to the Elgar canon. inade’s delightful Concertino for flute and manner – and rounded off this intriguing Christopher Morley orchestra, a work beloved of flute-players first half of the programme in excellent and of lovers of fin-de-siècle French style. music, for it is a truly winning score that This concert marked Ms Cornils Luke’s Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra well deserves its place in the repertoire of debut in this country and could not have of the instrument, and on this occasion it been accomplished with greater success was revealed – for those who do not or more compelling musicianship. It was his recently-formed medium-sized know it – as a particularly endearing com- a pleasure to have heard this collection of T (about 50- position. pieces, so warmly and effortlessly played Ms Cornils Luke’s playing was at all by the very fine soloist and effortlessly and times intensely musical and self-effacing stylishly partnered by this excellent orch- – not for her an attempt at a personality estra. cult – with the admirable result that we The second half found us not so far could concentrate entirely upon the away, in 1893 in Russia, in Tchaikovsky’s quality of the music. A nod to Ms Cornils greatest symphonic masterpiece. The Luke’s homeland followed in Charles sound of the PCOL in Cadogan Hall is rich Griffes’s Poem for flute and orchestra – a and full – we have had occasion to remark work recorded in the very early days on its suitability in this venue on earlier of long-playing records, an aeon ago, occasions – and the orchestral balance by Arthur Foote, which revealed was almost ideal in this work. Petrie’s Griffes to be an exceptionally gifted account was entirely placed at the service composer whose tragically early of the music: like his distinguished Amer- death (in his mid-thirties from the ican soloist in the first half, it was a reading global 1919 influenza epidemic) that never exaggerated the emotions yet robbed American music of one of its never abjured them, either – a perform- most individual voices. ance that revealed the inherent, genuinely This proved a most suitable foil to original, symphonic thinking of the the Chaminade – albeit greatest Russian composer of them all. All not so very far rem- in all, a remarkable success. oved in char- Robert Matthew-Walker acter – and

Eleanor Alberga’s Langvad UK premiere at Arcadia Festival 2015

aunched in 2010 and based in the L beautiful setting of the Welsh marches, the annual Arcadia Festival is devised and directed by its co-founders, composer/

Elanor Alberga pianist Eleanor Alberga and violinist ▼

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Thomas Bowes. Each year they draw scored for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, burst, Langvad is a joyous celebration of upon a group of high-calibre instrument- horn, string quartet and double bass. It diverse elements welded together alists to perform well-loved chamber and was inspired by the Kirsten Kjaers convincingly into a single arc. instrumental repertoire as well as new Museum in Northwest Denmark and its Presenting the work’s UK premiere on music, some of which is provided by developers John Anderson and Harald 1 October 2015 in the Grade 1 listed Alberga herself. Fuglsang who also initiated the Langvad medieval church of St. Mary Madgalene, Born in Kingston, , Eleanor Chamber Music Jamboree summer fest- Leintwardine, a stellar line-up of instru- Alberga has built a distinctive output that ival. The museum is located in the village mentalists, consisting of flautist Sarah reflects not only several years as a concert of Langvad which consists of a very long Newbold, oboist Jane Marshall, clarinettist pianist, but also her experience singing road. This suggested to the composer the Sacha Rattle, bassoonist Bartosz Kwasecki Jamaican folksongs and as a member of idea of a long parade, perhaps by circus and hornist Victoria Swensen, violinists an authentic African dance company. folk, or a chronicle of events. Something and Patrick Kiernan, violist Among her most important pieces are an of the myriad episodes encountered in a Louise Williams, cellist Robert Irvine and opera, Letters of a Love Betrayed, comm- life is evoked by the serenade-like score’s double-bassist Chi-chi Nwanoku, was issioned by the Royal Opera House and alternately vibrant and reflective passages. conducted with spirit and flexibility by and premiered in Langvad is cast in one movement divided Eleanor Alberga. This was an exuberant October 2009 at the Royal Opera House’s into contrasting sections. Clarinet and and expressive account of a directly Linbury Theatre; a dramatic adaptation of violin have key roles to play in the piece communicative and life-affirming piece ’s Snow White and the Seven with extended solos marking sig- nificant which makes a very welcome addition to Dwarves, for large orchestra and narrators; transitional points in the material. Oboe the scant repertory for a dectet combining a critically acclaimed Violin Concerto and horn also come to the fore at other string quintet and wind quintet. (2001); three string quartets; a dynamic junctures, though Alberga ensures that Eleanor Alberga’s uplifting Langvad quartet for flute, oboe, cello and piano each instrument in the ensemble has a formed the centrepiece of a compelling Tiger Dream in Forest Green (2004); crucial role to play in the infolding programme consisting of Dvorák’s Quintet Succubus Moon, for oboe and string drama. A short but ear-catching episode in G major for double bass and string quartet (2007), and Shining Gate of for string quintet reminds us that the quartet, Op.77, and, after the interval, Morpheus, for horn and string quartet composer has written several effective Beethoven’s String Quartet in C sharp (2012) a shadowy and inventive single- chamber works for strings, each benef- minor, Op.131. Dvorák’s evergreen chamber movement utterance of great warmth and zitting in very different ways from her work received a reading of tremendous eloquence. Her curtain-raiser Arise, Athena, fusion of flowing lyricism and rhythmic panache, its haunting melodies presented scored for large symphony orchestra and energy. Journeying seamlessly from the with the utmost freshness and spontan- chorus, opened the 2015 Last Night of substantial clarinet solo which launches eity. Some extra drama was occasioned by the Proms and it is to be hoped that this the piece to angular and pungent dance- the breaking of one of Thomas Bowes’ recent high-profile commission will serve like tutti convulsions to an eloquent strings in the finale, but after an un- to raise further the profile of a composer central soliloquy for solo violin followed by avoidable but commendably brief hiatus, with an individual and engaging voice. a gentle melodic threnody for strings in the players continued to the end, Written in 2006, Alberga’s Langvad is canon to the final frenetic collective out- resuming the effervescent mood of the

Kensington Symphony Orchestra But the main attraction was the is, in character, a deeply serious work of courageous programming of the second art that does not rely on gimmicky he 60th anniversary season of the item – John McCabe’s Concerto for effects. If the score stretched the players TKensington Symphony Orchestra – Orchestra, written for Sir Georg Solti and of the KSO, they responded with a astonishingly, with only two permanent the London Philharmonic over 30 years performance that would surely have conductors in its history – got off to an ago, but sounding on this occasion as if it thrilled the composer: unfailingly musical, excellent start at St John’s, Smith Square were composed last year. The composer the playing always put at the service of on October 12th under its admirable sadly died in February but as Keable’s brief the work and one that dug deep into the conductor Russell Keable with a brilliant introductory comments to the work emotional expression of this masterly account of Strauss’s ‘Don Juan’ – a explained, this was more than a homage composition. difficult opener to any programme, and to a greatly-gifted musician, for the Ravel’s brilliant orchestration of an account that revealed the individual Concerto is one of the most impressive of Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ and corporate qualities of this orchestra such works by a British composer to have concluded the programme – a in no small measure. Not that the appeared since the war. performance your correspondent was performance entirely inhabited the finest McCabe’s Concerto for Orchestra obliged to miss, but which, by all qualities which this orchestra can reach, certainly stretches the players – as much accounts, was fully up to the standards but it was a life-enhancing reading that in their individual and corporate music- of the first half. one was more than pleased to hear. ianship as in their technical abilities – and Robert Matthew-Walker

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movement with admirable ease. The a full length pink dress and an important this superlative performance. At the crowning glory of the evening’s music- feature in her playing is that she listens opening of the symphony, the dark theme making was an intense and deeply-felt attentively to the orchestra, there was which emerged from the six double performance of Beethoven’s Op.131, in some fine articulation from the clarinet of basses produced an almost seductive which Thomas Bowes and Robert Irvine Mark van de Weil and the admirable idea, and there was a glorious wealth of made a particularly strong impression with basses prompted a threatening darkness, tone in the violin playing and the leader the passion and commitment of their against the spring-like dancing tones of Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay in his solo passage playing. The exacting seven unbroken the violins. Ashkenazy understands the invoked such gorgeous sensitivity. Ash- movements were cogently and symphonic line of this concerto with his kenazy brought superb control to the persuasively traversed, capturing the long history of conducting the symphon- opening Largo-Allegro with the inner immensity, outlandishness and humanity ies. Yoo possesses a big, almost mascu- dynamics in the slow build up induced of Beethoven’s vision. line sound with her Stradivarius and she through his coaxing of the strings crouch- This was a concert of tremendous invokes an almost heroic theme in her ing low down to bring all the emotion out sweep and variety. Such was its distinction playing, she is technically brilliant and of the music. In the Allegro molto, the that I feel it cannot be long before the shows all the prospect of becoming a truly orchestra were justly brash and with Arcadia Festival joins the long-established great artist. The Philharmonia has a dramatically sharp rhythms, notable again staples of the British music festival tremendous brass section, and superb was the clarinet of de Weil, sounding calendar. I await next year’s programme bass players, Ashkenazy allowed Yoo to be beautifully romantic with glittering playing with great interest. heard against such opulent playing and from the strings. In the Adagio, the clarinet Paul Conway the bouncing rhythms matched with violin again was typically exemplary in the and the timpani in the finale all succinctly eloquence of the heart-stopping theme, heard and in perfect harmony. Ashkenazy and also there was extraordinary virtuoso Ashkenazy/Philharmonia Orchestra is a superb accompanist in the tradition of playing from the cor anglais of Jill in Edinburgh Sunday 8 November 2015 his great compatriot and friend Kirill Crowther. The warmth in the golden tone Kondrashin. of the Philharmonia strings was striking ew works can emphasize the quality of Vladimir Ashkenazy was perhaps the and there was some gorgeous brass Fthe orchestra’s strings than the slow waltz greatest interpreter of Rachmaninoff’s playing exemplifying how strong these which opens Sibelius incidental music to piano repertoire through several decades units are in the present-day Philharmonia Järnevelt’s play Kuolema (Death). The and this intimate knowledge into the Orchestra. The strength of the brass was orchestra brought out all the ten- derness composer’s psyche has allowed him a revealed in the dramatic exultation in the and poignancy of this music while the firm grasp on the symphonies. In the richly burnished colour of the horn playing flute of Samuel Coles introduced popular Rachmaninoff Second Symphony in the Allegro-vivace. Ashkenazy is not a temporary lightness with delicate harm- Ashkenazy did not dramatically exciting conductor at the onies on the first violins, yet then the take the repeat in the great podium, more a servant of the composer. mood turned rapidly to darkness on a opening movement because Finally, he produced from his musicians a deathly winter’s night, namely Nov- ‘it is inappropriate in such a shattering build-up of tension and ultim- ember 8 at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall. long movement, the sym- ately an exultant finish. The standard of For the concerto, the phony is too long in gen- this tremendous concert sets an imp- enlarged orchestra was eral, and we Russian eccably high standard which will be joined by the 21 year-old conductors prefer to play difficult to match in any other Edinburgh American-Korean virtuoso it this way’ as he told concerts this season. Esther Yoo. She is the me at the interval. Gregor Tassie youngest prize-winner of the Certainly when a Russ- 2010 International Sibelius ian is at the helm of Violin Competition, and prize- this work, he can Hallé Orchestra/Cristian Ma˘ celaru winner of the make a British orch- 2012 Queen Elizabeth estra sound like a n an increasingly wet November in Competition. She plays Russian orchestra, and I Manchester, conductor Cristian Ma˘ cel- on the 1704 ‘Prince I think even the St aru, with the Hallé Orchestra lifted the Obolensky’ Stradivarius Petersburg Philharm- spirits by presenting three works that all violin and at once as the onic would find it look ahead of their time, at The Bridge- opening chords rang hard to water Hall on November 26th. out there was appar- match Michael Gandolfi’s enigmatically titled ent a wonderful ‘The Garden of Cosmic Speculation,’ is

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