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MO-1506-Jan-Mar 2016 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 London 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 ▼ MU S I C A L O P I NI O N Q U A R T E R LY JA N U A R Y- M A R C H 2016 41 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, Jamaica, 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 Thomas Bowes 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 Music Theatre Wales 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 Roald Dahl’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.
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