Brighton Unitarian Church, 19 July 2015

This summer series has once again focused on Sussex composers and it was good to welcome back Peter Copley who introduced his Partita for String Quartet. The work has had a very slow gestation, starting as a single lively movement for amateur or young players and then developing, one movement per year, until it reached its final form. His friend Paul Carr was the driving force behind the work which was produced, movement by movement, as a birthday present for him each August. Peter Copley is clearly a man of very regular habits as he admitted that the work was written on his free days at summer school, though turning out music of this quality hardly looks like a leisure activity.

The opening movement sounds like fun to play and communicates its enthusiasm with ease. Peter Copley is a master at slipping short lyrical passages into otherwise complex ideas to deflate any notion that this is going to be difficult to listen to. If the first movement leaves us somewhat breathless the second moves us into another realm entirely. Entitled 42 it is unclear in the opening sections where we are time-wise or where we are going. Gradually however the piano seems to pull the other instruments into line and we become aware of a structure which is underpinning the apparent disparity. When the opening sections are eventually repeated, either from our increasing familiarity or the piano’s school-masterly control, we feel at ease even in a world as far removed from this as that of Arthur Dent.

The Shcherzo seems to take us into the wilds of Eastern Europe with its earthy dance rhythms and slapping chords, but even here there is a delicate, if brief, moment of intense lyricism for the piano. The finale is an homage to Paul Carr as it uses a lovely cello solo of his as the opening melody before gently retracing the earlier movements until it fades away into the distance. It left most of the audience with a smile on their faces. Peter Copley had said at the start he was calling the work a Partita as Quartet sounded too grand. He wanted something more enjoyable and he has certainly achieved this.

Rachel Fryer was the pianist keeping our regular Sunday quartet in order and all more than justified Paul Carr’s confidence that the opening movement was worthy of three more.

The concert had opened with a brisk and beautifully balanced reading of Schubert’s Quartettsatz in C minor and concluded with Haydn’s Lark Quartet. In reality this is a violin concerto for soloist and trio, as the others are, with the exception of the Minuet , little more than background to the virtuosic playing of Roland Roberts.

The final concert in this fine summer series is on 9 August when we will hear music by Barry Mills, Gordon Jacob and Haydn.

Brighton Unitarian Church, Sunday 5 July 2015

Frank Bridge is still something of an unknown quantity and we rarely hear his chamber music. All the more enjoyable then to hear three sets of Miniatures for Piano Trio. Written between 1908 and 1915 for one of his students, they lie comfortably midway between Percy Grainger and the Palm Court of Grand Hotel. The opening Minuet is charming and gives way to a graceful Gavotte and whimsical Allegretto con moto. The second set is more serious with a reflective Romance and a dark, fierce Saltarello. The cello opening melody of the Vale Russe is very beautiful before a jolly Hornpipe and a final March Militaire. The enthusiastic piano chords here seem at once more sinister or possibly more tongue-in-cheek – the jury is out! Jeremy Young’s piano playing was tightly focussed and expressive throughout, finding excellent balance against cello and violin.

The second half was more familiar with Haydn’s Emperor String Quartet Op76 No3. The bravura of the opening Allegro slips into the increasingly gentle tones of the variations on Austria, before the rustic simplicity of the Menuetto. The Presto Finale almost came unstuck at one moment such was the intensity of the playing but easily regained control to finish with aplomb.

The now familiar quartet of Daniel Bhattacharya, violin, Ani Batikian, violin, Roland Roberts, viola and Peter Adams, cello, are to be congratulated on the continuing enthusiasm and professionalism they bring to these Sunday afternoons.

The next concert on Sunday 19 July brings works by Schubert and Haydn, together with Peter Copley’s Partita for Piano Quartet.

Michael Maine, Brighton Dome Concert Hall 6 July 2015

I have only ever heard this organ on the radio before and opportunities to hear it live are few and far between so it was a great pleasure to be in the audience at the Dome for this concert.

The organ is dual-purpose with a full complement of both “straight” and “cinema” ranks and percussion, making this a very versatile instrument. (Rev) Michael Maine knows this large instrument very well, having been largely responsible for saving the organ when the Dome was rebuilt. He presented a very varied programme in a relaxed and friendly manner, showing the organ off to great effect.

Von Suppe’s Light Cavalry Overture opened the proceedings, utilising a variety of registrations including some fiery reeds. I’ll follow my secret heart/ A Foggy day in London town followed, moving from concert to cinema mode, complete with various tremulants. Selections from La Traviata and Carousel were included, alongside Easthope Martin’s Evensong and Toccatas by Boellmann and Widor.

A less successful element of the concert was the inclusion of several songs with the organist accompanying himself. Despite being amplified there were times when the more dramatic organ accompaniment drowned out the voice. Although I applaud contrast in programming perhaps one or two songs would have sufficed.

There were a few times when the pace of playing was too fast for the response of the organ. This was particularly noticeable in Elgar’s Pomp & Circumstance No 4.

A very satisfying part of the second half was a short demonstration of various organ ranks and effects. This began with Michael specifically showing us some of the pipework which originally formed part of the Willis instrument in the Organ Room at Glyndebourne. It was also lovely to hear the Tuba Mirabilis and some of the tuned percussion in isolation. Following this was a great novelty number.

The presentation of the organ was first rate with console centre-stage and subtle lighting effects illuminating the drapes and the swell shutters on either side of the stage.

This was a wonderful opportunity to hear an expert musician handling a complex instrument which he knows intimately. The range of registration and the contrast between the bombastic/virtuosic and the mellow/reflective was superb. A highly enjoyable occasion and I hope there will be many more.

Stephen Page

Brighton Unitarian Church, Sunday 21 June 2015

Solstice, and the first of the Summer Season of chamber concerts which have now become a familiar feature of Brighton Philharmonic’s programme. Howard Blake is a very familiar figure as a result of his many film scores – to say nothing of The Snowman – but his other compositions are equally appealing. Though a recent injury to his wrist meant he was not able to play the piano parts himself he was present to introduce the music with a gentle humour which suited the occasion and the intimacy of the setting.

The short programme reflected a long-standing interest in the complexity of writing for chamber instruments, opening with a recent arrangement of Pennillion for cello and piano. Originally conceived for harp and piano, it has gone through a number of arrangements before arriving at the present one. The opening melody is intensely lyrical. Blake’s melodic gift is similar to that of Elgar or Tippett in that the melodies seem so inevitable that we can’t believe we have not known them all our lives and he is just recalling a tune we all know already. The work moves rapidly through a set of variations which allow the cellist, Peter Adams, to show his technical skill as well as his sensitivity towards the subtleties of the melody.

The following Fantasy Trio was being given its first performance though the original idea for the score goes back to his early school days. It is obviously difficult on a first hearing to judge how much is the work of the 17 year old and how much the mature composer, but the melodic ideas and the confidence of the work must have been part of the original spark and as such are a tribute to his genius from an early age. The part writing is exemplary, maintaining a balance between them which never allows one voice to dominate. The final Scherzando is more complex both in rhythm and harmonic density.

Howard Blake admitted that the String Trio is probably the most challenging form for him as it constantly misses the fourth note of the chord. The Trio dating from 1975 is a fierce work with a dark edge to it, strengthened by the deeper tones of viola and cello. The violin, Daniel Bhattacharya, takes the lead throughout though he is often challenged by the viola line from Bruce White.

The final piece was a recent extended single movement entitled Elegia Stravagante – a title suggested by a waiter as it is a reflective elegy which ends with unexpected enthusiasm. Though Howard Blake admitted there are strong auto-biographical elements within it, the piece moves rapidly as a whole with universal rather than personal impact. The seven sections are difficult to follow but the sense of achievement by the climax is persuasive.

As Howard Blake was not able to play the piano parts Sasha Grynyuk proved to be a more than ample substitute, bringing a fine mix of subtlety and bravura to his playing.

The next concert is on Sunday 5 July with music by Frank Bridge and Haydn.

St Bartholomew, Brighton, 20 June 2015

It is easy to see why Toward the Unknown Region was such a success at its first hearing in Leeds in 1907. The score has echoes of Gerontius yet its spirituality is not linked to any specific belief system. Instead it seems more akin to current demands to be allowed to be spiritual without being religious. The score takes us on a brief but exultant journey towards spiritual freedom where the Soul bursts forth to float in Time and Space.

The acoustic in St Bartholomew’s is always a problem for any performers but once one had accepted that the text was, for most of the time, going to be completely incomprehensible, one could simply wallow in the sound world Vaughan Williams creates. If the thrust of Toward the Unknown Region was uncomplicated, the dichotomy within The Lark Ascending was on this occasion more so. Christian Halstead’s solo violin often disappeared within the richness of the orchestra, particularly in the lower passages, or seemed remarkably distant. In this way the balance shifted and rather than concentrating on the clarity of the lark we were forced to realise how elusive the sound is and how fragile. This may not have been what Vaughan Williams intended but it was a fascinating approach.

Both of these works seem to be about escape, and, somewhat surprisingly, A Sea Symphony continued the same theme.

After the tempestuous outpouring of the early movements it was the yearning and spiritual passion of the final Explorers that made an indelible impression. Walt Whitman’s poem uses the sea as a parable for spiritual freedom where risk and danger are all subverted by the love of God who is ever present. The Sussex Chorus were alive to the impact of the text even when the words themselves were clouded by the acoustic and caught the mood changes of the work with considerable skill. Soloists Jacquelyn Fugelle and Simon Thorpe rode the waves of sound with ease, her voice in particular cutting cleanly through chorus and orchestra. The Kent Sinfonia provided strong support though it was difficult to hear individual instruments. Alan Vincent brought authority to his handling of the scores and a deep sense of commitment. A splendid evening – just a pity there is nowhere else in Brighton affordable to forces like these.

Janacek & Shostakovich

Halle Orchestra, Brighton Festival Chorus, Mark Elder

Saturday 23 May, 2015

Janacek gives us such life and vitality in his scores they can hardly fail to leave an audience uplifted. When these are combined with the enthusiasm and joy of Shostakovich’s Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, we are bound to leave feeling better.

The Halle opened with the Suite from The Cunning Little Vixen where the warmth and sweetness of the score was allowed to glow within the ambience of the concert hall rather than being restricted to the opera pit. Mark Elder kept the pace firmly in hand so that the softer moments never tipped over into sentimentality but there was never any sense of the academic to the playing.

I first encountered Shostakovich’s concerto when I worked, almost half a century ago, for a ballet company where we had a work set to it called Attitude Greque. It was as tongue in cheek as the score itself and always a favourite. Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor was joined by the Halle’s first trumpet Gareth Small for an exhilarating romp through the score which shows the composer at his most relaxed. The combination really should not work but it does because of the sustained invention of the musical line and the insistence that we do not take it too seriously. The slow movement was beautifully phrased and gave way to a riotous conclusion. All perfectly conceived and delivered.

The Glagolitic Mass is deceptive. Though Janacek was an atheist the work comes across as emotionally more convincing than many settings from committed believers. There is an urgency, a fervour, to the score which was beautifully captured by all involved, particularly the incisive choral singing and the strident tessitura of tenor Peter Berger. Darius Battiwalla was the organist for the extended impassioned organ solo towards the end of the work. The brass section was a delight throughout, producing raucous fanfares and ear-splitting power as required. in these hands the score seems at times to be almsot uncomfortably modern.

As the main classical offering of the Festival this year it was a fine evening, and appeared to be sold out with a queue waiting for returns. Perhaps there is a need for more?

Mote Hall, Maidstone, 16 May 2015

Shostakovich’s Leningrad symphony is a challenge for the most professional of orchestras and it was a fitting tribute to a fine season that Maidstone Symphony Orchestra was able to field so many musicians with such a high level of professionalism – let alone the six percussion players exposed across the back like a revolutionary firing line.

Brian Wright created a secure sense of ensemble even when the score was at its most dynamic, not to say bombastic, allowing the changes of mood to flow with ease while maintaining the dramatic tension which underpins the whole score. Even the more reflective moments – with some splendid solo playing from the woodwind – are held in check by the sense of the fight to come. There was a dance-like quality to the opening of the second movement, which can easily become plaintive rather than supportive, and the rustic rasp of the clarinets added to the impact here. The third movement, with its strange wind choir gives way to a lyrical flute solo to take the edge off the angst before the gradual build to the fury of the climax. The two brass sections were demonstrably up to the challenge and flared with thrilling impact. That there were empty seats in the house for such an impressive performance was almost beyond belief. If this had been in London or Birmingham it would not have happened.

The evening had opened with Tchaikovsky’s first Piano Concerto with Alexandra Dariescu as soloist. While it was very enthusiastically received by the audience I have to admit to some doubts – though not about the technical skill of the performer. The Schimmel piano did not seem to be a good choice of instruments for the venue. It was consistently over-loud and there were many times when the soloist appeared to be trying to make it even louder, as if she was not aware of the balance from the point of view of the audience. While the work calls for a bravura approach, which she certainly gave it, there are also many lyrical passages which call for a more introspective touch if only to give a balance to the more extravagant and extrovert writing. This balance was too often missing and there was a sense of trying to push the music forward at a faster rate than it wanted to go. Brian Wright was a sensitive accompanist here, keeping with the soloist even when she took over the tempi and moved it more rapidly that the tempo the orchestra had set. I understand that she has played the work frequently in recent months, including recording it with the RPO. It will be interesting to hear when the recording is released if it shows a greater level of sensitivity. I suspect it will do so, and I hope it may encourage her to look again at the score to re-assess her approach.

The new season opens on Saturday 10 October with another all Russian programme, with works by Khachaturian, Rachmaninov and Rimsky-Korsakov. Season tickets and single performance now booking on www.mso.org.uk