Daily Archives: 20 October, 2019

Hastings Early Music Festival – 3

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Kino Teatr, Sunday 20 October 2019

The final performance in this year’s festival came from the Consone Quartet, returning after their involvement in the fine Bach evening which opened the festival. They are BBC New Generation Artists for the 2019-21 season and are the only period-instrument string quartet ever to have been accepted into the scheme.

Their programme bridged the period between Boccherini and Schumann, demonstrating with great clarity and beauty the development of the quartet over that time span. They opened with Schubert’s early String Quartet in C D32, with its fresh intensity and exuberant sense of vitality. This was followed by Haydn’s early quartet Op20 No4. The richness of tone in the opening movement was an indication of the particular warmth of gut strings, and this continued to be marked for the rest of the quartet, even in the skittish final movement.

After the interval we heard Boccherini’s brief quartet Op33 No5, which only extends to two movements but has fine changes of dynamic intensity and liveliness. The final work was Schumann’s quartet No2 Op41. Here we are on the verge of modern instrumentation but there was good reason to set it within the context of the earlier works and on original instruments, for it rapidly becomes clear that Schumann is hearing the instruments quite differently to the way we do today and thus the expectations of the listener are quite different. It was equally clear that the acoustic in the Kino Teatr was an essential part of the experience and one which helped both the ambience and intimacy of the event. This young quartet has made a very strong impression in a very short time and looks (and sounds!) certain to continue to be highly successful.

The festival was over all too soon. Next year is the big Beethoven anniversary and promises to be equally enthralling.

Bach: St Matthew Passion

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Battle Choral Society & Orchestra
St Mary’s Battle, Saturday 19 October 2019

Bach’s St Matthew Passion is an Everest among sacred oratorios. It requires two orchestras, three choirs, six soloists, an exemplary continuo group and an enormous amount of stamina. That Battle Choral Society produced many effective moments is without doubt but in the long run the work got the better of them.

There were a number of key elements which held things together. Gary Marriott’s Evangelist was clear, gently emotional and committed throughout, his voice carrying with ease within the church. Solo tenor William Searle was equally on top of the score and produced moving and very beautiful musical lines. Michael White made a positive, and very human, impact as Jesus. The continuo work was outstanding throughout, with particular praise for Nigel Howard at the organ. There were times when the continuo alone seemed to carry items where other instrumentalists had given up. Individual instruments made a positive impression with particular praise for the solo oboe and solo cello. The ripieno choir from Battle Abbey School created a fine sound when we could hear them but could have done with double the numbers to carry over the combined forces.

The choir were at their best in the chorales, many of which were well balanced and focussed, but struggled to project some of Bach’s more complex choruses. Pitch was often insecure, particularly among the tenors. The other soloists, in good voice when secure, seemed to be unfamiliar with the whole score and there were many times when solo items fell apart and the conductor could not rescue them. This seemed to be more than a simple lack of rehearsal time.

Many moments to enjoy, then, and the final chorus brought all elements together in an impressive way, but many more that need careful thought when planning the next event.

Hastings Week Organ Concert

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Stephen Page at St John the Evangelist, Hollington
Saturday 19 October 2019

Stephen Page mixed a range of very familiar pieces with a few unexpected items in his Hastings Week concert. He opened with Arthur Wills’ Procession with all its flare and excitement but moved smoothly on to John Ireland’s beautiful miniature Minuet from the Downland Suite. It is always good to hear pieces from the Robertsbridge Codex, and the Estampie manages to delight and challenge in equal measure.

Pairing Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre with Sweelinck’s Mein junges Leben hat ein End was unusual and effective before the more obvious linkage of three works for Musical Clock, which allowed us to hear some of the clear upper voices of the instrument.

Two more liturgical pieces followed, Bach’s Jesus, meine Zuversicht and Tom McLelland-Young’s reflective O Lux beata Trinitas.

As is his regular custom, Stephen concluded with two popular pieces, Frederick Curzon’s The Boulevardier and Coates’ Knightsbridge March. The encore was, inevitably, Blaze Away!!