Beaconsfield Concerts
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Reviews
These reviews of some of our recent concerts appeared in the local Buckinghamshire press.
2007/2008 Season
Review of Beaconsfield Concerts opening concert
Ralph Kirshbaum and Carole Presland, Saturday 27 th October
The Internationally renowned cellist Ralph Kirshbaum and his pianist Carole Presland provided a memorable start to Beaconsfield Concert’s 2007-8 Season on Saturday 27 October. Their exciting programme was anchored by a compelling account of Beethoven’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in A.
Beethoven’s cello sonatas were the earliest works of significance in this genre, at a time when pianos lacked the power of today’s concert grands. The composer had to struggle to balance the soft tone such pianos produced with the strong, singing voice of the cello, particularly in its middle register. Our soloists faced the opposite problem: to ensure that Kirshbaum’s beautiful instrument was not overpowered by the 9-foot Steinway Grand provided for Carole Presland. We need not have worried – our accomplished duo were beautifully balanced, exploiting the sonorities of each instrument to the full.
The Beethoven was preceded by a lovely performance of Debussy’s Cello Sonata, written in 1915 when Debussy was deeply affected by the horrors of World War I. The opening movement, by turns rhapsodic and agitated, is followed by a Sérénade in which the image of a mad clown, Pierrot, was dramatically displayed by Kirshbaum’s pyrotechnics.
After the interval, Kirshbaum and Presland treated us to a ‘surprise’ item, ‘Three little pieces’ by the avant garde 12 tone composer Webern, which lasted all of four minutes. Far removed from the Classical and Romantic pieces in the rest of the programme, this was an exciting exploration of individual tone colours and fleeting impressions. An analogy from the world of art might be, as Kirshbaum suggested to me later, the playfulness of the surrealist painter Miro. Some in the audience would have liked a second hearing: others were somewhat bemused.
Faure’s ‘1879 Elegy’ followed, in which the sonority of the cello was demonstrated to the full. In the fast paced passages, which represent the despair of love, it become, in the hands of a master, quite violin-like.
The final piece was Rachmaninov’s 1901 Sonata in G minor, in which the Steinway Grand came into its own. Unashamedly romantic, the first two movements had many echoes of the composer’s second piano concerto which he was writing at the same time, and the piece as a whole creates the opportunity for a fruitful dialogue between the two instruments, brilliantly exemplified by Kirshbaum and Presland.
The final breathtaking coda to the Allegro that ended the programme was greeted with warm applause and cheers. We were rewarded with a peaceful sequel in Schumann’s ‘Three Fantasy Pieces’ as an encore. A perfect choice and, as expected from the brilliant performance already experienced, elegantly played.
It would be difficult to imagine a better start to the 2007-8 Season.
Laurence Smaje
Review of Performance by Daniel Norman and Paul Plummer
Saturday 16 February 2008 presented by Beaconsfield Concerts.
Twentieth Century music is not to everyone’s taste, but tenor Daniel Norman and pianist Paul Plummer won over an attentive audience at this concert.
The first half of the concert consisted of four lyrical songs about love lost and found by Richard Strauss followed by the full Song Cycle Winter Words by Benjamin Britten. These are settings of poems by Thomas Hardy about the brevity of personal experience as opposed to the continuum of time. Britten’s piano score was particularly interesting in the way it echoed, while not imitating, the poems’ themes, such as a journey in a train, the creaks of an old table and movements of a wagtail in a stream
Daniel Norman had the ideal voice: a clear, pure sound, equally compelling at whisper level as at full fortissimo. Equally impressive was his impeccable diction where every word could be clearly understood even at the back of the hall. Paul Plummer’s pianism was of an equally high standard and, though they had not performed a great deal together, one would not have guessed so: they were beautifully attuned to each other and the music.
After the interval we were given more lyrical Strauss before a completely different Strauss appeared. This consisted of three songs from an original 12 in the song-cycle Der Krämerspiegel . Strauss had been forced to fulfil a contract with his music publishers whom he thought exploited him and composers in general. He responded by writing music that lampooned the music publishing industry in general and some publishers in particular. The music was also very difficult to play and to sing and it is thought that Strauss hoped this would make it less profitable for the publisher! Norman and Plummer, however, brushed the difficulties aside and provided a brilliant, amusing and compelling account. It was here that Daniel Norman’s comic acting ability was demonstrated most effectively, especially in the song There once was a bug which the musicians squashed and one assumes that the bug referred to was indeed the publisher.
Four romantic Russian songs, two each from Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov, were followed by a “Surprise Item” – a 1992 composition setting the ee cummings poem now i lay me down by the Bucks composer Julian Phillips.
The audience would not let the pair go without at least one encore and their cheers were rewarded by the gentle, lyricism of Morgen by Richard Strauss. A fitting end to an exceptionally rewarding and unusual concert.
The beautiful Brodsky Quartet wow Bex audience
Beaconsfield Concert
THE Brodsky Quartet performed for Beaconsfield Concerts February evening.
This world famous quartet has been wowing audiences for 30 years and yet their professionalism is fresh and alive with a subtlety and sonority that continues to attract new fans.
They began the evening with the Schubert E major quartet, which made a fitting romantic end to Valentines week. This passionate late piece was written just before the composer's death and shows the depth of feeling of his life's work.
The second quartet was composed by Kreisler, the virtuoso violinist and was outstanding. This piece had close bittersweet harmonies vibrant with texture and gorgeous melodic lines passing from instrument to instrument with a liquidity of tone. The Brodsky players excel at playing this type of music.
Mozart's Adagio and Fugue in C minor was beautifully performed with the dark, elegant slow first movement followed by a martial fugue where the players picked up the motif as though passing on a conversation one to the other.
Mendelssohn’s quartet in F minor was the final programmed work. The fresh Allegro Vivace began briskly and ended with a great change of pace. These shifts in mood and style are again part of the magic of this amazing group of players, who play as one, seamlessly and with a profundity that can inspire people who would not normally relate well to chamber music.
Margaret Probyn, Bucks Free Press
2005/2006 Season
Beaconsfield Concerts present Tasmin Little, violin, and Piers Lane, piano,
at Beaconsfield High School, March 25, 2006.
A big audience heard two internationally acclaimed musicians perform violin
and piano sonatas at this final concert of the Beaconsfield season. As
masters of their art we enjoyed their expert playing ranging from technical
brilliance to extreme musical finesse. Each player was equally exhilarating.
Bach¹s Sonata in G Major opened the concert, in five movements,
characterised by one of them being a piano solo. The playing of Piers Lane
throughout was a master class in itself.
Brahms¹s Sonata No 2 in A Major was described by Tasmin as ³sunny no
fireworks.² However, several of the movements ended with a great flourish,
while others finished with a quiet, pensive phrase.
Two works were extra special. One was a rarely played sonata by Frank Bridge
written in 1904, (apparently completed by someone else). It contrasted so
radically with the self-contained Bach sonata that it seemed to break out
into wild romance, in a melodic style surprising to those familiar only with
Bridge¹s songs and piano pieces. It called for the full range of the violin
backed by dramatic climaxes on the piano.
In her introduction to it, Tasmin Little said they chose it because it
complemented the ³mighty² Sonata in E Flat by Richard Strauss, the final
work in the programme.
She said this was written only a year after the Brahms, when Strauss was 23,
and it showed where he was going once he had escaped from the classical
mould. So here was the violin with the melody, while the piano scattered the
notes around as Strauss was to continue to do. The opening phrase of the
first two movements were a joy . In the second the piano had fragments of
Schubert¹s Erlkonig and in the third of Beethoven¹s Pathetique Sonata. Its
sustained interest ended in a dramatic climax.
As encore they played Tschaikowsky¹s peaceful 'Melody' . After the
foregoing drama, I was intrigued to see Piers moved by this. He whispered
"Beautiful" to Tasmin as they took applause.
Leon McCawley, pianist, at Beaconsfield Music Society, Beaconsfield High
School, February 25, 2006.
Congratulations to the Society for enticing to Beaconsfield one of our best
British pianists and for the second time Leon McCawley. In 1993 when he
was 20, he won glittering prizes. Worldwide engagements followed. His
Mozart¹s piano sonatas are due this summer from Avie Records.
His chosen programme for us was Mozart¹s piano sonata in F major; a sonata
in B Flat major by Beethoven followed by ten short nostalgic items from ³On
an Overgrown Path² by Janacek and finally Chopin¹s Scherzo No 4 in E major.
One of his favourite composers is Hans Gal whose piano works he has recorded
and he played his tuneful ³Melody² as an encore, followed by a cheerful
piece by Poulenc.
No one in the hall could have had any criticism of McCawley¹s brilliant
playing. The music was simply laid bare as in some magic spotlight. The
Mozart, described as Ounassuming¹, had many delicate and repeated phrases
and when the adagio became more robust it was enclosed again by charming,
restful passages. No threat to the listener here. Interesting to compare
Beethoven¹s more commanding, heroic style. In the adagio the music went a
bit walkabout to be gathered up in the minuetto - not at all like a
stylised dance. Spectacular runs were grounded in a recurring theme at the
end.
Janacek was recalling a simple domestic life made sad by the death of his
daughter. Heartbreak was near, and not much hope, as ³The barn owl (a bad
omen) has not flown away² S a chilling and ominous end. Sheer pleasure
followed with Chopin¹s arrival. This last of four scherzos had a bit of
everything. One can¹t say more than that McCawley gave a flawless
performance.
Frances Chidell, Bucks Advertiser
The Linos Quintet at Beaconsfield Music Society. January 21, 2006.
Members of this wind quintet are all young, they studied at the Guildhall
School of Music and Drama, formed the quintet in 2001 and were ensemble in
residence at the School 2004/5. They are: Juliette Bausor, flute; Daniel
Bates, oboe; Christopher Richards, clarinet; Katharine Willison, bassoon,
and Evgeny Chebykin, horn. (The bassoonist is a niece of the Society¹s Hon
Vice President, Peter Willison).
If the words Owind quintet¹ make you think of soft zephyr breezes and
ethereal piping, that¹s not it. The first of Six Bagatelles by Gyorgy Ligeti
(born 1923), which opened the concert, demonstrated that we were in for
strong, clear sounds most punctiliously played while the flute floated
above; any fudging would have been obvious. Each Bagatelle was different, a
showcase for every instrument, often with abrupt, short bursts of sound -
demonstrating what was to come.
Antonin Reicha (1770 1836) wrote 28 wind quintets and the one chosen was
Oone of the better ones.¹ He had taught Liszt and the music of his period
followed a more familiar pattern than the Ligeti. The charm of the Andante
introduced a more romantic vein and this mood was beautifully developed in
Poulenc¹s charming Novelette in C.
Further highlights were Bizet¹s fun Jeux d¹enfants, again in several
contrasting movements, notably with a serenade-like melody from the oboe
and a duet between oboe and horn. Holst¹s Wind Quintet in A flat, Evgeny
told us, had recently been discovered. Being written in sonata form, it was
different from other quintets with their usual upbeat ending. In fact it
concluded with a long horn solo, taken over by the flute and oboe, and ended
peacefully.
Each member of the quintet played not only musically but with great
concentration, energy and discipline.
Frances Chidell, Bucks Advertiser
A Brilliant Performance
Leon McCawley made his second appearance for Beaconsfield Concerts and this was an evening of excellence. He began by playing Mozart Sonata in F major and this was a charming gem. Leon played with verve, delight and humour with a wonderful sense of light and shade and intimacy.
His second piece was Beethoven’s Sonata in B flat major, a weightier piece and he matched this style perfectly with strength and delicacy, in particular in the beautiful adagio section, which he played with sensitivity and the elegant minuet literally danced.
Janacek is not so often played on the pianist’s concert platform, as his larger orchestral works or his operas are probably better known. So it was a pleasure to hear his very personal work – An Overgrown Path. This contained intimate vignettes of the composer’s personal life and included Our Evenings - a domestic scene, displayed affectionately by his playing; the well titled – They chattered like swallows – a picture of gossiping Czech ladies; Words fail – which told of bitterness and deception and the barn owl has not flown away – an allegorical symbol that means that a death has not yet occurred in the house where it nests. This collection was composed after Janacek’s daughter died and the sadness of this heart-rending event was captured in “Unutterable Anguish”.
Chopin’s Scherzo No 4 is not so frequently performed and was a refreshing and delightful piece to which Leon McCawley gave that wonderful verve and vibrancy: a wonderful evening indeed.
Margaret Probyn, Bucks Free Press