** Positive Notes about Various Concerts **
Season - 2011/2012
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Have you tried the new wind / brass
BreveEasy long note practice
software? You can download a free version of this product developed by Roger
Swann from here.
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Roger Swann
has a beautiful 2 bedroom holiday cottage called Swann Cottage in Derbyshire. You can get information about renting it
here.
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16th Aug 2012 - 20:00 hrs - DIY Poets
The Maze, Mansfield Road, Nottingham
An interesting evening of recitation by poets local to Nottingham
(better material than the quality of delivery in some cases) was followed by a
short reading (too short perhaps) by Kevin Fegan.
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14th Aug 2012 - 22:15 hrs -
BBC Prom 44 -
London Sinfonietta
- London Sinfonietta Academy - Andre de Ridder - Byron Fulcher
Royal Albert Hall, London
At Londond Sinfonietta events, on occasions where the music is
impenetrable it is common to sit back and simply enjoy the virtuosic quality of
the playing of the London Sinfonietta musicians. Here there was another
pleasure, watching (and listening too) the audience reaction. A young man in
front of your reviewer managed to look bored and disinterested throughout - no
mean feat given the collosal variety of music presented. Two gentlemen
immediately to the right spent much of the first piece discussing how a
mechanical metronome works, surely not a reaction Georgy Ligeti would have
anticipated when he composed his Poem Symphonique for 100 metronomes. The
players chose to start the metronomes as the audience entered, ten minutes
before the official start time of the concert. It was very interesting to
observe those who chose to stop chatting and start listening immediately and
those who ignored the sound coming from the stage until the "huge hint" of the
house lights being dimmed. The piece was not thrown together without thought:
the last two metronomes left ticking were side by side. Fascinating.
Berio's Sequenaza V for solo trombone was excellently played by Byron
Fulcher although whether his choice of ignoring Berio's request for the soloist
to be in formal dress (he played the piece dressed as a clown) added to the
work is a point worthy of further discussion.
Louis Andriessen's De snelheid was a technical masterpiece and very
exciting to listen to. The playing of the percussion parts alone was worth the
ticket price. The piece tested the rhythmic playing of the "extra" musicians,
drawn from the London Sinfonietta Acadamy to (and in some instances beyond) the
limit. But the steady increase in complexity and tempo drew the listener in
like the vortex of a tornado.
In his centenary year it was great to be present at a live performance
of John Cage's 4'33'' - here presented with Andre de Ridder conducting players
of the ensemble. Perhaps it's a sign of the times that the bored audience
member referred to above didn't seem to find it unusual to have a hall full of
people listening to some of the best musicians in London all not playing in
unison.
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11th Aug 2012 - 19:30 hrs -
BBC Prom 39 -
BBC National
Orchestra of Wales - BBC National Chorus of Wales - Huddersfield Choral
Society - London Symphony Chorus - Thierry Fischer - Toby Spence (tenor)
Royal Albert Hall, London
The Royal Albert Hall is definitely the place to hear Berlioz Requieme
(Grande messe des morts). Great waves of sound, including an impressive line up
of 16 timpanni played by 10 players and at one point a unison cymbal clash from
eight pairs of cymbals, were intersperced with some really high quality choral
singing, most strkingly from the ladys who produced many instances of notably
pure quiet singing that was a joy to listen to.
Berlioz frequently uses the twelve horns to bolster the (large) choral
sound, producing a feel of great majesty. This often strange work ends in a
very interrupted fashion with a far from final feeling note on the timps,
perhaps reflecting the way death often does interrupt the smooth path of
life.
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11th Aug 2012 - 15:00 hrs -
BBC Saturday Matinee Prom 3
- Britten Sinfonia -
Clark Rundell - Nicholas Hodges (piano) - Susan Bickley (mezzo) - Nicholas
Daniel (cor-anglais)
Cadogan Hall, London
Another example of what the BBC Proms are all about: Two UK premiers
and a world premier played to a capacity audience in an accoustic perfect for
this size of music making, with all three composers present to hear the warm
reception each piece received.
In addition to the UK premier of Michael Finnissy's Piano concerto No.
2 (written in 1975-76) "new complexity" was also represented by Promethius,
dating from 1967 (forty five years ago), composed by Brian Ferneyhough. It is
very bold programming to promote performances of these challenging works so
long after they were composed.
Gigue Machine was composed by Harrison Birtwistle in 2011. Working with
solo piano limits the orchestral colour that is always a big part of
Birtwistle's orchestral writing. With this stripped away one picks up the
interplay between the different voices in the music. Played with apparent ease
by Nicholas Hodges, the result reminded your reviewer very much of the music of
Conlon Nancarrow.
Brian Elias was given the opportunity to briefly introduce his "Electra
Mourns". Susan Bickley sung this somewhat morbid text in classical greek with
the use of the cor-anglais commenting on and duplicating the "wailing" of
Electra to great effect.
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6th Aug 2012 - 19:00 hrs -
BBC Prom 32 -
BBC National
Orchestra of Wales - National Youth Orchestra of Wales - BBC National
Chorus of Wales - National Youth Choir of Wales - Massed Children's Choir -
Kristjan Jarvi - Julius Foo (treble) - Morten Frank Larsen (baritone)
Royal Albert Hall, London
A concert consisting of a performance of a single work: Bernstein's
Mass. This piece of musical theatre was given a very colourful performance
(it's probably impossible to perform this work in any other way) raising smiles
from the audience from time to time and at least from your reviewer equally
frequent grimaces at the cliches arriving thick and fast. Julius Foo sung the
part of "solo boy" very assuredly for one so young, sounding stunningly
beautiful at all times. The demanding role of the Celebrant was made to look
easy by Morten Frank Larsen.
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1st August 2012 - 19:30 hrs - Oliver
Paul Kerryson directs his second "young community musical production" -
here challenging young people to play someone as viscious as Bill Sykes or as
old as Fagin. Mary-Jean Caldwell, taking the role of Nancy, sung perfectly in
tune throughout.
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Spinney Hill Park, Leicester
In recognition of the completion of the lotter funded refurbishment of
Spinney Hill Park a short speach of thanks for Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby (in
which he quite correctly acknowledged the efforts and support from the park
services staff and members of the local community) was followed by two
half-hour sets from the Dhol Enforcement Agency. What a bonus this turned out
to be: the six gentleman demonstrated virtuoisic precision as well as hypnotic
rhythm on the Dhol (a drum whose origins lie in the Punjab). Everyone in the
good sized crowd was glued to their spirited pulse. As well as the drumming
there was some Indian style singing from both band member "Sunni" and guest
artist Jazz Sahota. Both vocalists sung for an extended period without any loss
of pitch.
Band leader Indi Singh Soor was able to drop the overall dynamic to
maintain audience interest and to allow the singing to come through. Likewise
the same was achieved with the double flute playing, another Punjaby
tradition.
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7th July 2012 - 19:30 hrs - Extraorinary Landscapes - East Midlands
COMA - Kieran O'Riordan
St Barnabas' Cathedral Hall, Nottingham
Over the years East Midlands COMA has experimented with various
Nottinghamshire venues but St Barnabas' Cathedral Hall has perhaps been the
most successful. It's size and accoustic suit the ensemble perfectly,
accommodating a good sized audience with comfort and giving the chance for the
band to convey the music to good effect.
Directed by Kieran O'Riordan, the ensemble presented a wide variety of
pieces including five works by composers from within the group. Matt Le Mare's
"Brother Rain Tin and Sister G" is a substantial opus with complex rhythms
testing the ensemble to the limit but not a note (or semiquaver rest) was
superfluous.
The work also featured a several "solo" spots - Heather Hawthorn's
playing of two pieces by Howard Skempton for piano accordian for example drew
well deserved applause for her sensitive playing of these simple but effective
works.
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Adam Summerhayes (Electric Violin) and David Gordon (Harpsichord [with
effects]) are together the "Lightening Thieves". Who's thunder they are
stealing isn't always clear - at times they sound (almost) orthodox baroque in
style (both musicians are accomplished in this field) before quickly drifting
into perhaps Django Rheinhardt terretory, Weather Report, Jacques Lousier,
Celtic fiddling and often sounds that you can't quite place (perhaps these are
their "own" sounds!).
They wisely keep the volume down to sensible levels (when electronics
get involved in music it is an all to common trap to assume that "loud" equals
"good") and were at their best when using the electronic gimics sparingly to
aid the music on it's way, rather than a playing the game of "listen to my new
toy". It is always pleasurable to enjoy subtle interaction between musicians
and for much of the concert Adam Summerhayes and David Gordon avoided swamping
these moments of finesse with their electronics.
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The Coliseum, London.
Britten's powerful opera presented with all principals in dark clothing
(emphasising the foreboding that pervades this work) except for Captain Vere
who wears white until he takes his fateful (for Billy Budd) decision
(production director: David Alden). Britten uses his music to bring out the
human characteristics of his cast (in many cases not desirable ones). His
opera's are populated with players who show all to often the frailties of our
race rather than the larger than life hero's an heroines so common in opera
elsewhere.
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2nd July 2012 - 19:30 hrs - Music for a Summer's Evening - Ian Imlay
(organ) - Yvonne Bloor (guitar) - The Houghton Singers (directed by Helen
Noble)
St Catharine's Church, Houghton on the Hill, Leicestershire
St Catharine's church organ has recently been completely restored and
Ian Imlay brought the instrument to life with both his playing and his obvious
enthusiasm for the instrument. It certainly sounded well in tune and glorious
throughout. It would have been good to have heard more than the eight short
pieces Ian Imlay performed.
Yvonne Bloor was as beguiling as always. This evening she included her
own composition "Majesty" which, whilst not being quite as majisterial as the
name might imply, was very attractive, flowing with grace and poise
throughout.
The Houghton Singers also played a big part in the event. This choir
continues to grow in numbers and was at it's best in the classical repertoire
(Bruckner's Locus Iste for example).
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30th June 2012 - 20:00 hrs - Bedroom Farce
Alan Ayckbourne's comedy (written in 1975) relies on the original idea
of staging three different bedrooms in which their respective owners act as
only the English act in bedrooms (?) and interact with members of a fourth
couple causing mirth (at least for the audience) along the way.
Directed by Stefan Escreet, this was a perfect Saturday evening's
entertainment in this wonderful theatre (everything about the Theatre by the
Lake serves to demonstrate that "Big" is not necessarily "Beautiful" - How much
happier things would be in Leicester if the Curve Theatre was of a similar
size..... )
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Christchurch Baptist & Methodist Church, Clarendon Park Road,
Leicester
A good tight opening to Beethoven's Egmont Overture (itself an
excellent choice to open any concert with) set the high standard that this
happy group of players achieved throughout the evening.
The under-strength (in terms of numbers) viola section were magnificent
in the slow movement of Mozart's Symphony No. 40.
The orchestra ended with Paul Burnell's amusing "Seal of Approval".
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27th June 2012 - 20:00 hrs -
The Rock Choir -
Sarah Stevens
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Sarah Stevens directed the combined forces of the four Leicestershire
rock choirs with zing and passion (if a slightly non-conventional conducting
technique) and then later demonstrated her prowess as a soloist.
Guests "The Rainbow's Hospice Choir (conducted by Paul Holden) provided
a pleasing interlude but it was the Rock Choir that the audience wanted to hear
most in this concert in aid of the Rainbow's Hospice fund.
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22nd June 2012 - 19:30 hrs - Patricia Siffert (Piano) - The music of
Rosemary Duxbury
Fraser Noble Hall, Leicester
It takes a confident composer to programme a whole evening of her own
music. But the receital proved successful with much due to the sensitive touch
(including great feel for the instrument during pianissimo passages) of pianist
Patricia Siffert.
The receital hall included a background screen onto which a very slowly
changing image based on the night sky was projected (Annette Horn). Often such projections
only distract from the music but here the very slow pace of change complimented
the invariably relaxed pace of the music to good effect.
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17th June 2012 - 14:30 hrs - The
Bardi Symphony Orchestra - Paul Hilliam - Mark Li (piano) -
Fraser Noble Hall, Leicester
This was the first in a planned series of annual concerts aimed at
promoting young talent in and around Leicestershire. The very remarkable Mark
Li, aged 10, played Mozart's Piano Concert No. 21 K467 "Elvira Madigan" with
confidence and technical security. His smart bowing and entering and leaving
the stage added to his charm.
The Sunday afternoon time slot seemed very popular (a good sized
audience). This may have been helped by the English weather being not at all
suited for gardening or other activities of a more outdoor nature.
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16th June 2012 - 19:30 hrs - The Cantus Orchestra - Barry Collett -
Joanna Burton (sop) - Robert-John Edwards (baritone) - John Haddon
(narrator)
St Mary's Church, Ketton, Rutland
Roger Swann = horn
Very much a village event and all the more enjoyable for this. A good
sized audience enjoying Barry Collett doing what he does best: showing his
enthusiasm for lesser known masterpieces by Elgar, here performing music
written for the play "Starlight Express". A work which draws on material from
his earlier works "Wand of Youth Suite" and "Bavarian Dances" this is not Elgar
at his most dramatic but it still carries his unmistakeable stamp.
Joanna Burton has a strong pure voice, just what was needed in the role
of the "laugher".
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Eglise St Jacques, Compiegne, France
Roger Swann = horn
A repeat of yesterdays programme but here in an attractive church with
a sensible accoustic, plenty of space for audience and performers and good
lighting. Everyone responded to these positive features and the orchestra
playing included much to enjoy (flutes, bassoons and the violin solo taken by
leader Catherine Cole being good examples).
Christine Giggs (oboe d'amore) gave a professional feel to her solo
spot, an arrangement of Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus.
Everyone (including all of the good sized and very enthusiastic
audience) enjoyed the seemingly happy "throw away" singing of Eva Ganizate that
masked a strong voice matched with a very good ear.
Leicester Symphony Orchestra, Paris 2012, horn section photo: (Martin
Gilding, Roger Swann, Levon Parikian (conductor), Roz Saunders, Nigel
Moore)
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Eglise de la Madeleine, Paris
Roger Swann = horn
A prestigious venue in terms of position (in the very heart of Paris)
and ecclesiastical status, the Madeleine cannot be described as an ideal
accoustic. Almost a perfect cuboid space of gigantic proportions built from
stone it has one of the most boomy echos your reviewer has ever encountered,
either as an audience member, performer or indeed fan of swimming in pools of
all sorts both natural and artificial!
If conductor Levon Parikian wasn't exactly able to show his skills as a
musical interpreter in the midst of the drowning din, he did at least impress
with his cool composure throughout and his deliverance of a clear precise beat
accompanied by the wise instruction "don't listen, just follow the stick".
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31st May 2012 - 19:30 hrs - Falstaff - Daniele Gatti
This evening found the Royal Opera at it's peak - good timing as the
performance was also screened live around the UK on public "big screens".
Daniele Gatti conducted the 3 hour opera without a score, giving orchestral and
vocal leads throughout, encouraging the singers if they were a fraction slower
than he wanted (and at one point glaring at a singer for not watching him) and
wringing the best possible playing from the superb orchestra.
The top quality of musicianship in the pit was matched by all members
of the cast (even an immaculately behaved horse (credited as "Rupert") in the
cast sheet). Ambrogio Maestri acted the title role of Falstaff gaining laughs
in all the right places and deserved (?) sympathy as he became the butt of
avenging tricks. He was in fine voice too.
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26th May 2012 - 19:30 hrs -
The Rutland Sinfonia- Paul
Hilliam - Barry Collett - Margaret Fingerhut (Piano) - 35th Anniversary
Concert
Oakham School Chapel, Oakham, Rutland
Roger Swann = horn
It was great to be present for the presentation to Barry Collett of the
well deserved Elgar Society Certificate of
Merit (It's highest award). Your reviewer's knowledge, appreciation and love of
the music of Elgar is almost entirely due to the infectious enthusiasm for
Elgar's entire portfolio that Barry Collett holds, combined with his natural
feeling for how Elgar's music "should go". It was completely appropriate that
Barry Collett avoided programming any of Elgar's "greatest hits" and instead
went for two understated but still absolutely typical Elgar works: The Wand of
Youth Suite No. 2 and Dream Children.
In days gone by it was always a highlight of a Rutland Sinfonia season
when Margaret Fingerhut joined the orchestra for a piano concerto. It was
wonderful to have her back on the stage for this concert, her modest personna
disguising her fluid yet light and rounded touch at the keyboard, here playing
the delightful 2nd piano concerto by Saint-Saens with nimble fingered
ease.
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22nd May 2012 - 19:45 hrs - Houghton Music Club Performer's
Evening
Houghton on the Hill, Leicestershire
Taking place in the front room of the home of two established music
club members this evening represented precisely what Houghton Music Club is all
about: a wide variety of styles of music played to varying standards in an
informal atmosphere which everyone enjoyed.
Some musicians were experienced performers, others much less so. It is
this combination that makes the "Performer's Evening" the special event that it
is.
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20th May 2012 - 19:30 hrs - The
Bardi Symphony Orchestra - Claus Efland - Mihkel Kerem (violin) - Per
Nystrom ('cello)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn
Mihkel Kerem (a regular guest leader of the Bardi Symphony Orchestra)
joined forces with Per Nystrom to give a performance of Brahm's lyrical Double
Concerto. The pair worked really well together (both technically through all
the challenging semi-quaver passages and musically with the melodies passing
completely seamlessly between the two instruments). The intensity they
developed in the slow movement alone was worth the ticket price.
Throughout the rehearsals Claus worked really hard at cultivating a
quality sound from the orchestra (from all sections) particularly taking the
opportunity of performing Brahms to further this aim. There is something about
this composers music (something more than simply the style of orchestration)
that demands a warm round powerful but not forced timbre, a fact that Claus
understands completely. It is appropriate to also record the positive
contribution to the rehearsals made by regular leader Adam Summerhayes.
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12th May 2012 - 19:30 hrs -
The London Sinfonietta -
Nicholas Collon - Tamara Stefanovich (piano) - Michael Cox (flute) - Michael
Thompson (horn)
The Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
From the opening bars of Ligeti's Melodien the quality of playing was
striking - a frequent occurrence at London Sinfonietta events, but one that
still never fails to send a quiver of anticipation down the spine. Michael Cox
managed to get aggression and power out of his flute in George Benjamin's
Flight for Solo Flute.
Sound Intermedia were responsible for the synthesiser sounds in
Benjamin's Antara for Chamber Ensemble and Electronics - with the synthesisers
(Simon Smith and Sheila Sutherland) recreating pan pipes. It was the perfect
example to all budding sound engineers on how crisp powerful electronic sound
need not be accompanied by distracting mains hum or distortion.
The concert also included Mike Thompson screaming away where the horn
has no right to be in Ligeti's Hamburgisches Konzert - with equally virtuosic
orchestral natural horn playing from the orchestral team.
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28th April 2012 - 19:30 hrs -
Leicester Symphony
Orchestra - Toby Purser - Denise Leigh (sop)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Elgar's swirling Froissart Overture made a great start to the evening
before Denise Leigh sang a series of songs demonstrating her enthusiasm for
dynamic contrast. Her singing in Rachmaninov's Vocalise for example tested the
orchestra's ability to play quietly and smoothly.
Dvorak's eighth symphony ended with an excellent last movement (the
mood being set with a stirring fanfare opening from the trumpets) full of
vigour and excitement.
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27th April 2012 - 19:00 hrs - "Ancient and Modern" (Celebration of
Tugby organ restoration)
St Thomas Becket Church, Tugby, Leics.
A good crowd of people enjoyed this event celebrating the restoration
and rededication of the organ at Tugby's church. The restoration project was
generously funded by Mr Keith Brooks who was present to hear it used to good
effect by Ian Imlay (intricate footwork and good use of stops -
Lefebure-Weley's Sortie in E flat for example sounded really jolly).
The concert also featured some Mozart opera arias sung by Gareth and
Katharine Lloyd with the unlikely accompaniment of an organ (Edward
McCall).
Strangely the organ was not used for the grand finale: a series of west
end show numbers sung karaoke like to a lap top backing track by Nathan
Dowling. The use of electronics created the somewhat monodynamic sound world
that prevails in the west end and prevents musicals reaching their true
potential but within this restriction Nathan Dowling was actually rather
good.
Very modestly described as "nibbles" in the programme the feast
available during the interval was truely splendid! It was also pleasingly
voluminous.
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Hampstead Theatre, London.
Wolfgang Rihm's opera about Lenz becoming increasingly insane was a
confused affair with a largely inaudible English translation by Richard Stokes
and a somewhat overwhelming chamber orchestra conducted by Alex Ingram. The wet
and reed bed full set was rather good (Designer Annemarie Woods) .
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21st April 2012 - 19:30 hrs -
The Charnwood Choral Society with
The Charnwood Orchestra - Howard Marriot -
Susie Lockyer (sop) - Aimee Harrison (mezzo) - David Morris (tenor) - Andrew
Ashwin (bass)
Emmanuel Church, Loughborough, Leicestershire
Trevor Lax played the trumpet solo in Handel's Let the Bright Seraphim
with accuracy and took great care to converse (rather than compete) with Susie
Lockyer who obviously enjoyed the musical relationship. Great shame to have
this (and short excerpts from Haydn's creation) done with a modern piano
accompaniment when the Charnwood Orchestra were sitting around ready and
available.
The concert really came alive in the second half with a complete
performance of Haydn's "Missa in Angustiis" (The Nelson Mass). Here the choir
sounded confident and joyful and there was much to admire from all four singers
(perhaps especially from tenor David Morris and bass Andrew Ashwin. The work
was received with loud and deserved applause from a very good sized
audience.
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16th April 2012 - 19:45 hrs - Yvonne Bloor (guitar)
Houghton on the Hill, Leicestershire
A real coup was scored by the organisers of Houghton Music Club in
persuading Yvonne Bloor to present an informal evening of guitar music, given
in the home of one of the long standing members of the club. As well as playing
three different guitars (including one dating from 1837) she introduced us to a
brief history of the development of the instrument and it's repertoire. She is
charming company in such a situation and plays her instrument with consumate
ease.
Yvonne Bloor also took the opportunity to demonstrate her
(considerable) prowess as a composer, including two three movement works of her
own in the performance. These were pleasing to listen too and took full
advantage of the range of colours available in the guitar (including advanced
use of harmonics) without ever sounding contrived.
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14th April 2012 - 19:30 hrs - Southampton Concert Orchestra - Paul
Ingram - COMA UK Ensemble
The Guildhalll, Southampton
Roger Swann = horn (COMA)
A concert organised to coincide with the one hundreth aniversary of the
day the Titanic hit an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean, an incident involving the
loss of over 1500 lifes. Paul Ingram and the Southampton Concert Orchestra set
the scene with a performance of Dvorak's New World Symphony (the Guildhall is a
rather attractive building with a "shoebox" shaped hall, the accoustic of which
ensures that the string sound comes across prominently).
This was followed by a rare chance to hear Gavin Bryar's "The Sinking
of the Titanic" - here performed in a slightly modified version organised by
the talented director of COMA Sussex, Adam Swayne. The ensemble drew on COMA
players from all over the UK and included video footage related to the
construction of the Titanic and the disaster itself. A special guest appearance
by Ian Mitchell (solo bass clarinet) greatly added to the event. With members
of the ensemble scattered around the auditorium and some subtle lighting a very
eerie atmosphere was created. The audience responded with a long silence
following the last dyeing notes before the enthusiastic applause.
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11th April 2012 - 20:00 hrs - Open Mic. Jamming Night
The Miner's Institute, St Agnes, Cornwall
The Miner's Institute was always one of the hubs of the village
community life during the tin and copper mining hey day of Cornish life. It's
great to see the building still forming a centre of social life with a well
attended open mic. evening which included some quite varied instruments (eg
didgeridoo) and musicians with a wide skill range. As is often the case, the
numbers involving fewer participants were the most successful: "Tom" did a solo
spot with a particularly sharp reggae under tow and some witty lyrics.
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31st March 2012 - 19:30 hrs - University of Leicester Sinfonia -
Michael Sackin - Dana Morgan (flute) - Joe Whelan - xylophone
Fraser Noble Hall, University of Leicester
Roger Swann = horn
A wonderful bit of adventurous programming introduced your reviewer to
three pieces, all, in their different ways worth a hearing. Reinecke's Flute
Concerto in D op 283 (given a technically fluent performance by Dana Morgan)
was contrasted with Toshiro Mayuzumi's Xylophone Concertino (getting it's first
outing in the original (orchestral accompaniment) form in the UK, outside of
London). Joe Whelen conjured up a wide range of different sounds from the
Xylophone, capturing the far eastern sound world especially well in the slow
movement.
The third rarity was Mendelssohn's first symphony, Op 11. Written by a
15 year old some of the wind writing is perhaps a little dense, but you can
already see the composers expert ability to handle string writing to
perfection.
Michael Sackin deserves recognition for his continued broadening of
musical taste that illuminates the path of his orchestra and audience
alike.
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28th March 2012 - 19:30 hrs - Miss Fortune
The first production of Judith Weir's opera Miss Fortune might not
prove to be the most successful operatic highlight of the 21st Centuary but it
still contained many fine points to admire, not least Paul Daniel's control of
a complicated score, the very colourful sets designed by Tom Pye (lighting by
Scott Zielinski) and some spectacular break dancing sequences. An ambitious
plot (with a happy ending) did allow the audience to enjoy some amusing
moments.
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27th March 2012 - 19:00 hrs - Joint concert in conjunction with
Houghton on the Hill Primary School
St Catharine's Church, Houghton on the Hill, Leicestershire
Roger Swan = horn (in Unique-horns ensemble)
It has been a long time sinced Houghton Music Club had worked with
members of Hougton on the Hill Primary School. Hopefully the success of this
event will mean it is much more frequent in the future. It was great to see
parents, brothers and sisters supporting offspring and siblings in force. Every
performer played to the best of their ability and in all cases the music was
accompanied by much smiling. The school (meaning both staff and pupils) has
much to be proud of.
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25th March 2012 - 15:00 hrs - University of Leicester Orchestral
Society Concert - Paul Jenkins - Yuki Kong (piano).
Fraser Noble Hall, University of Leicester
Roger Swann = horn (in Prokofiev)
Paul Jenkins has really got the Univeristy of Leicester undergraduates
on an up, judging by the playing on display here. Yuki Kong played Moxart's A
major Piano Concerto (K 488) with complete assurance.
As well as the orchestral works the concert included the world premier
of "Unseen" for flute choir, written by Amy Willock. This piece, with it's
lively melodies and interesting changes in time signatures (that effortlessly
fitted the tune rather than feeling contrived) solved the perrennial flute
choir problem of lack of bass by the addition of a string double-bass. Other
composers who might be tempted to write for flute ensembles please take note
!
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24th March 2012 - 19:30 hrs - The
Bardi Symphony Orchestra - Claus Efland - Jonathan French (piano)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn
The artistic highlight of the Bardi concert season this year was the
performance of Svendesn's Symphony No. 2 Op 15. Claus Efland's passion for
Scandinavian composers always ensures a well thought out interpretation. In
this case the target was to keep the music light - the result (with hints of
Mendelsohn and Dvorak) was a tuneful and happy work. The audience certainly
gave the peice a warm reception.
The precarious financial position of the orchestra meant the
replacement of the artistic challenging Ma Vlast cycle (Smetena) in an earlier
Bardi concert this season. It has also lead to the (recently announced) cutting
of Alfven's Swedish Rhapsody in the next concert. Once concert programming
becomes influenced primarily by the financial survival of the band it seems to
this reviewer that the orchestra is dangerously close to it's death bed. If the
band is going to die then surely it should go out playing something exciting
and rarely heard in Leicester rather than giving yet another performance of
some Classic FM top twenty piece. How about hitting de Montfort Hall with
Olivier Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony or Strauss' Ein Heldenleben?
***********************************************************************
21st March 2012 - 19:30 hrs - Gypsy
Paul Kerryson brings another broadway musical to Leicester, the title
role taken by a Leicester regular: Caroline O'Connor. The two real stars of the
evening were Victoria Hamilton-Barritt in the role of Louise (very believable
acting throughout) and the lyrics of Stephen Sondheim.
There was plenty of tight playing from the band (MD: Michael Haslam)
and also a legato trombone solo with just the right amount of vibrato played by
Barry Daykin.
***********************************************************************
17th March 2012 - 19:30 hrs - University of Leicester: Joint Music
Societies Concert
St James the Greater Church, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn (in the University of Leicester Orchestral
Society)
Conducted by Paul Jenkins, the Orchestra sounded pretty good and the
dancers certainly added interest to this performance of excerpts from
Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet.
The Chamber Choir sang with power and more than reasonable dynamic
range. Mike Rule's precise directing helped ensure that the words came across
well and Roxy Summerfield used the stops of the church organ to good effect to
get a wide range of colours in the organ accompaniment.
***********************************************************************
3rd March 2012 - 19:30 hrs -
Knighton Chamber
Orchestra - Paul Jenkins, Anne Mee ('cello), Francois Salignat (piano)
Fraser Noble Hall, University of Leicester
Anne Mee made light work of the technical challenges presented by
Shostakovich's first 'cello concerto. The dark, long, phrasing in the slow
movement were a good foundation for the lengthy cadenza which was the musical
highlight of the work.
The Fraser Noble Hall is an attractive venue, warm, well lit,
comfortable chairs, good toilet facilities, good central location etc etc. but
it does have the draw back of a somewhat boomy accoustic. Paul Jenkins made
some attempt at improving the orchestra sound by the use of screens behind the
orchestra. It is good to see him being aware of the overall sound quality and
making attempts to improve the audience experience.
***********************************************************************
2nd March 2012 - 19:00 hrs - Le Nozze Di Figaro
After last night's artistic heavy-weight, this evening proved the
perfect antidote. From the opening bars of the overture Richard Hetherington
shaped every phrase of the piece and the orchestra responded, sounding as if
they are the best orchestra in London for playing Mozart. The piece fizzed with
excitement time and time again. The production was subtle, refined and witty
(Director David McVicar) and the whole cast where faultless. This was the Royal
Opera House on absolute peak form. Perfect.
There were countless instances of exquisite natural horn playing coming
from the pit, too.
***********************************************************************
1st March 2012 - 19:30 hrs- The Death of Klinghoffer -
English National Opera
The Coliseum, London.
John Adam's second opera proved to be very thought provoking indeed.
This excellent production leaves you aware of the complex emotions and motives
behind acts of terrorism (and other peoples reactions to them). A response to
the hijacking of the Achille Lauro in Oct 1985 the opera doesn't claim to be an
exact representation of the facts, or of the people involved, but uses the
medium to explore and expose different thought processes going on as the events
unfold. The result is a very moving three hours of performance.
Along side this, ENO's programme is an excellent document, filled with
different insights into the events and the "behind the scenes" events on which
the opera draws.
***********************************************************************
26th Feb 2012 - 19:30 hrs - St Martin's Sinfonia - Nan Ingrams
St Peter's Church, Empingham, Rutland
Roger Swann = horn
Introduced as a "Community Event" it was good to see a reasonable turn
out of villagers in this attractive church. The concert provided a rare
opportunity to hear two of Telemann's Concerti for Four Violins played by
Stam4rd Violins (Terry Noble, Hilary Allison, Anja Smith and Sarah
Latham).
Your reviewer would love to know (and has so far failed to find out)
why St Peter's church has one set of interiour arches of semi-circular design
and the other set with a central point.
***********************************************************************
25th Feb 2012 - 19:00 hrs -
The Leicestershire
Chorale with YFaV and Huddersfield Boys' Choir - Tom Williams
St Margaret's Church, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn (Rutter's Feel The Spirit)
Practical administrative difficulties prevented your reviewer from
getting to the first half of this concert. A great shame since the programme
included a world premier by James Garner (Exultate Deo), L'Eternel est plein
der grace by Ruth Almgill (a Leicestershire Chorale Honorary Composer Friend)
and the second performance of Keith Roberts Magnifcat in C (Keith Roberts is
the director of the Huddersfield Boys' Choir).
John Rutter's Feel The Spirit is a sacsharine sweet orchestration of
standard negro spirituals. It certainly gave Tom Williams a chance to
demonstrate is versatility as a musician - gettting the usual high quality
sound from his choir, keeping a firm grip on the orchestra and dealing with the
young boys from Huddersfield with a gentle and humours approach, providing them
with an educational experience in an atmosphere that allowed them to give of
their best without being under unconstructive pressure.
The whole event was presented to a good sized audience in the beautiful
church of St Margarets (almost warm enough to be comfortable). It's a little
sad that this wonderful building has ended up in the "wrong place" in the [not
quite] middle of Leicester.
***********************************************************************
22nd Feb 2012 - 19:00 hrs - Norma - Opera North - Oliver von
Dohnanyi
The Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Sitting in the upper circle in the attractive Theatre Royal in
Nottingham one is struck by the intimacy of the venue when compared to Covent
Garden or The Coliseum. The sound at the top is remarkably good with the
strings coming across well and yet the orchestra only rarely sounding too loud
for the voices.
The two leading ladies made the evening: Annemarie Kremer (Norma) and
Keri Alkema (Adalgisa) were both excellent. As a result the audience were able
to sit back and enjoy the classic Italian opera style of music and marvel at
the way Bellini manages to make the music and drama build to emotive climaxes
when the plot (at least on paper) is so thin.
***********************************************************************
4th Feb 2012 - 19:30 hrs - The Bardi
Symphony Orchestra - Claus Efland - Samantha Ward (piano)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn (Debussy & Rimsky-Korsakov)
Sandwiching Mozart's Piano Concert No. 21 "Elvira Madigan" between a
classic French impressionist work and a major splash of Russian romantic colour
emphasised conductor Claus Efland's versatility as a musician. This was a
contained performance with no flamboyance from orchestra or soloist. Trumpet
and horn playing were carefully balanced, never intrusive, the string playing
full of phrasing and dynamics without any sign of pomposity. Samantha Ward's
performance at the keyboard was of exactly the same vein.
***********************************************************************
1st Feb 2012 - 19:30 hrs - Philharmonia Orchestra - Han-Na Chang -
Craig Ogden (guitar)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Virtually a full house braved below zero temperatures outside to enjoy
a first half of the warmth of Spanish music and a second half of American (more
precisely: USA) music conducted by the young (and very energetic Korean
conductor Han-Na Chang.
What attracted your reviewer to the concert was Charles Ives' The
Unanswered Question. Here the offstage trumpet was actually played on stage
with a mute. This allows rhythmic tightness to be secured - but is this really
critical in this piece? Ives' would have expected lack of synchronisation
caused by the distance introduced by placing the trumpet offstage. Still, the
trumpet playing (and indeed the rest of the orchestral tutti) was fine
enough.....
***********************************************************************
28th Jan 2012 - 19:30 hrs - University of Leicester Sinfonia - Michael
Sackin
Clarendon Park Congregational Church, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn (soloist in Andy Evan's Horn Concerto)
It was marvellous to have a chance to give the second performance of
the horn concerto by Andy Evans, in the presence of the composer. This piece is
a very worthy addition to the horn concerto repertoire and deserves further
outings. All the musicians in the orchestra had worked hard on the piece
(helped by Michael Sackin's generous allocation of precious rehearsal time to
the work) and the conductor's knowledge of the score was first class (as is
invariably the case with all works Michael Sackin tackles). It is not for the
soloist to attempt to judge the quality of the actual performance but it is
fair to record that the composer appeared very pleased with the whole
occasion.
Michael Sackin's wide musical tastes were represented by the inclusion
of two attractive, rarely heard, works by Sibelius (the Romance in C, op 42
given a particular fine performance) and Arriaga's D major Symphony
The concert venue was warm and well lit with a pleasingly lively
acoustic - it should be used much more frequently for performances.
***********************************************************************
21st Jan 2012 - 19:30 hrs -
Knighton Chamber
Orchestra - Paul Jenkins, Jo Conqest (flute), Emily Cockbill (oboe)
Richard Attenborough Centre, University of Leicester
Paul Jenkins strikes the perfect balance between keeping the event
informal yet still retaining the audiences attention whilst the actual music
performance is taking place. His colourful but not garrish orchestral dress
code looks great (much less "stuffy" than outmoded dinner jackets).
Jo Conquest demonstrated her instictive musicianship in Mozart's G
major Flute Concerto K313. Light, effortless fluid fast passages and a smoothly
phrased slow movement were followed by a witty stroll off stage during the
final (orchestra only) bars of the piece.
The second highlight of the concert was "The Jester's Silhouette" by
Freya Waley-Cohen. She succeeded in creating a line through the work from a
single percussive strike (first heard on the woodblock). A second "theme" of a
pair of rising notes (again a very simple concept) was also introduced and
developed in a way that made good musical sense to the listener. Interestingly
the band seemed to play with greater accuracy in this work than at other times
during the evening.
Geoff Downs' playing of the notorious double bass solo in Stravinsky's
Pulcinella was top class.
***********************************************************************
St Andrews Church, Countesthorpe
Roger Swann = Wine Cellar (simply handing out wines in the post concert
gathering - wines supplied by Evingtons Wine)
The Helix Ensemble's visit to St Andrews Church seems to have become an
annual event and many audience members were returning to hear the group play
again and in doing so were paying the ensemble the highest compliment.
Jacques Cohen included a performance of his own "Elegy on a Floating
Chord" (Originally premiered in New York in 1996). This work seems a
(successful) exercise in building up musical ideas from simple parts, leading
as it does to a complex and dramatic climax.
E J Moeran's "Whythorne's Shadow" gave a chance for all four players of
the exposed wind instruments to demonstrate sensitive and lyrical playing in
this wistful work which seemed to end just as it was starting to sound
interesting....
The concert ended with a joyful and very energetic account of
Beethoven's 2nd Symphony. Jacques Cohen achieved some striking dynamic
contrasts and much effervescent playing from the group.
***********************************************************************
6th Jan 2012 - 19:00 hrs - La Traviata
Verdi's La Traviata is a perennial favourite - but no wonder: it does
consist of one great tune followed by another from beginning to end.
It was fascinating to watch (from the front row of the left hand stalls
circle) Maurizio Benini conduct the orchestra and soloists. He used a score
which must be far to small to read, and only turned pages when there was a gap
in the action. The orchestra played the hushed opening almost a beat behind his
conducting - but moved much closer during the faster tutti sections. Benini
consistently gave discrete intonation hints to soloists, got visibily
exasperated when one soloist insisted on slowing the tempo, mouthed words
clearly (which were ignored) when the same soloist sang them incorrectly and
marked every bar for the band - even if some "marks" were ultra fast and ultra
small. He knew the score intimately and expected 100% attention from every
performer in front of him for 100% of the time.
***********************************************************************
28th Dec 2011 - 22:00 hrs - Kingsize
A good fun evening in the limbo period between Christmas and New Year.
Plenty of noise and showmanship from this established band. Very tight playing
throughout with good punchy trombone sound.
***********************************************************************
17th Dec 2011 - 19:00 hrs - Ockash Trust - Festival of Light - Sarah
Cresswell
Borrowash Methodist Church, Borrowash, Derbyshire
Roger Swann = horn (playing viola parts)
A somewhat unplanned participation in this happy traditional
celebration of Christmas through the medium of latern making and carol singing.
Much of the music was organised by the hard working Sarah Cresswell who
conducted a band of probably the widest age ranges your reviewer will play in
this season.
***********************************************************************
16th Dec 2011 - 20:00 hrs - Christmas Concert - Clarendon Orchestra -
Anne Dixon - Mariko Terashi (piano)
Stoneygate Methodist Church Hall, Clarendon Park Road, Leicester
Anne Dixon's final concert with the orchestra she founded in 2006 had
an all pervading air of fun about it. Clearly all members of the orchestra were
enjoying themselves, happily oblivious of some fairly basic mistakes from time
to time but none the less providing pleasure for both themselves and the
audience.
It is to Anne Dixon's credit that she has attracted a large loyal
following of string and wind players and that the orchestra she has created has
sufficient inertia to carry on into pastures new following her retirement.
***********************************************************************
7th Dec 2011 - 19:30 hrs - Cabaret
Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College, Leicester
Produced very much as a joint production by all departments of the
sixth form college, this was simply a fantastic event. From the hand made
illuminated "cabaret" table decorations to the night club wall paintings and
the overall marketing strategy this was far more than just a school production
of a good show.
Of course Cabaret (music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb) IS a
very good show, packed with good numbers but also very thought provoking in
it's overall moral. All performers were first class but inevitably one has to
particularly admire the four main roles: Hannah Bailey (playing Sally Bowles),
Ryan Byren (Cliff Bradshaw), Georgina Roberts (Fräulein Schneider) and
Henry Brown (Herr Schultz). The standard of the band (formed mostly from
college students) matched the quality on the stage.
It seems only appropriate to credit the major movers on the staff of
the college who, together, helped create this marvelous event: Dirctor: Sharron
Brannen, MD: Beth Williams and Choreographer: Bev Voice.
***********************************************************************
6th Dec 2011 - 19:00 hrs - Leicesterhire Schools Music Service's "The
Lord Mayor of Leicester's Christmas Concert"
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
The usual full house that this annual event always attracts enjoyed
various Leicestershire Schools Music Service ensembles going through their
paces.
Christine Taylor navigated the Training Orchestra successfully through
a challenging version of the finale from Brahms' first symphony. Andrew Bound
achieved excellent results with the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra
in the first movement of Elgars first symphony. The strings worked hard at
giving energy to the fast lively passages and bringing a good sense of phrasing
to the frequent lyrical melodies.
***********************************************************************
4th Dec 2011 - 19:30 hrs - The Tudor Choir - LOROS Singers - 4Tissimo
Strings - Paul Jenkins - Rosie Curtis (oboe)
Fraser Nobel Hall, University Road, Leicester
The Tudor Choir always sound like they enjoy singing under the
direction of the ever enterprising Judy Dodd. Here joined by the LOROS Singers
and five string players they chose a programme that concentrated on the women's
voices. They really took off when they came to perform two songs by Elgar (The
Snow and Fly Singing Bird).
A guest appearance by oboe solist Rosie Curtiss (playing Albinoni's
oboe concerto) provided a contrast to the vocal items. The finale seeming
particularly joyful with it's jaunty syncopation.
The presence of a fair sized audience meant that a reasonable sum was
raised for LOROS. The Tudor Choir deserve
commending for the continued good work they do raising funds for
charities.
***********************************************************************
St Wystan's Church, Repton, Derbyshire
Roger Swann = horn
Two things characterise Richard Roddis' work with choral groups, his
skill in encouraging clear diction, prononciation and phrasing to the sounds of
the text (no matter what language) and his enthusiasm for presenting less often
performed repetoire.
Both characteristics were in abundance in this concert. All three items
were very loosely related to Christmas. Finzi's In Terra Pax formed the centre
piece of the event, sounding unbelievably "English" and featuring the strong
presence of solo tenor Andy Ward. The concert also included "Lux Aeterna"
written by Washington State born composer Moretn Lauridson and including some
very technically challenging chords structures for the choir that they tackled
with ease.
***********************************************************************
26th Nov 2011 - 19:30 hrs - The
Bardi Symphony Orchestra - Claus Efland - Jenny Saunders (sop) - David
Morris (ten)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn
Claus Efland proved his ability to handle the English sense of humor in
this "Italian Opera Gala", helping the good sized audience to enjoy the evening
with some witty banter. The event was basically a medley of good tunes covering
most of the Italian Opera "hits". Within this remit Claus Efland employed a
wide range of orchestral playing styles and dynamics which kept the orchestra
on their toes.
***********************************************************************
23rd Nov 2011 - 19:30 hrs - Philharmonia Orchestra - Christopher Von
Dohnanyi - Melanie Diener (soprano)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
This was an absolutely exhilerating concert from the first notes of Don
Juan (Dohnanyi making light of this notoriously tricky opening) to the final
bars of Till Eulenspiegal. The world class string sound was audible at all
times (the brass being tight and exciting but always controlled and in balance
with the whole orchestral sound) and the fiddle solo playing of Zsolt-Tihamer
Visontay was lyrical and persuasive.
Dohnanyi allowed all the detail of orchestral colour to be heard. This
in turn enabled the musicians to show the virtuosic quality and precision of
their playing and also emphasised what a master of orchestration Richard
Strauss was.
***********************************************************************
19th Nov 2011 - 19:30 hrs, The Derby Bach Choir - Richard Roddis -
Leigh Woolfe (mezzo sop) - Christopher Maltman (bass)
Derby Cathedral, Derby
Roger Swann = Horn
Husband and wife as soloists (with Christopher Maltman agreeing to sing
the small baritone solo in Durufle's Requiem at the very last minute) were
backed up by the Derby Bach Choir rising to the challenges of the complex
music. It was great to hear Elgar's (rarely performed) "The Music Makers".
The event was marred by a screaming child in the audience durig the
Elgar, a mobile phone going off during the Durufle and the hushed silence at
the end being interrupted by creaking floor boards as someone was walking
around.
***********************************************************************
4th Nov 2011 - 19:30 hrs - Heart of Darkness - Opera East - Conductor
Oliver Gooch
Opera East's first performance at the Linbury Theatre, this chamber
opera by Tarik O'Regan with a libretto by Tom Philipps closely drawn from
Joseph Conrad's novel, featured some excellent singing from all the cast.
Particularly worthy of mention is the voice of Alan Oke playing Marlow (the
captain).
All the girls in the audience appreciated the lithe oiled hulk of
Morten Lassenius Kramp (Mr Kurtz).
The music (tightly played by the orchestra under the baton of Oliver
Gooch) was atmospheric and moved comfortably between a variety of styles (an
enjoyable minimalist section accompanying the arrival of the rivets dance, for
example).
***********************************************************************
29th Oct 2011 - 20:00 hrs - The Flying Dutchman - Conductor Jeffery
Tate - Director Tim Albery
Wagner's fantastic score was presented here with an emphasis on the
desolation of the Dutchman (with much darkness in the scenery reflecting the
despair reached as the opera concludes). Real water lapping at the feet of the
sailors was a simple but excellent touch, as was the use of two large anchor
ropes to indicate the juxtaposition of the two ships (Set designs: Michael
Levine, Lighting: David Finn).
The acting and singing of Anja Kampe (Senta) was an outstanding
component of this memorable evening.
***********************************************************************
Town Hall, Loughborough, Leics
Carousel is a particularly challenging show to tackle. The first
problem is the requirement for east coast american accents (here achieved with
more than reasonable success). A greater difficulty is negotiating the violent
change in narrative style which occurs when Billy Bigelow dies and the action
switches to heaven. Greasepaint had a secret weapon to help bring this coda
off: the irresistably cute (and technically accomplished) dancing of Ria Wicks,
playing the fifteen year old Louise Bigelow.
Rogers & Hammerstein frequently use the songs to move the plot
forward making the projection of the lyrics essential. Billy Bigelow's
soliloquy was a perfect example of this (James Nelson)
***********************************************************************
8th Oct 2011 - 19:30 hrs - Informal Performance of Handel's Saul -
Anselm Kersten - Pauline Rainey (Sop) - Claire Davies (Alto)
The Village Hall, Houghton on the Hill, Leicestershire
Roger Swann = bass (chorus)
Only Houghton Music Club could get away with presenting excerpts from
Handel's Saul without a bass soloist to sing the part of the King himself. This
informal presentation directed by the ever enthusiastic Anselm Kersten was the
culmination of a Houghton Music Club singing day. A hard days work (both
physically and mentally) was enjoyed by all choir members and the quality of
the scratch orchestra was a major asset to the final run through.
Guest soloists Pauline Rainey and Claire Davies added the necessary
finishing touch of class to the evening.
***********************************************************************
Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester University, Leicester
Interesting to see how the latest change to the Coul Quartet line up
(Rose Redgrave, viola, joining in spring 2010) has settled down. The concert
included Shostakovich's 13th Quartet (Op 138). Dedicated to Vadim Borisovsky,
the original viola player of the Beethoven Quartet, the work includes much
exposed writing for the viola, at all times comfortably presented by Rose
Redgrave.
After the morbid intensity of the Shostakovich, the particularly jaunty
dancing performance of Dvorak's E flat quartet (op 51) seemed particularly
welcome.
***********************************************************************
1st Oct 2011 - 19:45 hrs -
The Charnwood Orchestra - Nic Fallowfield -
Neil Aston (clarinet)
Holy Trinity Church, Barrow upon Sour, Leicestershire
The highlight of this concert was most definitely the second half's
performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 2. Conductor Nic Fallowfield shaped
phrases throughout and got some good contrasting sounds from the strings
(positively led by Jon Barwell). One minute they achieve a striking lightness
and delicacy, the next power and rombustiousness; at all times staying entirely
musically appropriate. Brisk tempos kept the performance sparkling. Conducting
without a score (as he did in the Mendelssohn overture too) allowed him to
concentrate on bringing out both the energy and the wit in the music.
A good sized audience were present to enjoy the fruits of the
orchestra's endeavours.
***********************************************************************
The Corn Exchange Theatre, Stamford, Lincs
Roger Swann = horn
An opportunity to play one night of this show (running all week) gave
your reviewer a chance to enjoy Rod Dawkins' (MD) visual encouragement to the
on stage singers. Michael Hammond (Alexis) and Leigh Evans (Aline) both sounded
comfortable in their leading roles. The geography of the pit layout means that
regretably your reviewer was not able to enjoy the visual spectacle of the
Sorcerer's deeds.....
***********************************************************************
28th Sep 2011 - An Inspector Calls
J B Priestley's classic from 1945 was presented in a touring production
based on Stephen Daldry's famours 1992 National Theatre production. With much
of the action happening in the street this did seem to dilute some of the
claustrophobic tension created by the text but there were some clever special
effects to be enjoyed and the plot twists towards the end of the play still
catch the audience unawares.
This play is currently a GCSE set work and it was good to see the
auditorium full of teenagers.
***********************************************************************
24th Sep 2011 - 19:30 hrs - The
Bardi Symphony Orchestra - Claus Efland - Natalie Clein ('cello)
de Montfort Hall, Leicester
Roger Swann = horn
A very tricky programme for the orchestra started with Liszt's Mephisto
Waltz No. 1 (featuring an excellent 'cello solo (Sam Goldsworthy) blending into
an equally exquisite violin solo (leader Erik Chapman)) and ending with
Bartok's challenging show piece: The Concerto for Orchestra. Claus Efland held
this all together with a combination of rhythmic conducting and valued leads
for many tricky orchestral entries. Choosing tempos erring on the speedy side
gave both pieces a distinctly lively feel.
Between these works came the magnificent Natalie Clein playing Haydn's
Op 84 cello concerto. All aspects of her performance are simply awe
inspiring.
***********************************************************************
The Coliseum, London.
An opera with a curious gestation: Based on the novel Pasazerka by
Polish Auschwitz survivor Zofia Posmysz, Mieczyslaw Weinberg's first opera
(libretto: Alexander Mdvedev) was written in 1967 but only received it's first
concert performance on 25th Dec 2006 (in Moscow). The first fully staged
production had to wait until July 2010 (in Bregenz). For this opera to arrive
at ENO (with a translation by David Poutney) represents something of a leap of
faith in a work Shostakovich described as "a perfect masterpiece". The music is
a mixture of many styles with the influence of Shostakovich and Britten
frequently audible as well as the odd jazzy interlude.
The staging ensures that the audience is never in doubt as to what time
in history the narrative is, in spite of the frequent chopping and changing.
The need for the unremitting optimism of the camp inmates comes across really
strongly as does the complex position of the former SS comander.
The three main roles, Liese (Michelle Breedt), Walter (Kim Begley) and
Marta (Giselle Allen) were all sung with notably clear diction (as well as
great power). Not exactly a "fun evening" but a very powerful and moving
experience.
***********************************************************************
14th Sept 2011 - 18:30 hrs - Il Trittico - Conductor Antonio Pappano -
Director Richard Jones
Puccini set out to compose three contrasting short operas for Il
Trittico. He certainly achieved contrast with Suor Angelica proving are rather
dull center piece sandwiched between two much more enjoyable outers: Il Tabarro
having a dark ominous feel throughout and Gianni Schicchi proving witty and
lively.
It was in Gianni Schicchi that the quality acting and singing was to be
enjoyed: Gwynne Howell's acting as Simone was wonderful and the "bride to be /
groom to be" pairing of Ekaterina Siurina and Francesco Demuro were both in
fine form for the love duet moments.
***********************************************************************
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