The ensemble has enjoyed collaborative projects with artists
such as Nicholas Daniel http://nicholasdaniel.co.uk , Pekka Kussisto www.harrisonparrott.com/artist/profile/pekka-kuusisto and Jörg Widmann www.schott-music.co.uk/shop/persons/featured/joerg-widmann/index.html and its repertoire has evolved with a
strong focus on both the piano quartet and string trio. They have toured extensively
in Australasia and Japan and they made their Wigmore Hall début in December
2008. In 2009, Cappa Ensemble studied with the Artemis Quartet www.artemisquartet.com at the Queen
Elizabeth School of Music, Belgium and hold a Fellowship at the Guildhall
School of Music & Drama. They have also performed in masterclass with
renowned musicians Gabor Takacs-Nagy http://gabortakacsnagy.com
, Ralf Gothoni www.gothoni.com and Alfred Brendel www.alfredbrendel.com . The ensemble
takes its name from the famous 17th century Italian violin-maker Gioffredo
Cappa.
The members of the Cappa Ensemble are Michael McHale (piano)
www.michaelmchale.com , Bartosz
Woroch (violin) www.bartoszworoch.com
, Adam Newman (viola) and Brian O’Kane (cello)http://briancellokane.com/aboutus.php
.
Their first release
on the Nimbus Alliance label www.wyastone.co.uk features four works for piano quartet from
British composers.
 |
| NI 6230 |
This new release
makes an excellent concert in itself having, as it does, works ranging from
Frank Bridge (1879-1941) www.cph.rcm.ac.uk/CPHBridge , through Arnold Bax (1883-1953) http://arnoldbax.com and William Walton (1902-1983) www.waltontrust.org to
Ian Wilson (b.1964) www.ianwilson.org.uk.
Bridge’s Phantasie
Piano Quartet in F♯ minor, H.94 was written in 1910 and comes at the end of what is considered to be his first period,
showing early Bridge at his finest. It opens with a very typical Frank Bridge
swirl from piano and strings, before a beautiful section for solo piano. The strings
re-enter in a lovely melodic passage finely played by the Cappa Ensemble before
a lively section with nicely sprung rhythms and some particularly fine playing
from Michael McHale. The Cappas show superb ensemble and, in some of the sections
that follow, some entrancingly lovely string sounds. In the emotionally intense
section, towards the end, the Cappas are terrific and what a lovely coda,
perfectly played, gently and quietly tailing away.
Bax wrote his
dark Piano Quartet, in one movement in
1922 and dedicated it to Bessie Rawlins, the violinist who had given the first
performance of his Second Violin Sonata. The Piano Quartet received its première
on February 9, 1923, performed by the Meredyll Quartet in the Aeolian Hall,
London.
Bax’s Piano Quartet is particularly interesting in that it
was written around the time that he was working on his tempestuous First
Symphony, a work developed from a Piano Sonata in E flat. It opens in a
troubled manner before changing to a more wistful theme. Mysterious harmonies
appear before the strings try to resurrect the main melody. The Cappa Ensemble
really seems to have the measure of this strange, troubled work with some
really fine playing. This work certainly anticipates the first symphony with
its feeling of conflict and mysticism. As the work progresses the Cappas build
up a tremendous tension, full of superb playing, before the music suddenly
relaxes.
Ian Wilson’s Noct for
Piano Quartet was written in 2011 following a commission from Music Network
and was first performed in October 2011 in Sligo, Ireland. As its title
suggests, Noct is a nocturne inspired by the constellations and the idea of
gathering darkness. Whilst we enter a different world with this work it does
have some of the strange harmonies and sounds of Bridge and Bax. The structure
alternates sections titled Constellation
with sections titled Encroachment, Crepusculum and Veiled nebula.
As the work opens, the piano and strings mull over a motif
before a rhythmic theme enters. The Cappa Ensemble brings much sensitivity to
the delicate passages as the music becomes quieter and sparer. There is some
superb playing from this ensemble in the quiet magical moments that ensue. The
final section constellation (-less) 4
brings a gentle melodic end.
Walton’s Piano
Quartet in D minor is an early work dating
from 1918/19. One does not very much associate Walton with chamber music yet he
wrote two string quartets, No.1 from 1919–1922 and No.2 in A minor from
1944–1947; a Toccata in A minor for violin and piano (1922–1923); 2 Pieces for
violin and piano (1948–1950); Sonata for violin and piano (1949) and a Duettino
for oboe and violin (1982) as well as a number of works for solo instruments.
The Allegramente of the Piano Quartet has a quite wistful
opening before the music speeds up. There is much emotional pull in this
movement to which the Cappa Ensemble respond so well, following all the twists
and turns of this attractive music. The Allegro
scherzando brings a hint of the mature Walton with some fine ensemble and
superb detail from the Cappas. There are some broader passages before the
spikier music of the main theme re-appears. Towards the coda the two themes combine.
The beautiful Andante tranquillo
opens quietly and gently with a lovely piano part over the strings. There is
some lovely playing from the strings with pizzicato and harmonics. Eventually the
music tries to become more volatile but fades. Again the music gently rises but
there is a hushed ending. The Allegro
molto comes as something of a shock after the gentle andante with a strident,
rhythmic theme for both piano and strings. This soon falls to a gentler section
but the natural forward thrust re-appears with the main theme again showing hints
of Walton’s mature style. This is rather a special performance of the Walton,
beautifully played.
This is a terrific collection of British works for piano
quartet brilliantly played by the Cappa Ensemble who have been given one of
those fine recordings that is so completely self-effacing, one finds oneself
not even thinking about it, so natural and detailed is it. There are excellent
booklet notes.
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