Sir Philip Ledger - A Musician’s Legacy – a fitting tribute to a fine musician on a new release from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

During the years 1957 to 1982 the music at Kings College, Cambridge  www.kings.cam.ac.uk was in the hands of two inspirational Directors of Music, Sir David Wilcocks (1957-1974) and Sir Philip Ledger (1974-1982) www.sirphilipledger.com .

Sir Philip Stevens Ledger, CBE (1937-2012) was born in Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, England in 1937 and educated at King's College, Cambridge. His appointment as master of the music at Chelmsford Cathedral in 1961 made him the youngest cathedral organist in the country. In 1965 he took up the directorate of music at the University of East Anglia, where he was also dean of the School of Fine Arts and Music.  In 1968 he became an artistic director of the Aldeburgh Festival and conducted at the Snape Maltings on many occasions, including the opening concert after its rebuilding.

Whilst Sir Philip was director of music at King's College, Cambridge from 1974 to 1982, he directed the Choir of King’s College in the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, made many recordings and took the choir to the United States, Australia, and Japan for the first time. In 1982, Sir Philip took the difficult decision to leave Kings College when offered the post of Principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, which he held from 1982-2001. Sir Philip subsequently appeared as a conductor throughout the United Kingdom, North America, and Asia.

Whilst well known as a choral director, conductor and organist, it is less well known that he was also an accomplished pianist, accompanying Robert Tear on a fine EMI recording of Britten song cycles.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) www.rcs.ac.uk (distributed through Nimbus) www.wyastone.co.uk/sir-philip-ledger-a-musicians-legacy.html have just released a recording of Elgar’s Piano Quintet and Dvorak’s Second Piano Quintet, highlighting Sir Philip Ledger’s skills as a pianist, performed by Sir Philip and the Alberni Quartet live at the Matt Thomson Concert Hall at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2001.

 

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In the Moderato – allegro of the Elgar Piano Quintet, Op.84, Philip Ledger and the Alberni Quartet bring a beautifully wistful opening with a second subject full of Elgar’s other worldliness. These players bring out so much of the hesitancy and uncertainty of mood in this late work and, at times, considerable fire. There is some great ensemble playing in this live recording. What a glorious adagio we get from Ledger and the Albernis, with a lovely ebb and flow, and so much sensitivity and passion. In the Andante – allegro there is some superb playing from Philip Ledger and the Quartet, who bring out more of the drama and feeling than many a much praised ensemble on other recordings. The coda is terrific with Sir Philip providing some magnificent playing as do the Alberni Quartet.

What this recording lacks in ultimate finesse it gains so much in spontaneity. This performance has a special quality to it, full of atmosphere and passion.

Dvorak’s Piano Quintet No.2 in A major, Op.81 gets some really spirited playing in the Allegro, ma non tanto with Philip Ledger showing his excellent keyboard technique.  In the lovely Dumka: Andante con moto there is some beautifully fluid and sensitive playing from Ledger with some earthy Bohemian sounds from the Alberni Quartet. Ledger and the Albernis seem to have great fun in the Scherzo (Furiant): molto vivace, playing for all they’re worth and, in the finely paced Finale: allegro, Sir Philip and the Albernis are completely at one in a fine conclusion to this quintet.

The live recordings are good with very little audience noise. The applause at the end of each work is retained on the recording. This is a wonderful tribute to a remarkably fine musician.

The second volume of Handel’s Suites for Harpsichord from Divine Art Recordings, in performances played superbly by Gilbert Rowland

Some composers suffer the fate of being remembered through only a handful of their works or, indeed, just a single work. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) http://gfhandel.org was lucky in this respect. Although the general public will tend to only remember his Messiah, Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks, the more serious music lover will know of his many other works. Even then some of Handel’s lesser known Oratorios receive limited attention, a shortcoming of my own that I am trying to rectify by getting to hear more of them.

In the second volume of Gilbert Rowland’s survey of Handel’s Suites for Harpsichord, www.divine-art.com/AS/gilbertrowland.htm this fine harpsichordist makes the point about these works being overshadowed by Handel’s operas, oratorios and orchestral music.

If this new release from Divine Art Recordings www.divine-art.co.uk is anything to go by then he will certainly convert any sceptics as to the enormous quality of these suites. On this new 2CD set, Rowland plays the Suites in G minor, HWV 432, D minor HWV 437, F major HWV 427, F sharp minor HWV 431, B flat major HWV 434, G major HWV 450, C minor HWV 444, F minor HWV 433 and D minor HWV 436, as well as Handel’s Chaconne in G major HWV 435.

 

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There is a terrific opening overture to the Suite in G minor, HWV 432, the seventh of the Eight Great Suites published in 1720, where Gilbert Rowland gives a wonderful feeling of breadth and grandeur. The Andante has some lovely two part writing, so brilliantly played with such clarity and the Allegro is beautifully done.  There is a sultry sarabande, full of lovely decorative touches and a gigue with lovely rhythms. The concluding impressive passacaille makes a tremendous conclusion with Rowland providing lovely sounds as this movement progresses. His playing in this complex coda is superb.

The prelude of Handel’s Suite in D minor HWV 437 is Bach like in character. Rowland somehow manages to give such a wide ranging sound, full of lovely textures and colours, as he does in the succeeding Allamande. There is a lovely flowing courante and, in the Sarabande con variazioni we find one of Handel’s most famous tunes, expertly played. After a lively dancing Gigue the suite ends with a Sonata (or Gigue II) that bounces ahead with great rhythmic panache as well as some lovely subtleties provided by Gilbert Rowland.

The shorter Suite in F major HWV 427 opens with a sensitively played Adagio with some lovely decorations. The Allegro is full of life and sparkle and after the gentle little adagio there is a complex four part fugue (Allegro), admired by Mozart and played superbly by Rowland.

Handel’s Suite in F sharp minor HWV 431 is another of the Eight Great Suites from 1720, the sixth. After a somewhat serious prelude, the Largo continues in a similar vein with some fine playing from Rowland. The Allegro, a three part fugue, surely contains one of Handel’s finest tunes whereas the terrific Gigue borrows from the duet Happy we from Acis and Galatea.

The Suite in B flat major HWV 434 was published by Walsh in 1733 and commences with a Prelude that has a florid opening, full of freedom and breath, with  Gilbert Rowland providing some lovely arpeggios. The Sonata is full of energy and fun and the concluding Aria con variazione was used by Bach in his Handel Variations and Fugue. This is a fine end to the first CD of this set with some fabulous playing.

The second CD of the set opens with Handel’s Suite G major HWV 450 and a somewhat more straightforward yet brilliant Praeludio. After a lovely allemande Gilbert Rowland brings out many hidden details in the Courante and is wonderful in the lovely Sarabande, a super piece. There is a lively little gigue with spot on phrasing and, finally, a simple menuet to conclude, with Rowland bringing many fine touches.

The Suite in C minor HWV 444 is thought to have been written before Handel left Germany. The terrific little prelude is full of harmonic shifts and the following Allemande is full of wonderful touches superbly caught by Rowland. The Courante pushes forward with much drive and the Gavotte has some lovely rhythms.  In the short Menuet Rowland brings out so many lovely things in this simple ending.

The Suite in F minor HWV 433 is the last of the Eight Great Suites and opens with a lovely Prelude: Adagio before an Allegro, another great fugue, strikingly played by Rowland and full of invention. Gilbert Rowland is impressive in the two part Allamande that breaks into three part writing, so natural in Rowland’s hands. This leads naturally into the Courante before a fine Gigue to end.

The final suite on this disc is the Suite in D minor HWV 436 from the 1733 collection with a beautifully flowing allemande followed by an allegro that really pushes forward, full of fine playing. The Air: Lentement again allows Rowland to reveal so many lovely touches. In the wonderful Gigue: Presto there is so much energy and invention that one believes that the work will end, yet it is a Menuetto and three Variations that concludes the work with some fine Handel.

Handel’s wonderful Chaconne in G major HWV 435 would make a great end to this disc even if there were no reason for including it. As it is, the Chaconne was published by Walsh in the 1733 collection of Suites, thereby making this an obvious way to conclude this fine collection of performances. So full of wonderful invention, this is one of Handel’s finest keyboard works and played to perfection here by Gilbert Rowland. As it builds in complexity Rowland gives us some great playing.

It is impossible to praise this new release too highly. The harpsichord, a copy of a two manual French harpsichord after Goermans (Paris 1750), built by Andrew Wooderson in 2005, is a lovely instrument.  The combination of Handel, Gilbert Rowland, Wooderson’s fine harpsichord, the recording venue at Holy Trinity Church, Weston, Hertfordshire and the recording engineer John Taylor is unbeatable providing, as it does, a collection of these wonderful suites that I will return to again and again.

A new release from Naïve of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto from Sarah Nemtanu recorded live at an Amnesty International concert in 2012

Of all violin concertos Tchaikovsky’s must be one of the most popular and most recorded. Begun in 1878, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op.35 was at first intended for the violinist, Josif Kotek, (1855-1885) who had given advice and played the work through with Tchaikovsky.  However, Kotek withdrew from giving the first performance and the work was dedicated to the distinguished Russian violinist, Leopold Auer. However, Auer did not find the work appealing and, combined with its technical difficulties, declined to play it.

The concerto was published but, for two years, there was no violinist willing to attempt a performance. It was the Russian violinist, Adolph Brodsky (1851-1929) that eventually played it in Vienna. Even then he wrote to Tchaikovsky about the tremendous difficulties of playing the work. There was something of an uproar at the first performance. The notorious critic, Eduard Hanslick (1825-1904) was extremely critical of the work, making the comment that the work proved that music could actually give off a bad smell. Tchaikovsky, understandably, never forgave him. Hanslick was not alone in his criticism as all the other leading Viennese critics were of a similar mind.

Eventually Auer changed his mind about the concerto, just as Nikolai Rubinstein had with Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, and became one of its most fervent advocates. It is now difficult to see how this concerto could have caused so much adverse critical reaction. Certainly the technical difficulties no longer prevent violinists from tackling the work.

Sarah Nemtanu www.facebook.com/sarahnem  www.naive.fr/en/artist/sarah-nemtanu , joint leader and violin soloist of the Orchestre National de France, performed Tchaikovsky’s concerto at a live Amnesty International www.amnesty.org.uk concert at the Théâtre du Châtelet in April 2012 with Kurt Masur conducting the Orchestre National de France . This concert was recorded and has now been issued by Naïve www.naive.fr .

The concerto is coupled with Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence, Op.70, another live recording, with Sarah Nemtanu joined by principals from the Orchestre National de France and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Luc Héry (violin), Sabine Toutain and Christophe Gaugé (violas) and Raphaël Perraud and Jean-Luc Bourré (cellos). This live performance took place at Maison de Radio France Studio 106, Paris in September 2012.

http://sites.radiofrance.fr/chaines/formations/national/accueil/ http://sites.radiofrance.fr/chaines/formations/philharmonique/accueil/index.php

 

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From the opening of the allegro moderato the Orchestre National de France has a lovely smooth, sweet sound under Masur. As Sarah Nemtanu enters she shows immediately her lovely tone and that of her 1784 Guadagnini violin. She has a fine vibrato that adds the necessary amount of emotion and grit to the sound. In the cadenza she plays brilliantly, not rushed and with some lovely sounds from her violin. The merging of the violin with the orchestra at the end of the cadenza is beautifully done. This is very much an allegro moderato as the pace is often quite steady but allows Tchaikovsky’s beautiful concerto to unfold, with his lovely orchestration showing through. In the Canzonetta: andante, Nemtanu gives a beautifully sweet toned performance with some lovely interplay between violin and orchestral woodwind. Masur and Nemtanu seem very much at one. When the allegro finale leaps upon you, both Nemtanu and Masur bring terrific spirit to the music with some fleet orchestral playing and vivacious violin sound. This live performance has spot on ensemble with some beautiful melancholic passages in the quieter moments. There is so much characterful playing from Nemtanu and as she enters the final pages of this work her playing is truly virtuosic, giving a truly rousing coda.

This is such a musical performance with no unnecessary pyrotechnics. It is a pity that the recording was not set closer in order to reduce ambient noise.

The recording has no such problems in Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence that receives some lovely taut playing from this ensemble in the opening Allegro con spritio, with some passionate playing and a terrific coda. There are some lovely sonorities as the Adagio cantabile e con moto opens. This is a warm and joyful movement given a terrific performance. The allegro moderato again shows what rich sonorities this team can give, alert to so many nuances that help to bring this music alive. There is a lovely allegro vivace, with some terrific interplay between instruments, particularly as it leads into the bravura coda.

I don’t know how often these players have performed as a sextet or, indeed as any type of small ensemble. Some obviously play together in the two orchestras, but as a sextet their feel for each other’s playing is superb.

There must be reservations in any recommendation of the concerto given the nature of the sound in the live recording. However, in the absence of a studio recording from Sarah Nemtanu, this is a good way to hear this fine artist in this work. You also get an excellent live performance of the Souvenir de Florence as well as the knowledge that €1 will be donated to Amnesty International www.amnesty.org.uk from the proceeds of every CD purchased.

Sir Colin Davis has died at the age of 85

The sad news has been announced that the great British conductor Sir Colin Davis has died at the age of 85.

Sir Colin studied as a clarinettist but carried on to work as a freelance conductor before appointments with the BBC Scottish Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. From 1995 to 2006 he was principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. As well as guest conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Dresden Staatskapelle, he also held the musical directorships of Sadler's Wells Opera and the Royal Opera House, where he was principal conductor for over fifteen years.

His repertoire ranged from Mozart and Beethoven through Berlioz, Elgar and Sibelius to Michael Tippett. Sir Colin made many fine recordings for Philips and, in recent years, many fine recordings on the LSO’s own label LSO Live, including an acclaimed series of Berlioz recordings. http://lso.co.uk/ 

Messiaen and Saariaho are brought together in first rate performances from Gloria Cheng and the Calder Quartet on a new release from Harmonia Mundi

Two unique composers of the 20^th and 21^st century,  Olivier Messiaen and Kaija Saariaho, have been brought together on a new release from Harmonia Mundi www.harmoniamundi.com featuring Gloria Cheng (piano)  www.gloriachengpiano.com and the Calder Quartet http://calderquartet.com .

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Born in Avignon, France, Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was one of the most important composers of the 20^th century. www.oliviermessiaen.org/messiaen2index.htm  He entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of eleven and was taught by Paul Dukas, Maurice Emmanuel, Charles-Marie Widor and Marcel Dupré. He was appointed organist at the Église de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris in 1931, a post held until his death. He taught at the Schola Cantorum de Paris during the 1930s.

On the fall of France in 1940, Messiaen was made a prisoner of war, during which time he composed his Quatuor pour la fin du temps (Quartet for the end of time) written for the only instruments available to him - a piano, violin, cello and clarinet. It was first performed by Messiaen and fellow prisoners for an audience of inmates and prison guards. After his release, in 1941, he was appointed professor of harmony and, in 1966, professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire, positions he held until his retirement in 1978. His many distinguished pupils included Pierre Boulez and Yvonne Loriod, who became his second wife. He died in Clichy-la-Garenne, Paris, France.

Right from his first published work, the Preludes for Piano (1929) Messiaen was using his own modal system, modes of limited transposition. These modes are not plainchant or folk-music but artificial modes based on the equal temperament chromatic scale http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modes_of_limited_transposition. His music was also influenced by his strong Catholic faith, birdsong and Hindu rhythms. His compositions include his opera Saint-François d'Assise (St Francis of Assisi) (1975–1983), choral works, songs cycles, orchestral works including his Turangalîla-Symphonie (1946–48), chamber works, a large number of organ works and piano works including the seven book Catalogue d'oiseaux (1956–58).

The Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho (b.1952) www.saariaho.org studied composition in Helsinki, Freiburg and Paris, where she has lived since 1982. She has undertaken studies and research at IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique) www.ircam.fr which have had a major influence on her music and her characteristically luxuriant and mysterious textures are often created by combining live music and electronics. Her works to date include the operas L’amour de loin (2000) Adriana Mater (2005), Émilie (2010), a number of works for orchestra and electronics, a cello concerto Notes on Light (2007), chamber works and piano works.

This enterprising new disc combines works for piano, string quartet and piano, viola and cello.

Messiaen uses modes of limited transposition to form the basis of melody and harmony in a number of his Preludes (1929). In the opening prelude, La Colombe, Gloria Cheng manages to beautifully bridge the stylistic link between Debussy and Messiaen in this early work by the 21 year old composer. Her finely judged rests allow the music to hang in the air and there is superb use of upper register of keyboard. Colour is so important in Messiaen’s music and no less so in Chant d’extase where Cheng draws such varied and subtle colours from the music. One moment there is that beautifully limpid piano sound that is so distinctive of the mature composer then Debussy appears in the broader chords. And what a beautifully judged coda this pianist gives us.

Le nombre léger is one of Messiaen’s dazzling evocations of light, perfectly caught  by Cheng whilst in Instants défunts Messiaen’s later developments  are anticipated. This elusive piece, so difficult to hold together and bring off, receives a perfectly structured performance, holding the listener in suspense at each little pause. Again the subtle textures and colours are superb.

Les sons impalpables du rêre is full of dischords and is quixotic in its sudden changes. Again Cheng has a lovely upper register with beautiful bell like passages. Cloches d’angoisse et larmes d’adieu also looks forward to Messiaen’s later style with a tolling bell opening the prelude, a haunting piece where, at times, Cheng brings such breadth and colour that there is an orchestral feel to the playing.

Plainte calme retains the feeling of sadness though on a lighter level. Cheng hovers sensitively between sadness and light, drawing so much from the music before it fades away. In the final prelude, Un reflect dans la vent, there is some scintillating playing from Cheng to end this set of preludes. She has a lovely touch, rippling notes, varied tempi ebbing and flowing, in this most Debussian of pieces.

Messiaen’s  Pièce pour piano et quatuor à cordes  (1991) dates right from the end of his life, completed just before his last major work the aptly named Éclairs sur l'au-delà (Illuminations on the beyond) (1988–92). Strident chords from the string quartet seem to struggle with the mellower piano phrases. Soon the piano joins the quartet in a dialogue of rapid phrases. There is a mellower section for solo piano before the quartet enters alone in a strident rhythmic motif. The piano seems to try to calm the music but the quartet has the last word. There is fine playing from both Gloria Cheng and the Calder Quartet.

Saariaho’s Prelude (2006) receives its premiere recording here in a brilliant performance from Cheng. It opens with an upward flourish before a flowing theme which is repeated before both themes weave together, creating a complex tapestry of sound. The music tries to burst out and does indeed eventually reach a climax but soon calms and becomes gentle and quiet. With a sudden upward and downward scale, the music then just fades. There is so much going on in this wonderful, complex piece that it makes the perfect complement to the Messiaen.

Another premier recording on this disc is Saariaho’s Ballade (2005). Quiet trills played on the upper register of the piano are set against a rising motif on the middle register of the piano. Eventually both combine in a somewhat Debussian melody, very impressionistic. A two note motif contrasts with downward scales as the music becomes more dramatic, building to bold scales against repeated notes. The music slowly quietens against the same two note motif with trills in the upper register.

These are two fine piano works brilliantly played by Gloria Cheng.

Saariaho’s - Je sans un deuxieme Coeur for piano, viola and cello (2003) draws on some of the thematic material from the orchestral score of the first act of her opera Adriana Mater that had been written by that time. It touches on the dreadful subject of rape yet concludes with the woman lovingly carrying a child – ‘I feel a second heart beating next to mine.’

Je dévoil ma peau (I unveil my skin) opens with a piano chord before the strings enter, mournful and agonised. This is repeated before the quartet continues in agonised phrases with downward slides on the strings, whilst the piano adds occasional single notes. The piano chords become more decisive and the strings grow louder and increasingly agitated. There are some amazing textures and timbres from the strings before the music ends by just fading out.

Ouvre-moi, vite (Open up to me, fast) is a fast, slightly manic, intense movement with repeated sounds for piano and strings. The cello hurtles upward in cries of fear and the movement ends suddenly with string and piano chords. Nightmarish sounds from the strings over a rumbling piano motif open Dans la Rêve, elle l’attendait (In her dream, she was waiting). Again the strings give strange sounds with harmonics and slides whilst the piano ruminates in the lower register most of the time. As the strings play strange arpeggios, the piano continues to rumble underneath until the music quietens and fades.

There are rapid piano arpeggios before the strings enter in a fast, nervous, frightening, It faut que j’entre (I must come in) There are cries from the strings then sudden chords from the piano and strings before the rapid theme carries on. A descending theme leads to an almost jazz like piano passage against the violent strings that end the movement.

In the poignant Je sens un deuxieme Coeur (I feel a second heart beating next to mine) there are strained phrases on strings against a limpid piano motif before, slowly, the strings and piano try to come together, the two sounding like cogs that don’t quite mesh as they grind together. The music grows louder until it settles in a kind of tense lullaby, still suffering but with a hidden comfort. As the music slowly quietens and fades there is a kind of resolution.

The performances of these wonderful works, from Gloria Cheng and the Calder Quartet, are first class. The recording made is excellent and there are informative booklet notes. 

Some spectacular performances of 20th Century English Recorder Music from Jill Kemp on the Music and Media label

In my review of Piers Adams’ recording Shine and Shade I spoke of the revival of interest in the recorder during the 20th Century. http://theclassicalreviewer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/brilliant-virtuosity-from-piers-adams.html

Now comes a new release of 20^th century English Recorder Works from Music and Media www.musicandmediaconsulting.com featuring a top line up of artists.   Recorder player Jill Kemp www.jillkemp.com not only studied under Piers Adams but has performed with Adams’ ensemble Red Priest, standing in for Adams at short notice resulting in her being hailed in the press as ‘one of the top recorder players in the world’ something that is shown clearly on this new disc.

Aleksander Szram (piano) www.aleksanderszram.com  was winner of the 2004 Vlado Perlemuter Award and has played in more than twenty-five countries over four continents. The Brodowski Quartet www.brodowskiquartet.com were first Prize Winners of the 2008 Royal Overseas League Competition with The Independent newspaper declaring that ‘the brilliant Brodowski are a group to watch out for.’

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Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989) www.lennoxberkeley.org.uk wrote his delightful little  Sonatina for treble recorder and piano in 1939. The opening moderato shows Jill Kemp’s beautiful tone and articulation in this lovely movement full of little decorative passages for the recorder. The lovely adagio, full of pathos, receives a lovely performance in the long held phrases.  The brilliant allegro moderato fairly jogs along, full of good humour.

Malcolm Arnold’s (1921-2006) www.malcolmarnold.co.uk Sonatina for Recorder and Piano Op.41 was written in 1953. In the Cantilena Jill Kemp and Aleksander Szram (piano) handle Arnold’s surprisingly dissonant opening and the slightly unstable melody that follows, beautifully. The plodding, slightly hesitant chaconne receives some great playing, as does the delightful rondo, full of rapid passages and tempi changes.

Gordon Jacob’s (1895-1984) www.gordonjacob.org Suite for Recorder and String quartet dates from 1958 and has a thoroughly English sound. This comes in the opening Prelude with the Brodowski Quartet not just giving Jill Kemp’s exquisite recorder sounds fine support, but making an equal contribution.  The lively English Dances receive some terrific playing from Kemp together with the Brodowski’s incisive playing. The Brodowskis underlay the poignant recorder theme of the lament with a lovely string sound, a timeless lament with the quartet occasionally coming to the fore with some lovely playing. This is a beautifully played movement.

We appear to move abroad for the riotous burlesca alla Rumba, which has some lovely slides for the recorder and some incredibly fluid passages from Kemp and a terrific contribution from the quartet. These artists work so well together.  A very English Pavane, showing just how good a composer Gordon Jacob could be, is given such a sensitive beautifully nuanced performance. In the Introduction and Cadenza, after the lovely introduction, the cadenza receives some tremendously virtuosic playing, before returning to the more reflective tone of the opening. In the tarantella, Kemp shows recorder playing of exceptional articulation and brilliance in this terrific little movement, ably supported by the Brodowskis.

This is a fine work, given a wonderful performance by all.

Malcolm Arnold’s leisurely Solitaire for Recorder and Piano is a light and attractive little piece given a lovely performance by Jill Kemp and Aleksander Szram.

York Bowen (1884–1961) www.yorkbowen.co.uk  wrote his Sonata for treble recorder and piano, Op.121 in 1946. The rhapsodic moderato e semplice gets a beautifully judged performance by Kemp and Szram, with lovely dynamics. The Andante tranquillo has a beautifully limpid opening and the Allegro giocoso receives a spectacular performance of this delightful piece.

Edmund Rubbra’s (1901-1986) Meditazione Sopra Coeurs Désolés for recorder and piano, Op.67 was written in 1949 and is a set of variations on a 15th Century theme. As the piano strums and the recorder plays a plaintive melody, there is a somewhat Iberian feel to the piece, played to perfection by both.

With Malcolm Arnold’s Fantasy for Recorder and String Quartet, Op 140 (1991) the Brodowskis return to join Jill Kemp in Arnold’s unusual work written for Michala Petri and exploiting her ability to vocalise whilst playing the recorder. www.michalapetri.com

In the Andante e mesto there are lovely sonorities from the Brodowskis as the piece opens and some remarkably fine recorder playing.  The delightful allegro is terrifically done with some lovely sliding phrases for the recorder. Again how wonderfully these players combine.  The Lento e mesto brings strange harmonies from the recorder in this transfixing movement, full of strange and lovely sounds from all concerned.  A rather haunting little allegretto only adds to the strangeness of this fantasy whilst the light and breezy vivace produces some unusual wistful sounds as Jill Kemp masterfully manages to vocalise as she plays.  

Jill Kemp truly is one of the best recorder players in the world. With an excellent recording and informative notes this new release from one of our most accomplished recorder players is very much recommended.

Attractive Chamber and Instrumental works by David Braid on a recording from Toccata Classics

The composer David Braid (b.1970) http://davidbraid.net was born in Wrexham and studied at the Royal College of Music from 1990-94. He studied guitar with Charles Ramirez and composition with Edwin Roxburgh as well as attending the composition classes of George Benjamin.

It was during his time at the college that he met many of the performers with whom he still works, notably Russian pianist Sergei Podobedov www.sergeipodobedov.com , violinist Yuri Kalnits www.yurikalnits.com/home.html  and pianists Rossitza Stoycheva www.londonmarketsystems.com/RossitzaStoycheva  and Mikako Hori. David Braid spent a year at the Cracow Academy of Music studying composition with the late Marek Stachowski http://marekstachowski.pl and a second year of private study with Zbigneiw Bujarksi. During his two years in Cracow he wrote a Violin Concerto and a work for chamber orchestra, Cause and Reaction (both since withdrawn for revision). David later undertook further composition study, with Robert Saxton www.ricordi.de/saxton-robert.0.html?&L=1 at Oxford University.

His work has been performed not only in the UK but in the USA, Germany, Poland, Russia, Denmark, Sweden and South America. Recently, the string orchestra version of his setting of Pablo Neruda’s poem Mañana, ‘Morning’ was premiered in Moscow. The original version, for soprano and string quartet received its UK premiere at the Wigmore Hall sung by Grace Davidson. ‘Morning’ was also broadcast on Australian radio in 2011. As well as concert music, David Braid has written a number of film scores.

He has received numerous awards and scholarships including The John Longmire Prize for Composition, Royal College of Music; The Jack Morrison Prize for Guitar, RCM; The Composition Prize for Youth Orchestra, Murcia, Spain; The Fine Arts Sinfonia Composition Prize (London); The Waterson Scholarship, University of Oxford; the Oppenheim/Downes Memorial Scholarship; The University Graduate Scholarship, University of Oxford and SPNM Short-listed composer 2001, among others. Composers that have influenced his work are Sibelius, Lutoslawski, Brian Ferneyhough and Per Norgard.

A recording by Toccata Classics features chamber music and instrumental music by David Braid performed by some of those musicians that he first met at the RCM.

 



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Morning for soprano and string quartet Op.3 was written in 2006 and is a setting of the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda’s (1904-1973) ‘Mañana’. It was given its first performance by Grace Davidson www.gracedavidsonsoprano.com . As the sound of the shimmering strings slowly enter, Braid immediately conjures up a distinctive sound world, yet when the soprano enters and totally blends with the strings, the atmosphere becomes even more striking with her vibrato less voice. And what a fine voice Grace Davidson has. This setting, based on a falling two note motif, is spellbindingly beautiful and is varied by the quartet’s differing textures and rhythms, the cello in particular giving a rhythmic pulse. Between verses three and four there is an interlude for quartet, a lovely atmospheric dreamscape. The long drawn vocal phrases set the music very well.

David Braid’s Three Pieces for solo piano Op.8, written in 2008 for pianist Sergei Podobedov, who performs them here, opens with a Lyrical Toccata, with a single note in one hand set against a faster motif in the other. Making use of a simple system of ratios, the faster theme increases in the number of notes played against the single note until returning to a single note itself, creating a remarkably intricate piece. Aria is a halting little piece, songful yet reserved and Three Part Invention is a simple yet affecting piece with the three parts used to create some attractive musical lines.

Written in 2010 for the performers on this recording, Yuri Kalnits and Sergei Podobedov, Invention for Violin and Piano Op.11 opens with a rising phrase for piano before the violin enters. As the violin develops the material there are Messiaen like intervals and phrases with the instruments sharing and alternating the themes. The two performers are excellent but unfortunately the poor acoustic gives the violin something of an edge. Nevertheless this is a thoroughly enjoyable work.

Composed in 2011 for the Erato Piano Trio www.eratopianotrio.com  and clarinettist Peter Cigleris www.petercigleris.com , Sonata for Quartet Op.13 opens quietly on the strings with lovely shimmering sounds, the clarinet playing quietly in the background with the piano picking out the tune. Soon the piano develops more flow, with the strings then joined by the clarinet. Braid uses the instruments nicely by sharing out the musical argument amongst them so that they enter and leave providing a seamless flow as they overlap. As the work progresses the textures become richer and more layered, in this cleverly constructed music. There is a beautiful passage for clarinet and piano, a passage for solo violin, then piano slowly combining with the clarinet. Towards the end there is an extended solo piano passage before the clarinet and strings enter, playing a little theme that speeds up before being suddenly cut off.

Infinite Reminiscence for Two Pianos Op.4 was written in 2009 for the piano duo of Rossitza Stoycheva and Mikako Hori www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZJGXnc2MVw  who perform the work in this recording. A lightly picked out theme for one piano is slowly joined by the second piano providing a sonorous bass layer. This is an extremely attractive little piece, full of atmosphere and so delicately written for the two pianists. The two pianists come together as the music progresses, the music becoming clearer and less diffuse before ending quietly.

David Braid drew on an idea from a book called A perfect Vacuum, which consisted of reviews of non-existent books, to write Music for dancers for Piano Trio Op.9 a work for non-existent dancers. The work was written for the Erato Piano Trio in 2009, and it is they who perform it here. The violin opens the work before being joined by the cello, then piano, in this rather more astringent and tonally free section. Soon the music becomes more harmonious but the solo piano soon returns to the opening sound. The strings join as the music increases in tempo and emotion. Eventually the music slows until there is just the piano. The strings again slowly enter in a slightly wistful theme. The violin eventually takes the lead over pizzicato cello and piano to quietly end this lovely work, full of unusual charm and invention.

The short Postlude for solo piano Op.10 was written for the performer here, Jelena Laković http://nlcolourstrings.co.uk/jelena_lakovic.html  in 2010. Although recorded in the same venue as the Invention for Violin and Piano, the acoustic seems to suit the piano far better. Postlude opens with a three note motif that slowly becomes more focused as it progresses. The theme is slowly worked out in varying ways, the opening notes returning before a further working out of the theme in ways that become quite decorative and distanced from the original theme. This is an attractive work, sounding somewhat like an improvisation.

I am really glad to have heard these attractive works and hope to hear more from this fascinating composer. The performers are first rate and the recordings, made at a number of locations, are generally excellent. There are first rate booklet notes from the composer.