|
|
|
St Andrew's Hall, Norwich
4 November 2004
Britten Sinfonia
Joanna MacGregor piano
James MacMillan conductor
This was an evening of rhythm par excellence, starting with the introspection
of the Britten Prelude and Fugue where the dozen-and-a-half sighing strings
came straight from waving Suffolk reeds, under graceful conducting from
James MacMillan.
Then to the centrepiece and
with the Sinfonia (guest leader Priya Mitchell) increased by half, MacMillan's
own second piano concerto. Here was rhythm in abundance in the opening
with its delightful cameo 'folksy' sections. With an effervescent soloist
in Joanna MacGregor, this was always a dancing delight. Not spiritual
but exciting as a seemingly conventinal waltz was overtaken by overlapping
strings until the work developed its own percussive character before moving
to a repetitive jig from the violins, answered back by piano.
There was so much going on
it was difficult to assess the whole picture on first hearing and, although
I remain to be convinced of the thunderous climax, suffice it to say it
was a work full of excitement outstandingly executed. After the gentility
of Arvo Pärt's Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten, Bartok's Music
for Strings, Percussion and Celeste had a mysterious quality with inexorable
building of tension in another piece notable for its rhythmic qualities.
Eastern Daily Press
|
|
