2009
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23rd January – An Evening at
Sanssouci
An Evening at Sanssouci was the title of the event held at
Rachel Brown, a regular performer at TBS events, is also one of the best
flute players of her generation. Having researched the works of Quantz and
visited the German archives, she was able to inform the audience that they were
about to hear pieces that had almost certainly not been performed since
Frederick the Great himself played them privately at his summer palace in the
18th century.
Accompanied by Terence Charlston on the harpsichord and Mark Caudle on
the cello, the audience was captivated and entranced by the elaborate music and
virtuoso performance of the three musicians. There were three flute sonatas
plus the 1st movement of the Sonata in G
Minor for Flauto d’amore. The performance in Farnham of these pieces
precedes their imminent recording for a CD that will be released later this
year.
Interspersed between the flute pieces were two Bach Preludes and Fugues
from the second series of Pieces for the
Well-tempered Clavier by J.S. Bach. Terence Charlston is an acclaimed
harpsichord player whose skill and virtuosity was brilliantly on display in
these pieces.
This was an evening of flawless and superb performance of 18th century
music, most of it lost to the world until 23 January 2009 at
Ian Sargeant
24 January, 2009
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27th
February – Revolutionary Drawing Room
If one string quartet provides a feast of music then two must produce a
banquet. For the Tilford Bach
Society’s February concert in the Great Hall of Farnham Castle the
Revolutionary Drawing Room Quartet, which specialises in late 18th and early
19th century music, was augmented to eight musicians for much of the programme.
After a bright sunny day, Haydn’s Quartet Op.71 no.1 expressed the
composer’s joie de vivre and seemed to confirm that spring was truly on
the way. Its playful opening and breathless final vivace were brilliantly
executed and demonstrated the virtuosity of Adrian Butterfield, the
ensemble’s leader.
Then came a rare opportunity to enjoy Louis Spohr’s Double Quartet
no.1. A contemporary of Beethoven,
Spohr was at one time considered by some musicians to be the greater composer. The double quartet was his invention and
gave great scope for varieties of colour and texture. After a striking unison opening phrases
were tossed around among the various instruments. The Larghetto confirmed that we were now
in the Romantic period, with its plaintive melody developing into passion, and
the finale comprised an energetic, animated conversation between the two
quartets.
‘What’s the difference between a double quartet and an
octet?’ many people asked during the interval. The answer became clear when the
musicians re-entered to a different formation, more like a small orchestra, for
Mendelssohn’s Octet Op.20.
Incredibly, this complex and beautiful work was written when the
composer was only sixteen. A truly
Romantic piece, it is full of strong dynamic contrasts, from its dramatic
opening with a playful pizzicato interlude to the heartrending minor melodies
of the Andante. The well-known
Scherzo theme rippled lightly from one end of the ensemble to the other, and
the final Presto, with its breakneck fugal opening, was performed with huge
energy.
Rosemary Wisbey
28 February, 2009
It is exactly two years since the London Trio performed for the Tilford
Bach Society and it seemed that many members recalled their last visit because
the audience was large. The group comprises Richard Smith (violin), Lucy
Shimidzu (piano) and Penelope Sapiro (cello).
This musical trio is adept at selecting and playing a mixture of light
and classical music that has wide appeal. Three excellent professional
musicians, playing some pieces that are well known, such as the Blue Danube and Monti Czardas, as well as some Bach, Mozart and Haydn, are a good
formula for creating an audience that goes home uplifted and humming tunes.
An enjoyable piece that was also in the programme was the Set 1 Miniatures by English composer
The performance of Haydn’s Trio
in C, Hob XV No. 27 produced very impressive virtuoso piano playing by Lucy
Shimidzu, whose playing throughout this concert was exceptional and drew much
attention from the audience.
The enthused audience demanded an encore and was rewarded with the
exciting Brahms Fifth Hungarian Rhapsody,
this containing a particularly good tune to hum on the way home.
Ian Sargeant
28 March, 2009
‘Fleuri’ is a trio with a difference. Laura Justice, Jennifer Bullock and
Bridget Cunningham, who play respectively recorders, viola da gamba and harpsichord,
met at the Royal College of Music and have won numerous prestigious
awards. Their approach to early
music is fresh and light-hearted, and enchanted a large audience at
The floral theme was reflected in the beautifully painted harpsichord and
in two of the opening pieces, John Playford’s ‘The Rose is White and the Rose is Red’ and James
Oswald’s ‘The Thistle’
from his collection Airs for the Seasons.
The latter was full of contrasting effects enhanced by imaginative and
skilful instrumentation, including changes from a mellow treble recorder to a
high, playful sopranino, and a drum effect on the viola da gamba. In all, six recorders were used during
the evening, played with great verve and sensitivity by Laura Justice and
providing an appropriate timbre for each change of style and mood.
It was good to hear the viola da gamba shine as a solo instrument in John
Playford’s plaintive melody ‘Daphne’
and especially in Tobias Hume’s saucily titled ‘Touch me Lightly’ and ‘Tickle me Quickly’. Hume produced a book on the instrument
and Jennifer Bullock achieved an astonishing range of effects. Bridget Cunningham’s harpsichord
playing in Giles Farnaby’s ‘Daphne’
was exquisite with beautifully executed elaborate ornamentation.
The first half of the programme ended with ‘Kate of Aberdeen’, a humorous piece by Ignatius Sancho who
was born on a slave ship in 1729, and the finale to this thoroughly enjoyable
evening was a merry jig to set the audience’s toes tapping.
Rosemary Wisbey
25 April, 2009
18th September 2009 – The
Vardanyan Quartet
Rowan Bell, Astghik Vardanyan, Stefan Hadjiev & Dan Shilladay
A string quartet is always a favourite for members of the Tilford Bach
Society. When it is comprised of four young and exceptionally talented
musicians such as performed at
The Vardanyan Quartet is named after its very accomplished young Armenian
violinist Astghik Vardanyan who started her studies in
The pleasure of the evening derived also from the wonderful integration
of the four players who played as one in pieces they clearly know and love.
Haydn’s quartet The Lark was a
beautifully descriptive piece that evoked images of a bird soaring, singing and
fluttering.
Shostakovich’s String Quartet
No. 7 is a different piece entirely and the dissonance contrasted somewhat
with Haydn. But clearly the audience liked it and everyone appreciated the
extraordinary skill with which it was played.
Schubert’s
Death and the Maiden totally pleased
everyone in all its aspects. This quite long work is one of contrasting moods
which gives vent to all the instruments – the cello has a wonderful line
in the second movement and this was delivered superbly by Stefan Hadjiev.
Excellent concert, and the society will hope to have another chance to hear
this quartet before too long.
Ian Sargeant
19 September, 2009
16th October 2009 – Soojin Han
& Tadashi Imai
It was one of those occasions when everyone present felt
privileged to be there: a recital by Soojin Han (violin) and Tadashi Imai
(piano). These two young performers may not be very well known at the moment
but no one who heard their recital could have any doubt that they are on their
way to the top.
Soojin opened
the programme with Bach’s unaccompanied Sonata in A minor, a work that demonstrated her superb technical
skill as well as great musical sensitivity. In her hands the exquisite tone of the
Stradivarius instrument was able to shine.
Tadashi joined Soojin for Beethoven’s A Major Sonata, a particularly melodious and good-humoured piece to
end the first half of the programme.
The second
half brought a change of nationality and period, opening with 
Fauré’s First Violin Sonata.
This work enabled both musicians to shine, combining a feeling of
youthful exuberance with great elegance and intimacy of tone. Saint-Saens’ well-known Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
proved an inspired choice to end the concert, the audience responding
rapturously to its gypsy flamboyance and musical fireworks.
TBS audiences
are indebted to The Countess of Munster Musical Trust whose generosity annually
enables the Society to invite such exceptionally talented young musicians to
perform for them.
Rosemary Wisbey
18 October, 2009
20 November 2009 – The Piatti String
Quartet
The Piatti String Quartet made a welcome return to
The three works performed by the group encompassed varying styles of
music from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Haydn’s Op 76 no.1 gave the
evening a spirited and good-humoured start with its contrapuntal baroque-style
opening and a skittish Presto movement with lots of pizzicato playing.
The evening ended with Beethoven’s “Harp” Quartet, so
called because of the pizzicato arpeggios and melodies that are passed from
instrument to instrument in the opening movement. The legato harmonies of the Adagio
provided a lovely contrast in texture and enabled the audience to appreciate
fully the warm homogeneous tone of this accomplished group of musicians. A fast and furious Presto and a lively
Allegretto brought the programme to a triumphant close.
Rosemary Wisbey
21 November, 2009