Daily Archives: 5 August, 2012

Brighton Summer Schubertiade: 3

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The Heath Quartet with Philip Higham, cello

St Andrew’s Church, Alfriston, 4 August 2012

The evening sunlight drifted through the west window onto the Heath Quartet just as they opened with Haydn’s Quartet Op 33 No4. It seemed apt, the warmth of the acoustic and the joy of the scoring mirrored in the softened glow of the nave.

This programme had a very different feel to it from that given at the start of the series in Brighton, which had been altogether more introspective. Even Gyorgy Kurtag’s 12 Microludes were easier to assimilate that the previous Moments Musicaux.

For the Haydn, the close proximity of the audience meant that the Largo could be played with the utmost delicacy and finesse, with no loss of impact. The Finale was strenuous without being over assertive.

Quite how the set of atonal pieces by Kurtag relate to specific semitones in the B to C scale was impossible to assess simply listening to the works, but they have a sense of integrity and power which the quartet conveyed with ease. The first and fourth pieces are almost non-existent dynamically in contrast to the outbursts of power and energy, however brief, in the sixth. Towards the end there is a very effective solo line for the viola, and before this there was a movement with some familiar Kurtag scittering energy.

After the interval we heard a sublime performance of a sublime work, Schubert’s String Quintet in C. This was perfect both for the culmination of the brief series and for a fine evening. If the trio section of the Scherzo seemed unexpectedly melancholic it was only because of the enthusiasm and joy which was to be found in the rest of the work.

These concerts were part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad but there are more events at St Andrew’s across the rest of the summer and they continue throughout the year. BH

All Saints, Hastings, Organ Series 4 Nigel Ogden

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One of the joys of a series of concerts given by different performers on the same organ is the variety of styles and techniques each employs. Many of the large and appreciative audience would have known that Nigel Ogden would bring a very different approach to the other performances of the series. They were not to be disappointed.

The evening began in (almost) conventional organ recital mode with 2 familiar marches by Walton. True to form, though, Nigel presented them in what is sometimes now referred to as a mash-up beginning and ending with parts of Crown Imperial, with some of Orb & Sceptre in between. He next paired Bach’s Toccata in D minor with Alec Templeton’s Bach goes to town, demonstrating how easily he is able to move from one style to another. After a selection from German’s Merrie England Massenet’s Meditation from Thais allowed for a change of mood and a beautiful pared back registration complete with tremulant. A medley of music from Luigini’s Ballet Egyptian preceded an unashamed advertisement with a selection of music featured on 2 currently available CDs!

The second half opened in martial mood with a selection by Sousa. After this came a well thought-out arrangement of James Horner’s music from the film Titanic. It began with a most haunting introduction, leading into the well-known song My heart will go on through a dramatic sequence and ending with a subdued hymn tune Nearer my God to Thee.  Nigel really seemed at home in this and the rest of the programme as by now he had moved into full theatre organ mode.

A selection from Lehar’s The Merry Widow commemorated the diamond jubilee of the MGM film of the show. Following on from this was a highly inventive Gershwin medley that included a fair amount of swing as well as a late night jazz interpretation of Summertime. Nigel’s technical skills and awareness of the potential of this organ’s rich palette were to the fore as he ‘thumbed down’ (accompanying a solo line with the rest of his fingers on the same hand) and produced some beautifully reverberating timbres, at times reminiscent of a Compton melotone unit.

Further medleys of well known classics and songs from several decades (including most unexpectedly, Postman Pat) were all played with style, bringing the programme to an end.

Two encores followed. First there was a brilliantly cheeky set of short variations in different styles on When the Saints go marching in, ending with the melody in the pedals with a Widor Toccata-like accompaniment above.  Show me the way to go home brought this excellent concert to a (final) close. Once again  the organist Entertained. SP