Music on Thursdays - Online
Thursday 2nd July 2020
Virtual Viola
Artistes: Ting-Ru Lai • Timothy Ridout • Jeremy Berry • Academia Bach de Buenos Aires with pianists Anthony Hewitt • Michael Refvem • Frank Dupree
Starts: when you are ready
Note: latecomers will be admitted at your personal discretion
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Virtual Viola
Programme
Edwin York Bowen (1884-1961) Two duets for two violas in G major (1920) performed by: Ting-Ru Lai and Timothy Ridout Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) Viola concerto in G major TWV 51:G9 (c.1716-21) Largo slow, stately Allegro fast Andante walking, moderately slow Presto very fast performed by Soloists of the Academia Bach de Buenos Aires Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Sonata for viola in Eb major Op 120 No.2 (1894/95) Allegro amabile fast, pleasant Allegro appassionato fast, with passion Andante con moto - Allegro moderately slow, with movement - fast performed by Timothy Ridout, viola, and Anthony Hewitt, piano Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) Morpheus (1917-18) performed by Jeremy Berry, viola, and Michael Refvem, piano ENCORE York Bowen Viola Sonata No 1 in C minor Op 18 (1905) (ii) Poco lento e cantabile a little slow, with a singing style performed by Timothy Ridout, viola, with Frank Dupree, piano |
Lynda Chang studied piano for four years with Kendall Taylor at the Royal College of Music where she achieved a 1st class honours BMus, and was awarded the Tagore gold medal, RCM’s annual nomination for the most outstanding student of the year.
Although her professional career was spent in the computer industry, Lynda has been able to return to music and is kept busy as soloist, accompanist, chamber musician, avid concert goer, opera fanatic and occasional reviewer. Lynda has been a regular at Leatherhead's Lunchtime Concerts since their first year, and has performed for us several times. Please welcome Lynda Chang as Guest Presenter, and curator, of today's concert. |
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Greetings Everyone!
As guest curator of your concert this week, I welcome you to the Cinderella of the orchestra - that understated, undervalued and often much mis-understood member - the VIOLA!
In spite of its almost invisible presence (it is often mistaken for a violin), the viola has a beautiful and, dare one say it, more mellow tone than the violin. Its amazing variety of colour and range was brilliantly demonstrated in the three concerts given by Timothy Ridout at Music on Thursdays between 2015 and 2017. Aged 21 in 2016, Timothy became the first ever British winner of the highly prestigious Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition. Timothy has now embarked on a stellar international career.
Our concert today will showcase the viola from the baroque to the present - featuring Timothy where possible - and in the process hopefully converting you, the listener, to become an ardent fan of the instrument.
A personal note: I have discovered that my music listening experience via the computer is immeasurably enhanced by a good pair of headphones, the kind that covers the whole ear.
As guest curator of your concert this week, I welcome you to the Cinderella of the orchestra - that understated, undervalued and often much mis-understood member - the VIOLA!
In spite of its almost invisible presence (it is often mistaken for a violin), the viola has a beautiful and, dare one say it, more mellow tone than the violin. Its amazing variety of colour and range was brilliantly demonstrated in the three concerts given by Timothy Ridout at Music on Thursdays between 2015 and 2017. Aged 21 in 2016, Timothy became the first ever British winner of the highly prestigious Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition. Timothy has now embarked on a stellar international career.
Our concert today will showcase the viola from the baroque to the present - featuring Timothy where possible - and in the process hopefully converting you, the listener, to become an ardent fan of the instrument.
A personal note: I have discovered that my music listening experience via the computer is immeasurably enhanced by a good pair of headphones, the kind that covers the whole ear.
York Bowen was a prolific English composer who is sadly unfamiliar to many of today's listeners. His harmonic language largely followed the 'romantic' idiom and was much characterised by a dense chromaticism.
Here is a delightful and simple starter to whet the appetite - Timothy Ridout performs with fellow violist Ting-Ru Lai - a veritable 'two for the price of one'. The rich robust tones of the two violas are a joy (who needs violins after all) and the 2 short contrasting pieces - performed with such enjoyment and graceful agility - are a fitting appetizer for the rest of the concert. Timothy introduced Ting-Ru Lai to our audience while they were both still RAM students. While he has his international solo career, she is now a violist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Seeing these young musicians launch into their professional careers is one of the delights of the lunchtime concert - although, these two violists have leapt somewhat further ahead than many. Timothy's first Leatherhead concert was an occasion in which the audience audibly relaxed after the first two notes, confident that here we were in the presence of genius. |
Edwin York Bowen (1884-1961)
Two duets for two violas in G major (1920) performed by: Ting-Ru Lai and Timothy Ridout during the 2020 Lockdown |
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Viola concerto in G major TWV 51:G9 (c.1716-21) Largo slow, stately Allegro fast Andante walking, moderately slow Presto very fast performed by Soloists of the Academia Bach de Buenos Aires: Pablo Saraví & Gabriel Pinette, violins • Kristine Bara, viola • José Araujo, cello • Fernando Fieiras, double bass • organ & direction: Mario Videla |
An exact contemporary of Bach and Handel, Telemann was another prolific composer who was highly regarded during his lifetime but whose works have periodically fallen from favour since his death.
The first known concerto written for the viola, it is scored for strings and continuo - and, as seen in the chosen clip, can easily fit as a chamber ensemble into our Leatherhead Methodist Church. The work is tuneful with elegant melodies as well as exciting rhythmic drive. No one can fail to be moved by the beautiful Andante, rightly earning the work a favourite place in the pantheon of viola music. This performance by soloists of the Academia Bach de Buenos Aires is searingly honest and heartfelt - I was spellbound and touched by it. A violist friend said of this clip that it felt as if he'd dropped into a group of friends playing together. Isn't that exactly what chamber music is all about? |
I have chosen another Timothy Ridout recording, this time from his recital at the Wigmore Hall in 2017.
Originally composed for the clarinet, owing to Brahms's discovery of the beauty of the sound and tone colour of the instrument, the Eb Sonata was dedicated to the talented clarinettist Richard Muhlfeld, with whom Brahms gave the first performance.
It was written 3 years before Brahms's death and undoubtedly has an autumnal feel to it. It opens with a simple lyricism that develops into a world of colourful, opulent harmonies. The central movement is surprisingly powerful. The final variations are full of drama within the constant interplay between soloist and pianist.
Timothy's playing belies his youth. It is deeply expressive throughout and shows exactly the maturity and restraint demanded by the music. And in Anthony Hewitt, he has found an excellent partner who is equally sensitive to every nuance and give and take in the music.
Originally composed for the clarinet, owing to Brahms's discovery of the beauty of the sound and tone colour of the instrument, the Eb Sonata was dedicated to the talented clarinettist Richard Muhlfeld, with whom Brahms gave the first performance.
It was written 3 years before Brahms's death and undoubtedly has an autumnal feel to it. It opens with a simple lyricism that develops into a world of colourful, opulent harmonies. The central movement is surprisingly powerful. The final variations are full of drama within the constant interplay between soloist and pianist.
Timothy's playing belies his youth. It is deeply expressive throughout and shows exactly the maturity and restraint demanded by the music. And in Anthony Hewitt, he has found an excellent partner who is equally sensitive to every nuance and give and take in the music.
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Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Sonata for viola in Eb major Op 120 No.2 (1894/95)
Allegro amabile fast, pleasant
Allegro appassionato fast, with passion
Andante con moto - Allegro moderately slow, with movement - fast
performed by Timothy Ridout, viola, and Anthony Hewitt, piano at their Wigmore Hall, London, recital on 26th March 2017
Moving into the 20th century, Rebecca Clarke was one of those rarities - a female composer and professional orchestral viola player. She often featured the viola in her chamber music compositions. She has been a sadly neglected composer whose timely revival is only partly down to the current fashion for all things 'female'.
And just to round the circle of this concert, Clarke studied at the Royal College of Music with Lionel Tertis - in whose name the international viola competition is held - who was considered by many as the greatest violist of the day. Her Sonata for Viola and Piano (1919) has become a staple of the modern viola repertoire. The piece I have chosen to end today's concert is Morpheus, written in 1917 when Clarke was pursuing a performing career in the US, where she spent the last 40 years of her life. It is a beautiful single movement work with a muted, reflective and dreamy character, full of the most amazing colours and intensity. After all, Morpheus was the god associated with sleep and dreams and I cannot imagine a more perfect depiction. Here is the link to the recording with Jeremy Berry, viola, and Michael Refvem, piano - both young American musicians with solid chamber music credentials. In particular, I commend Refvem's piano playing which enhances the performance with admirable subtlety and artistry. |
Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979) Morpheus (1917-18) performed by Jeremy Berry, viola, and Michael Refvem, piano |
ENCORE
My first acquaintance with York Bowen was the slow movement of his viola sonata no.1 in C minor, written in 1905 when he was only 20 years old. I was captivated from the first bar as I hope you will be too.
For this reason, plus the fact that Timothy Ridout rates himself as a great fan of Bowen's music, I nominate this movement as my encore item. It is marked poco lento e cantabile - a perfect description for its beautiful lyricism. But there is passion too, artfully suggested by his personal language of chromaticism as well as the rippling piano accompaniment in the middle and final sections. Bowen writes the most rewarding parts for the piano, and as a pianist, I thank him with all my heart. So here is Timothy, returning for one final appearance at our virtual concert. Producer, Curator & Presenter: Lynda Chang
Copy Typist: Peter Steadman |
York Bowen
Viola Sonata No 1 in C minor Op 18 (1905) (ii) Poco lento e cantabile a little slow, with a singing style performed by Timothy Ridout, viola with Frank Dupree, piano at the Wigmore Hall in February 2019 |
We hope you have enjoyed your Virtual Viola Concert Online
Watch your email and this website for next week's Multi Piano concert
comments welcome: musiconthursdays@gmail.com
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Honorary President's 100th Birthday Appeal for MENCAP
What do you give the lady who says she needs nothing for herself? Even after 100 years?
Mollie Canning decided it would be a wonderful way to celebrate her 100th birthday if she could encourage people to give to the charity she has supported for quite a few decades (she didn't want to specify quite how many!)
So we are appealing to the listeners to these concerts to please join in, and drive the total raised well above her original £1,000 target, and on towards £5,000.
Every gift counts, small, medium, or extremely large. And if you are able to add Gift Aid that's even better.
Please write LCAS in the message box, and bear in mind costs to MENCAP will be around 5% -10% of your total donation.
Mollie Canning decided it would be a wonderful way to celebrate her 100th birthday if she could encourage people to give to the charity she has supported for quite a few decades (she didn't want to specify quite how many!)
So we are appealing to the listeners to these concerts to please join in, and drive the total raised well above her original £1,000 target, and on towards £5,000.
Every gift counts, small, medium, or extremely large. And if you are able to add Gift Aid that's even better.
Please write LCAS in the message box, and bear in mind costs to MENCAP will be around 5% -10% of your total donation.
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