November 15th 2009
ST MARY’S Church held a packed and appreciative audience for Aylesbury Symphony Orchestra's concert on Sunday November 15.
The afternoon began with Khachaturian's Masquerade Suite. Three of the five movements are lively and also very familiar but these are interspersed with two glorious slow movements, the languorous and sensual Nocturne, in which leader Mark Warner took the solo part, and the Romance. The whole was well played with the mood of each section being well portrayed.
Part of the reason why the slower movements are less well known is that they are usually omitted from the play list of a certain radio station, which was alluded to in conductor Jacques Cohen’s introduction to the main work, Dvorak’s From the New World. “The purpose of this symphony”, he said “is not to relax you, but to get you worked up!”
This was given a masterly performance by the orchestra who once again rendered each mood, from the melancholy opening, perhaps occasioned by Dvorak’s absence from his homeland, to dramatic and stormy, expansive and celebratory.
The guest soloist was guitarist Christopher Evesham, who gave a fabulous performance of another favourite, Rodrigo's Concierto d'Aranjuez. The most familiar movement is the spellbinding Adagio, but the whole work expresses the atmosphere of Spain. Christopher’s playing was both skilful and sensitive and was never overpowered by the orchestra, who once again gave an excellent performance.
Whether it was a coincidence, or an inspired piece of programme planning, two of the works, the Khachaturian and Rodrigo, were premiered during the Second World War, making the concert a fitting end to the weeks of remembrance.
Joss O’Kelly (source : Bucks Herald)
May 17th 2009
AYLESBURY Symphony Orchestra concluded its 59th season with a real cracker of a concert conducted by Jacques Cohen at St Mary’s Church on Sunday May 17.
The orchestra was on splendid form and opened with a tremendous performance of Mussorgsky's Night on a Bare Mountain. Distinctive Russian melodies combined with the (deliberately) discordant howlings of the witches’ all-night party for a riot of sound. The theme was Russian and American music and the concert closed with Gershwin’s An American in Paris, which again provided a host of sound effects. The orchestra really got into the spirit of the piece with percussion, wind and brass adding to the atmosphere. The soloist was pianist Michael McHale. Born in Belfast, and trained in Dublin, Cambridge and London, Michael has performed all over Europe and in the USA. We were extremely fortunate to hear this astonishing virtuoso play not the customary one, but two pieces, one Russian, Shostakovich's Second Piano Concerto, and one quintessentially American, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.
The Shostakovich is a fabulous piece, with a gorgeous slow movement sandwiched between two lively rhythmic sections, while the Gershwin is a huge and deserved audience favourite. For the latter, special mention should go to Peter Newman, for his playing of the iconic clarinet opening. Michael McHale’s performance of these contrasting pieces was expressive and captivating, perfectly portraying the mood of the music. Hearing him play was a wonderful and uplifting experience, much enjoyed by all - most of the time.
Note to parents with accompanying children: if Gershwin had wanted rustling paper accompaniment, he would have put it in the score!
Joss O’Kelly (source : Bucks Herald)
November 9th 2008
AYLESBURY Symphony Orchestra opened its 59th season at St Mary’s Church on Sunday November 9 with an interesting and enjoyable programme.
The soloist was Sara Deborah Struntz, a young violinist who is already a practiced recitalist and chamber musician, playing on both modern and period instruments. Here she gave a glorious performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, a totally controlled and lyrical interpretation of this popular work.
The rest of the programme was less familiar, beginning with a piece that surely deserves a wider audience - Malcolm Arnold’s Peterloo Overture.
This is an extraordinary depiction in music of the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. It opened with the main theme, portraying the peaceful crowd at a political meeting. Then, Aylesbury Orchestra’s talented team of percussionists, playing from the transept, took the part of the soldiers approaching, closer and closer and evermore menacing, until the whole orchestra let rip for the massacre itself. This was followed by a lament for the fallen and a return to the original theme.
The second half of the concert comprised performances of Holst’s little known Beni Mora Oriental Suite, in which, again, much was demanded of the orchestra, who were required to use western instruments to produce a very eastern sound, and finally Borodin’s rhythmic and celebratory Second Symphony.
The orchestra, under conductor Jacques Cohen, who as usual provided helpful introductions to the music, was in excellent form throughout and the superb acoustics of the Church enhanced the balance between the instruments. Overall this was a most enjoyable afternoon of music.
Joss O'Kelly (source : Bucks Herald)
