Briget Carey viola – Hugh Webb – harp – Nancy Ruffer – flute
Sunday 9th March – Hampstead Lane – book here
When I first talked to my good friend the harpist Hugh Webb about the possibility of a harp recital, he immediately suggested Debussy. So, before writing this post I emailed him to ask exactly what was it about Debussy’s music which made it so perfect for the harp. Almost before I had pressed ‘send’ the reply came back:
‘With the first glissando in Debussy’s early masterpiece L’apres midi d’un faune, the harp evolved from its salon prettiness to a new world of sensuality and vivid colours. Debussy completely redefined the possibilities of the instrument and his approach has inspired composers ever since.
Harpists are forever in debt to Debussy for seeing what depth and swoon was natural to their instrument. The harp stepped forward from a special effect to a central role in colour and sparkle.
What else to say?…
So step forward Hugh’s harp, accompanied by Bridget’s viola and Nancy’s flute, to play these delightful pieces which span Debussy’s creative life. Although it wasn’t published till 1905, the Suite Bergamesque was actually written in 1890 when Debussy was only 28; the Trio for flute, via and harp dates from 1915, just three years before he died.
Suite Bergamesque (1905) Prelude and Menuet
L’Isle Joyeuse
La plus que lente (1910).
La Danse de Puck (from Preludes Book 1)
Trio for flute, viola and harp (1915)
At the turn of the 20th century when Debussy was at the height of his powers, his music was seen as ‘revolutionary’ and impressionistic (although he hated the term) – a reaction against the classical symphony, the German musical tradition and the straightjacketing of instruments into specific roles.
Very much in that revolutionary tradition, Hugh, Bridget and Nancy, while firmly grounded in the mainstream classical repertoire, all have a special interest in ‘revolutionary’ contemporary music.
Bridget is a founder member of the Britten Sinfonia, well known for nurturing young composers; a long standing player with the experimental group Apartment House and extends her interest into east-west fusion with the group Okeanos.
While Nancy teaches flute at King’s College Cambridge her focus is on contemporary music. She too plays with Apartment House but is also involved with Matrix, Music Projects/London and The Almeida Ensemble and has worked with The London Sinfonietta, Endymion and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.
Hugh’s tastes range widely – his most recent recordings are of French Renaissance songs with the medieval group, Joglaresa and of solo and chamber music by Nino Rota, the great Italian film music composer – think Fellini, Visconti and The Godfather. But he is especially intersted in composers working today.
Enter Paul Archbold, composer
Hugh and Paul have been friends for many years – several of Paul’s pieces were composed for, or commissioned by Hugh. So for this evening, tempering revolutionary Debussy with contemporary – and moderately revolutionary – Archbold seemed like a nice programming idea.
Regular readers of these posts may remember that last summer I actually went to Paul’s very splendid 60th birthday concert and heard a number of his pieces, including the three the trio will play tonight.
After Medusa for viola and harp
Disenchanted Voices for harp, flute & viola
Of Crossed Destinies, 3rd Movement. For solo harp
To know more about Paul and to hear some of his music check into this post and follow the links.
The concert will, as usual, be followed by drinks and a buffet supper.
Book here for Debussy and Archbold at 6.30pm on 9th March.
Five Cellos: Lost and Found
Do you ever listen to The Essay at 9.45pm on Radio 3? Fifteen minute essays from ‘leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week – insight, opinion and intellectual surprise’. Well, I am not too sure about the ‘insight, opinion and intellectual surprise’ as I have only just discovered the programme, but this week’s essays by cellist-writer Kate Kennedy have been an absolute delight.
She has been following the life stores of five cellos and their owners – and what turbulent life stories they have been.
- There is the Auschwitz cello which belonged to cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch who avoided death in Auschwitz by being recruited to the camp orchestra to play the cello.
- The shipwrecked cello which was rescued along with its owner from the seas off Montevideo and painstakingly reconstructed.
- The bee cello which stands alone under a pergola in Nottingham and is lived in by a happy colony of bees making a new music of their own.
- Jewish Hungarian cellist Pal Hermann’s cello which, thanks to his cousin, was rescued although Hermann himself perished.
- The flat pack cello – an exciting new initiative to create cellos which can be easily and cheaply assembled anywhere in the world bringing music to communities who could never otherwise access classical instruments.
A little further research into Dr Kennedy herself reveals that she is, impressively, Director of the Oxford Centre for Life-Writing, a Supernumerary Fellow at Wolfson College Oxford, Director of the Centre for the Study of Women Composers, Director of the Museum of Music History, and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. And that the essays are drawn from her recently published book Cello: A Journey Through Silence to Sound . What a shame we have just had Christmas.
A little further research into The Essay reveals that among the topics recently chosen for ‘insight, opinion and intellectual surprise’ are the organs of the body (intestines, gall bladder, lungs), Tin Pan Alleys round the world, night sounds in the forests of Poland, controversies in classical music and poetry and the geoological formations of Scotland. I’m in…
Meanwhile back in Highgate
Anyone who has been unable to get a ticket for Nathaniel and La Pompadour’s recital on January 30th (there is a waiting list in case we get any returns) might like to watch and listen to him explaining the workings of the beautiful 18th century harpsichords that he plays.
And don’t forget:
Sunday 26th January – 12 noon – Highgate Society Lunchtime Concert – La Flaugissimo – flute and ‘romatic’ guitar
£15 to include a glass of Bucks Fizz. Book here or pay on the door.
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