While we are all still very much in our second lockdown of the year, and live performances still "on hold", The RNCM are streaming their concerts online via both their YouTube page and their website. And the Monday lunchtime concerts last approx 45 minutes.
Here we heard two very different sets of chamber music. First classical duets were the order of the day as students Philip O'Connor (tenor) and Alicia Cadwgan (soprano) sang four songs accompanied by David Jones on the piano. Cadwgan showed her skill at pure and crystal clear sustained notes in her higher register as well as bringing forth a more mellow and rounded tone to the music when required, whilst O'Connor's voice worked well with the German lieder, but was not quite so good a match with Rossini's jocular Italian canzone. He came very much into his own however with the final piece, singing We'll Gather Lilacs (Ivor Novello), and indeed I would very much love to hear him sing songs from the English canon (egs Holst, Vaughan-Williams, Elgar, Parry etc). Rossini's Serenata was taken (for me) a tad too slowly and seriously, and was treated much more like an operatic duet than a more secular country song, and it needed more "oomph" both musically and vocally. The two German pieces however were lovely (Schumann's Tanzlied and Korngold's 'Gluck Das Mir Verlieb'), and the two voices harmonised here beautifully, with the soprano never once overpowering the tenor, as can so easily happen.
A complete change came next as we welcomed pianist Qingqing Liu to play Debussy's Pagodas from 'Estampes'. The hall filling with lush chords and dynamic harmonic structures as the beautiful and flowing music filled the space - and my computer's speakers! Oriental music in the style of French Impressionism.. or perhaps more accurately the other way round; but either way, a pure delight. Very enjoyable. For the second piece she was joined by flautist Sarah Canzonetta (and I can't help but remark on her surname.... she's probably heard it a million times before, but what a great name for a musician!). Together they performed two movements (allegro and intermezzo) from Carl Reinecke's 'Underline Sonata' (op 167). Again the music was kept light and flowing, even the technically difficult runs and the intricacy of the scoring did not deter and this melodic and harmonic piece was made to sound easy on the ear, and indeed it was. Very impressive playing and a lovely way to end this concert.
None of you would have heard me I know, but I did applaud you all loudly and enthusiatically at the end of the two sets.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 16/11/20
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