Get the Chance, James Ellis
Four Stars
A new ensemble to discover. Some familiar faces along the way. New work and experimental master abound. Helen Grime and her Seven Pierrot Miniatures took fitting poetry not used in the later Schoenberg as the bedrock for this. Pierrot being the clown icon of the Commedia dell’arte character from Italian culture is the foundation for half the programme. Grime’s music here is fluffy, strange, almost evocative. A premiere from Piers Hellawell… Woodsmoke. This would be Robert Plane on clarinet, best known to Welsh (and BBC Proms) audiences as leader of the instrument for BBC NOW and Tim Horton on piano. A harsh work, still very much in a rigid form, though alert and heightened with fine furies from both players.
It would be Brahms to cleanse the pallet, that of his Trio for Clarinet, Cello & Piano in A minor. Unlike his other pieces, Brahms has an effortless idea after idea in this trio.
“The melodies flow and are at ease with the three players. Whilst Plane lead in many ways, cellist Gemma Rosefield also found alluring offerings, the writing for her instrument she seemed to truly savour.”
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Lastly for what I was here for: Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire. Soprano Claire Booth has recorded this with the Ensemble to glowing reviews, so expectations were high…
“The ensemble play with expressive density and allure, Booth savouring this peculiar piece with sharp set of performative skills throughout.”
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