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Violinist Rachel Podger with Brecon Baroque Rachel Podger and Brecon BaroqueMalvern Theatres
***** As summer hits the U.K. this weekend with
record-setting temperatures, we were treated to a brilliant performance
of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at Malvern last night. The Forum
Theatre was substantially full for this highly talented ensemble. The first half of the programme was devoted to
three Vivaldi Sonatas, one for strings, one for the lute and the other
for the harpsichord, punctuated with two of his other pieces. Vivaldi
was assisted with some arrangements we gathered by the incomparable Bach
himself. It is a rare privilege to hear the Theorbo Lute (Daniele
Caminiti) and the Harpsichord (Martin Światkiewicz) featured in this
way. The second half of the concert was devoted to the
hugely popular Le Quatri Stagione (the Four Seasons). Each was
introduced by a poem, a sonnet, on that season read by Jan Spencer (Violone). He read them in a clear voice and with a few
comic asides before the four violin concertos themselves which starred
the highly acclaimed virtuoso Rachel Podger, who also skilfully
conducted the ensemble. The passion and vivacity of her creative
performance were spell-binding. She was supported most excellently by
all the other musicians, including Sabine Stoffer and Kinga Ujszászi
(violins), Jane Rogers (viola) and Alison McGillivray (cello). The
energy and contrasting moods were brought out expressively.
The sounds and sights of each season – the
‘flowing creeks, singing birds, barking dogs, buzzing mosquitoes, crying
shepherds, drunken dancers, silent nights, hunting parties, frozen
landscapes, ice-skating children and warming winter fires’ -
were captured in creative ways
that all contributed to a festival of rich baroque music, capped by an
encore at the end. This concert is proceeding to the Stour Festival
in Kent and then to the Wigmore Hall in London in the next few days.
It was a delightful musical
treat. Timothy Crow 28-06-19 |
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