A Concert of Extraordinary Contrasts

The concert was opened by Rosie Sutton (piano), performing Debussy’s La Cathedrale Engloutie closely followed by Mira, Stephen Montague’s wonderfully exploratory and somewhat schizophrenic miniature.

The piece itself is an interesting blend of (Philip) Glass-and-Debussy-esque interjections, seemingly culminating in a conflict of light and darkness and was played by Rosie with an appropriate devotion; submissive to the colours in the darker melancholic episodes that yearned to flow outwardly.

Truly memorable was (double bassist) Will’s first set of pieces: Motivy, Tabakov; Adagio, (from the J.C. Bach/Casadesus Viola Concerto in C minor); Chasse a Cour, Rabbath.

Singing and an ethereal sound-world evocative of plain-chant, Duerden’s performance of Motivy, was a performance in its rawest sense.

An incredible intensity and lightness on Will’s part allowed the audience to be swallowed in an almost inevitable emancipation of quasi-improvisatory bewilderment – leaving the audience in a silent state.

The following Adagio has a rather interesting past, going from a believed-to-be newly discovered work of J.C. Bach, to now being a supposed original work of the Casadesus’ in the style of Bach.

Will obviously took to the latter, as his interpretation was unapologetically romantic, allowing for a host of emotions to descend upon the audience revelling in bliss.

No more can be said, however, without mentioning Milda Daunoraite who joined Will on piano for his accompanied pieces in both the first and second half.

Daunoraite’s passionate and affecting playing married with and complimented Duerden’s work beautifully, enhancing an already outstanding performance.

Finishing the first half of the concert was Toril Azzalini-Machecler (percussion) with an explosive and visually captivating performance: Till the Cows Come Home, Dior; Chega de Saudade, Burton arr. Azzalini.

Demonstrating discipline of the highest degree – for which each limb of Toril’s body was responsible for at least one percussion line –Till the Cows Come Home was a performance that conjured imaginings of a rural and free setting, with the constant ‘clave’ and complex cross/polyrhythms dancing and weaving around in a hypnotic state.

A feast for both the eyes and ears.

With a second half looking to be just as promising as the first, Rosie continues with Reflets dan l’eau (from Images Book I), Debussy; Danzas Argentinas (Op.2, Mnt 1), Ginastera; and Suite for Clifford (4 hands – Mnt 2 & 3), by Susan Legg for which Rosie was joined by her mother, Alison Sutton.

The (local) composer, as it turns out, is a close friend of the family and so was truly wonderful to see such chemistry and music be made.

Danzas Argentinas too was played with finesse, showing wonderful character – tauntful and jaunty in nature.

Andrew Thomas’ Merlin was next played by Toril (movements: Beyond the Faint Edge of the World and Time’s Way).

True magic was created: a pure and deep sound only amplified through the sonorous marimba, allowed Azzalini to put on display his sincere and humble virtuosity.

To finish off the concert, Will performed Schubert’s Nacht und Traume and Bottesini’s Capriccio di Bravura.

Tragic in fallacy, so was the story that Will told during his Schubert, before finally closing the concert with Bottesini’s wonderfully witty Capriccio – leaving the audience smiling and applauding in wonderment.