Selected Reviews

Jasmine Choi at the Wigmore

A principal flute in the Cincinnati Symphony, Jasmine Choi made a good impression before she played a note in her Wigmore Hall recital on 30 March. Tall, slim, good-looking dressed in a becoming outfit with pastel colours that might have shimmered from the palette of Renoir. Tone: fluent and refined, musicianship: impeccable. Her visiting, card, lights lowered was Debussy’s Syrinx, mysterious atmosphere.

Her programme contained no substantial masterworks, indeed nothing lasted as long as the twenty-five minute interval. The main item before that was the Undine Sonata by Carl Reinecke who lived, taught, conducted in Leipzig for the last forty years of his long life (1824 - 1910). In my youth, I used to browse in the second-hand department of Foyles in Charing Cross Road. Amongst the R's there was always something to be found by Reger, Reyer, Rheinberger and Reinecke but I never heard a note of the music of the last named until Jasmine Choi’s recital. I cannot say that my life has been changed as a result, but the sonata, the 167th of some 300 opuses, is pleasant enough, Schumannesque in places, typical of its time and place, a German take on the watery sylph who was born without a soul and tries to obtain one by seducing a fisherman.

After the interval came Garak, (meaning 'a melody’), by Isang Yun, a Korean composer (1917 - 1995) who lived in Europe after WW2. This was a removal from German bourgeoisie to Darmstadt anything-goes-as-­long-as its-serial. There were long lines for the flute punctuated by music which, like Reinecke’s, was typical of a certain type of work: sudden pauses, spurts of sound, jabs, pecks, loud, soft, jagged intervals, not unpleasant but with ‘nothing to frighten the horses'. Penultimately, a Suite Paysanne, Paul Annals arrangement of some of Bartok's piano transcriptions of folk music. Highly charged and wonderfully expressive music, written in WW2.

Finally, more WW2 music: in 1944 André Jolivet (1905 - 1974) composed a competition for the Paris Conservatory called Chant de Linos. Linos was apparently the greatest mortal musician of his time, so great that he aroused the jealousy of Apollo who killed him. This Chant is a lament for his death, one that included crying and dancing. The music accordingly alternates between slow and fast music. Jolivet, pupil of Varèse, colleague of Messiaen, was interested in the magic and incantatory elements of the music of antiquity. And this piece demonstrates his interests in a beautiful and rousing piece that no doubt gave the competing students plenty to think about and practise. Needless to say, it gave Jasmine Choi ample scope for her virtuosity.

Throughout Ashley Wass was a true partner to the flautist, deserving of the highest praise for his artistry.

John Amis

La bohème at ENO

La bohème returned to ENO on 2 February but due to snow all bar one of the West End shows were cancelled, a feat only mimicked once before, then by the Lufwaffe in 1940. Also returning was Jonathan Miller to direct this new production.

When I finally saw it on 19 February it was a bit late in its run, but then it ought to have become well-oiled and in it stride, so did not worry. Miller has brought us ENO’s Rigoletto and The Barber of Seville, both of which are witty, observant, insightful and downright good. Bohème therefore was coming from a good stable. Also accompanying Miller are his long-term sidekicks David Ritch as Associate Director and Isabella Bywater for costumes. Well, where does one start? The set was beautiful, well thought out and just right. A huge two storey building with an open garret at the top which when swivelled through 180 degrees became the café on the ground floor for Act II and the street for Act III. It looked convincing and gave a feeling of both place and atmosphere.

The orchestra under Martin Fitzpatrick brought charisma and fireworks to the pit with a rich and sometimes raucous blast that convinced totally. He is currently ENO’s Head of Music so hopefully we will hear lots more from him.

That was the good, now to the rest: the singing, and the production. Only Hanan Alattar as Musetta seemed to totally convince. Her voice was strong and rich, her acting was sure and convincing and often very funny, which is far more than can be said for, in particular Alfie Boe as Rodolfo. His voice is like a condon bleu meal: sweet, even tasteful, artful, but very small. There were many moments where you only really knew he was singing because his mouth was opening. The orchestra was loud, but this was Puccini and its supposed to be. Others managed well. The great double-duet at the end of Act III was to all intents and purposes a trio, no more. His acting was no better either; seeing the love of his life dying he seemed no more worried than if he had mildly stubbed his toe. He really did seem too lightweight for one of the great roles. There must be many talented artists who could have brought more to this part. Roland Wood as Marcello and Simon Butteris as Benoit were far better in their smaller parts as were David Stout and in particular Pauls Putnins as Colline whose voice carried and shone. Mimi was to have been Melody Moore but on the night was replaced by Michelle Watson and made a commendable effort. She was at times a little underpowered, but then I suppose she is supposed to be dying.

Previous Miller productions are full of light hearted witty gestures that point to subtleties within the piece but these were strangely devoid, just going through the motions. I am sure with a better cast a lot of the pathos and what humour there is would be brought well to the fore, but this cast wasn’t the right one for the purpose.

Christopher Monk

Eimear McGeown and Aleksander Szram

The lunchtime recital promoted by the Concordia Foundation Series at St Martin-in-the-Fields on April 20 was given by the outstanding young Ulster-born flautist Eimar McGeown with Alexsander Szram pianist. The programme unusually for such a venue and time, concentrated upon modern works, in which Katherine Hoover’s Kokopeli for solo flute and Mel Bonis’s Sonata for flute and piano made very strong impressions – particularly the Scherzo of the latter work, a reminiscence, perhaps, of the Scherzo from Mendelssohn’s Midsummernight’s Dream music. Both were quite brilliantly played, and the recital ended with the premiere of a new version of Dave Heath’s Home from the Storm for flute and piano, a most lyrical and melodically attractive short study. This was preceded by a traditional Irish reel, played on a traditional Irish flute; the programme began with JS Bach’s Sonata in E minor, most musically and intelligently phrased by these very gifted artists.

Robert Matthew-Walker