Brighton Year-Round 2025
Sussex Musicians SMC Chapel Royal
Sussex Musicians Club
Genre: Live Music, Music
Venue: Chapel Royal, Brighton
Festival: Brighton Year-Round
Low Down
Mozart French songs, Schumann Lieder, Scarlatti and Rachmaninov piano music, and an organ recital of Pachelbel, Bach and Ashley Grote (me neither, but you’ll know the tune!).
A memorable end of year concert. And all so easily to be heard on the website in a few days.
Review
The final Sussex Musicians Club (SMC) meeting of the year at the Chapel Royal on December 13 got off to an unusual corner of Mozart’s repertoire: his lieder. And French ones too. Carol-Anne Grainger has a pleasing soprano voice, ably accompanied by Kevin Allen, not often seen in such repertoire!
The two Mozart songs ‘Dans un bois solitaire et sombre’ and the autobiographical ‘Als Luise de Briefe’ (Gabriele Von Baumberg) are close to the poet’s experiences. Being punished into eternal hopeless love for waking Cupid, and burning a faithless lover’s love poems; but not the fire in her heart. Mozart’s writing is as Allen put it, astonishingly concise for the keyboard, and the lyric line clean and incisive. French lent Mozart an even keener elegance and jewel-like precision, unencumbered, dare one say it, by German.
Afterwards came two Robert Schumann lieder. ‘Die Lotusblome’ by Heine is a figurative and gorgeously described piece involving the sun.. The Ruckert ‘Wilding’ is a declaration so close to Robert’s love for Clara that it’s no wonder “my better self, my guardian angel” is set so memorably.
Poulenc’s ‘Les Chemin de l’amour in its swaying nonchalance is so mid 20th century it’s odd to think this was written in 1940. Dramatist Jean Anouilh’s poem is piercingly elegiac, and Poulenc knew a thing or three about past love. Yet its insouciance turns it into – almost – a cafe chanson; as if the feeling belied the words, and the regret is mild. It is though utterly memorable. It’s deliciously swung here. With a long-held final note from Grainger.
Next pianist Sarah Luong played two Scarlatti Sonatas and a Prelude by Rachmaninov.
The two Scarlatti’s are well known from his oeuvre of 555, mostly composed shortly before his death aged nearly 72 in 1757. .The processional Sonata in E major K380 is brought out here with pageantry and a sense of occasion, including the almost bird-like chirruping notes at the outset.
The more tenebrous B minor K27 is one of those published earlier on London in 1742. It’s at roughly at the same Allegro ma non troppo speed, and spun on a legato as its reflective material is spelt out till it develops. It’s thoughtful rather than melancholic, a fine and switch-backed piece full of tricky tempo changes and surprises.
Rachmaninov’s Prelude in E flat major Op 23/6 from 1903 isn’t as well-known as some others in the set: most notably it’s immediate predecessor No 5 in G minor. It’s a rolling almost undulating piece that exudes a rare content and with less distracting fireworks. Really welcome.
Finally a rare foray to the organ loft or at least the Chapel Royal one where recently John Collins gave a memorable recital. Hugh O’Neal, known for his pianism, here essayed two baroque chorales and one contemporary piece. We’ve not heard O’Neal on the organ: yet he’s played at his local church for at least seventeen years, and possesses a small pipe organ of his own to practice on. We really have been missing a performer’s skill here.
Johan Pachelbel ((1653-1706) known for that Canon in D (he wrote 80 Canons) wrote much vocal work being rediscovered and keyboard music too. 1653 saw the birthday too of Corelli and Georg Muffat.
This setting of chorale Vom Himmel Hoch is memorable and a perfect example of where German music was by the later mid baroque. It’s a flowing evocation of the chorale.
Back 32 years younger wrote many cantatas sometimes with opening sinfonias. These have been transcribed for keyboard. The one from Cantata No 106 Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit describes it all. God’s time is the best and indeed all. The slowly unfolding and unhurried chorale proves it too, on delicate flute stops and an underlying pulse that beats out a quiet rapture.
Ashley Grote born in 1982 is new to me. His transcription of The First Nowell is a perky one of the famous Carol employing trumpet stops and a thundering bass pedal. It’s a paraphrase on some verses and ends in a paean. A superb seasonal conclusion in the only instrument possible under the circumstances.
A brief concert reflecting the following celebratory goodies, a memorable end of year concert.
Next Concert Saturday January 10.
