November 2007

Dear Music-lover,

For our November concert, we welcomed back the Sacconi string quartet, joined by David Campbell, clarinet. The quartet started the concert with Llwybrau Can, a new work by the Welsh composer, John Metcalf. Robin Ashwell (viola) described the "travelling" theme to the work, which I found easy to listen to, although somewhat thick-textured.

This was followed by the Brahms clarinet quintet, which David introduced. "I don't know what you thought about the Metcalf", he said, "but reviews of the Brahms quintet have varied". The earliest performances, in Germany, were met by enthusiastic audiences but when the work crossed to Britain, the response was different. " The 3rd movement is a ridiculously dismal version of a hornpipe.....it deserves a merrier fate than burying alive in a Brahms quintet", said a reviewer - one George Bernard Shaw. In performance, the work is a true "quintet", with the clarinet performing an equal role with the strings.

By contrast, the Weber clarinet quintet, which had inspired Brahms, was dominated by the clarinettist, whose part was full of rippling arpeggios and scintillating scales (like it?). David described the last movement as a "romp" and the evening's performance was so thoroughly enjoyed that the quintet played an encore, an arrangement of a swaying, moody tango by Pizzaola.

We'll hear more Pizzaola in our final concert of 2007 on 5th December given by the Katona Twins (guitar), who have delighted us before. I hope to see you then.

Paul Crowe