The May performance in the Lunchtime Concert Season at Dewsbury Town Hall comprised a violin and a piano playing half a dozen pieces of romantic music, as usual a mixture of the familiar and the obscure. Today, however, we had the privilege of being entertained by two of the upper echelon of musicians from the Orchestra of Opera North.
Katie Stillman, a Canadian by birth, has recently been appointed the orchestra’s new leader and David Cowan is the Head of Music at Opera North. Having worked with various orchestras in the UK and Europe they have shown amazingly good taste by bringing their talents to Yorkshire. Ms Stillman plays a Nicolo Gagliano violin manufactured in 1741 so now she has taken this promotion she might be able to afford a new one.
The feature piece was First Violin and Piano Sonata in G Major Op.78 by Johannes Brahms. In her comments about it at the end, Ms Stillman said that you can’t have a romantic violin recital without some Brahms. My maxim is that you can’t listen to classical music on a portable radio unless there is a little Handel on it.
The next piece, or pieces, were by Clara Schumann with Three Romances for Violin and Piano. Op.22. These are a trio of snapshots in time, the first being a slow one whilst the second was much lighter. The third felt more like a piano feature with a violin accompaniment. We were told by Katie Stillman that it was like a duck, with her playing lightly on the surface whilst David Cowan was doing all the legwork to keep it afloat and moving. She also said the some of the items on the programme were copies rather than original works, and this could apply to the next piece, Liebesleid, by Fritz Kreisler. Should you not be familiar with it then click on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XR0u2pO6LY to hear a version.
We were assured that the remaining works were original. ‘Melodie’ from Orfeo ed Eurydice was written by Christoph Willibald Gluck and arranged by Fritz Kreisler, who was responsible for the penultimate piece, Schön Rosmarin. The session was turning into a tribute act for Herr K but the final contribution robbed him of another batch of royalties as it was by the Hungarian, Victor Monti.
Monti’s composition was called Csárdás and is one you will all know. In his summing up of the recital, David Cowan called the composer a one-hit wonder, but what a hit this is. Parts of it have been used for soundtracks and scene setters, but the bit which everyone knows is in the middle and accompanies almost every Tom and Jerry cartoon when the hapless moggy comes a cropper and sits with stars orbiting his head. Please click on this link to hear what I am talking about. It starts off slowly but the passage which kicks in at 2m 33s had Katie Stillman’s fingers moving so quickly they became a blur. The concussion part is at 3m 22s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHO6KOPWXtc
Mr Cowan closed the lunchtime concert by telling us that the next season, which begins in the autumn, will be even more varied than the current one. He also pointed out that the Opera North series of productions is imminent and tickets are on sale. For details of the above please go to https://www.operanorth.co.uk/ Whilst you are there you will see that there is a costume sale at the Howard Opera Centre this Bank Holiday weekend, so, should you fancy upgrading your wardrobe with pieces from past productions, then get along.
The two remaining lunchtime events at Dewsbury Town Hall this season are https://www.operanorth.co.uk/kirklees-concert-season/
Photographs by Stan Graham
Tyke It To The Limit 