End of term
End of teaching term for visiting music staff at Eton: happy Christmas to all, and well done to the boys on another hectic but successful term of concerts, exams and auditions!
Westgate Music Series
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It was lovely to be back at the Westgate Chapel in Lewes, giving another recital in their monthly series. This beautiful intimate wood-panelled chapel, with its warm acoustic, makes a superb venue for chamber music. The first half consisted of Beethoven's A major sonata and Schumann's Fantasie-stücke with cellist Steffan Rees; the second half was a revival with violinist Clare Wheeler of part of the programme we performed for the UNIQ summer school in July – Beethoven's Romance in G and Franck's epic sonata. We had a warm welcome on a freezing evening from the audience, so it will be good to be back again next month (Thursday 16th December) in a recital with flautist Marielle Way, the Artistic Director of the series.
Così reviews
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The first reviews for RAO's Così fan tutte are out, and the production has gone down a treat, with lots of praise for all involved, in both casts, in the pit and behind the scenes. Particularly gratifying is the comment “there was distinguished, characterful continuo playing (on a fortepiano) from Elizabeth Burgess, almost like a seventh character” (Classical Source). Here are links to the full reviews from Classical Source and Bach Track. The production runs until 29th.
Opening night
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Opening night of RAO's Così fan tutte – toi toi to all!
Lewes preparation
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Rehearsing with both Steffan and Clare this week for next Thursday's recital in Lewes; really enjoying working on this gorgeous (albeit full-of-notes….) programme: Beethoven 3rd sonata and Schumann Fantasie-stücke with cello; Beethoven G major Romance and Franck sonata with violin.
Così: nearly there!
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Today's double-whammy piano dress for Così seemed to go well; both casts are going to be fantastic, and set and costumes look brilliant. Having played every note of the opera twice in a day, once for each cast (no mean feat!), it will be a relief to add orchestra into the equation tomorrow and therefore no longer have to play their role as well as playing recits.. Only have to think about recitative now, and pleased to confirm that we have fortepiano rather than harpsichord for these!
New commission
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Great first rehearsal today with James Turnbull on a new sonata for oboe and piano by Thomas Hewitt-Jones. We're recording it at Angel Studios in December as part of Tommy's latest disc. Love the piece!
BBC Radio 3 broadcast
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Just been asked to play on 'In Tune' live on BBC Radio 3 on Tuesday (16th), in a promotional slot for RAO's Così, which opens on 22nd. Ruth Jenkins, Katie Bray, Roberto Ortiz and Freddy Long will song arias and ensembles from the opera, and director John Cox and conductor Jane Glover will discuss the production. Listen in – 'In Tune' starts at 5pm, and we should be on c.6.15pm.
OLF composition workshop
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Back in Oxford yesterday for a composition workshop held as part of the Oxford Lieder Festival. Mezzo-soprano Ciara Hendrick and I had two days to learn half a dozen new songs composed by current music students at Oxford University as part of their composition portfolios, and we then workshopped these compositions in a two-hour session led by Dr Martin Harry. Well done to all six composers on some very accomplished and promising compositions: Nick Barstow (Song for a Nightmare), Huw Catchpole-Davies (Traversing the Centuries), Tom Chevis (The Small Brown Nun), David Hughes (Elegy XX – To His Mistress Going To Bed), Piers Kennedy (The Love of God), Stephanie MacGillivray (The Unknown Bird). What a joy to see good new song composition taking place! This event was an excellent addition to the already impressive OLF calendar this year.
Oxford Lieder Festival
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What a wonderful weekend at the Oxford Lieder Festival! It was an absolute delight to be back at my old stomping ground (I was heavily involved with the admin of the festival in its earlier days when I was in Oxford – a real eye-opener to the way such things run, and a truly formative experience in terms of living and breathing the song repertoire!). It was an inspiration this weekend to see Stefan Loges, James Gilchrist, Anna Grevelius, Sophie Daneman and festival director Sholto Kynoch performing Wolf's complete Mörike-Lieder – a rare treat and quite superlatively done. Well done to all the team there – this is a truly fantastic project, and now so firmly established as one of Europe's top centres of song. The festival runs until next weekend so head over to the Holywell Music Room if you find yourself in Oxford!