Back to HOMEPAGE Hebrides Ensemble and Christopher Maltman
Queens Hall, 20th August 09. Edinburgh International Festival
Review
James Irvine
Editor: www.land-care.org.uk
Filed 25 Aug 09
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Debussy (arr. Schoenberg and Sachs). Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faun.
Berg (arr. Berg). Chamber Concerto: Adagio.
Mahler (arr. Schoenberg). Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen.
Interval
Schoenberg (arr. Webern). Chamber Symphony No 1 in E Op 9.
Strauss (ii) (arr. Schoenberg). Rosen aus dem Suden.
What attracted me to this concert was the opportunity to hear Christopher Maltman: baritone with superb voice together with sensitive and intelligent musicianship. Mahler's Leider eines fahrenden Gesellen should suit him ideally. It certainly did. Schoenberg's arrangement of the accompaniment for a small ensemble in place of an orchestra was true to the intention of Mahler. The Edinburgh based Hebrides Ensemble played it superbly with great empathy between instrumentalists and voice. Alexander Janiczek was violin1, Willam Conway was cello, Andrew Nicholson was flute and Stella McCracken was oboe - to mention but some. It was truly a beautiful performance and the highlight of the concert.
The audience undoubtedly wanted more of Maltman, but sadly that is all we were allowed.
For me the rest of the concert came under the category of 'also ran', ranging from the irritating to the quietly amusing. The arrangement by Schoenberg (and one of his pupils) of Debussy's Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faun was not an improvement on the original: far from it. For one thing a piano could never provide a suitable substitute for the harp in this exquisite piece.
Berg's arrangement of his own Chamber Concerto: Adagio for smaller forces might be described by some as hypnotic, but it did little for me.
I found the arrangement of Schoenberg's Chamber Symphony No 1 in E Op 9 by his pupil Webern to be an irritating cacophony.
Fortunately, the concert ended with a light-hearted arrangement by Schoenberg of Rosen aus dem Suden: a waltz by Johan Strauss (ii), the waltz king. It would seem that Schoenberg, given a good tune, could write using conventional harmonies when he wanted to. But in the absence of a tune his compositions seemed to lack both structure and meaning, degenerating into discord for the sake of discord.
But I was happy enough. My purpose had been achieved. I had heard Maltman sing Mahler accompanied by the highly regarded Hebrides Ensemble.
©www.land-care.org.uk
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