THERE’S
nothing quite like the autumnal glow of Brahms’s late chamber works to warm the
heart, and they were a timely part of the opening concert in Manchester Chamber
Concerts Society’s 79th annual season.
It was a
delight, too, to have the society’s artistic director, Martin Roscoe, himself
appearing on the opening bill, in a piano trio with clarinettist James Campbell
and cellist Ralph Kirshbaum.
Brahms was
balanced with Beethoven in their programme, opening with the latter’s Clarinet
Trio in B flat op. 11. It began with perfect manners on all sides,
self-effacement almost the order of the day, which is probably Martin Roscoe’s
trademark as a musician as much as anyone’s (and to be admired).
But that
didn’t detract from the music’s impact, and when it came to the slow movement
both clarinet and cello brought pure magic to the restful melody that leads it.
Canadian James Campbell is an amazing player –
poised, unaffected and eloquent, and Ralph Kirshbaum is still a favourite with Manchester
His singing
tone in the upper register of the cello is something you don’t easily forget:
we heard it to best advantage in the other Beethoven piece, his Cello Sonata in
A major op. 69. That had a touch of manic quality in its scherzo and
wonderfully positive ending.
The Brahms
works were the second Clarinet Sonata of op. 120, tender and captivatingly
lyrical in James Campbell’s rendering, with a finely judged shade of passion at
the highpoint of its finale, and the Trio in A minor for clarinet, cello and
piano, which ended the evening.
It’s a
little gem of nostalgic writing (one of the last things he created), and this
interpretation captured its atmosphere to the full, with gracefulness and
mellow expression sustained through to the end.
The MCCS’s
programmes continue this autumn with the Escher String Quartet (October 12) and
a recital by tenor James Gilchrist (November 9), before Nicholas Daniel and the
Britten Oboe Quartet appear on December 9.
****
Robert
Beale
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