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First Unitarian Church
June 14, 2015
"In California, they like to pigeonhole you. From the time I began working for Hitchcock, they decided I was a big suspense man. On other occasions, I've had fantasies of bittersweet romantic stories. I think I'd enjoy writing a good comedy score, but I've never had the luck to be offered such films. Mancini gets the cheerful ones."
Bernard Hermann spent most of his life writing scores for movies - most notably for Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock - and is regarded in some quarters as the most significant film composer of the Twentieth Century. One might imagine, then, that his non-movie music would occupy a different emotional space, perhaps even have comedic aspects.
On the evidence of Souvenirs de Voyage, Hermann's quintet for clarinet and strings, which closed Sunday's fascinating programme, nothing could be further from the truth.
Harmonically, the music is rooted in pre-1914 Europe - Brahms and Reger, who both wrote wonderful clarinet quintets, sprang to mind - and the abiding emotional impression is one of nostalgia.
Alain Desgagné, Terence Tam, Julian Vitek, Kenji Fuse and Laura Backstrom gave a wonderfully warm account of the piece, which I imagine was new to most people in the hall. The sheer sound of the ensemble, both individually and in concert, was gorgeous.
The opening movement had brooding undercurrents, whereas the second was somewhat lighter. The finale, although rather episodic in nature, featured some interesting, almost zigeuner passages by the two violins and even some quicker, more outgoing music.
While the overall mood of the three movements was undoubtedly similar, such was the quality of the performance that there was no impending sense of ennui.
I'd certainly love to hear more Hermann in concert - perhaps his suite for string quartet entitled Psycho?
The violin was Elgar's own instrument and it was apparently only the smallness of his tone which prevented his following a solo career.
In 1918 the Elgars relocated from London to Sussex and rented the cottage called "Brinkwells" where Elgar was to compose his last major works, including his only mature chamber music.
First to be completed - although begun after the string quartet - was the Violin Sonata, a work which has never established itself in the repertoire as firmly as the concerto.
Nevertheless, there is much to treasure in the sonata which was given a full-blooded performance by Terence Tam and Lorraine Min: the dramatic opening and the inimitably Elgarian second subject of the first movement; the lyricism of the second movement and its lovely close; the cantabile opening of the finale, which was forceful yet somehow also smiling - all combined into a reading of no little insight, which brought many listeners to their feet at its close.
This was indeed a performance to win the music new friends. And I trust that the organisers realise that having featured the Piano Quintet last season and the sonata this, they need to programme the String Quartet next year or risk seriously disappointing their audience - or, at any rate, one of them.
Max Bruch is today largely viewed as a "single work" composer, although the fact that said work is his Violin Concerto No.1 (my emphasis) should tell us something.
Sunday's programme opened with three of Bruch's Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, played by Desgagné, Fuse and Min.
Balances between the three and the overall blending of tone colours were irreproachable. The first piece was gently wistful, the second more turbulent and the seventh jovially skipped along in triple time.
I am sure I am not the only person in the hall who would happily have listened to the remaining five pieces, if performed by this trio.
A marvellous programme, superbly delivered.
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