Clarkey

Clarkey is for Rebecca Clarke, viola player and composer, born in Harrow, England, trained at the RSM and RAM and one of the first female professional orchestral players. Alina Zamfir and Ella Luhtassaari performed Rebecca's Sonata for viola and piano at Wesley and it was a seriously fascinating piece, variously impetuous, pensive, rife with demanding techniques, impressionist and romantic. They also played Ernst Bloch, oddly confused with RC as a woman composer wasn't thought capable of writing this Sonata, and Frank Bridge. Alina is here with the CSO in an inaugural Kingsland Residency. Both she and Ella are eminently well trained in Australia and OS so serious playing. The music was, too: nothing here for the fainthearted. This was technically challenging. I particularly noticed quick, breathing crescendos and de-cs, but there was plenty more for both instruments and they carried it off with ease and a serious level of concentration. Thanks to Alina and Ella for the concert but also for the introduction to some very satisfying works for the viola.

Alina Zamfir (viola) and Ella Luhtasaari (piano) performed Clarke, Bloch and Bridge at Wesley.