Vivacity

The concert was entitled Vivacious. It certainly must have been active for a day or two before as one performer was sick and the program and even the handout had to be redone. Katherine was introducing Faure Sicilienne saying she's expect to play it better than when she learn it as a kid. No doubt she did (her performance sounded nothing like the work of an early player) but I guess that meant it was a late insertion. None the less, they did great. The soloists were Fiona Dickson on flute and Katherine Wilkinson on cello, with Anthony Smith piano accompaniment. Katherine played Pergolesi, Faure and Beethoven sonata no.3 Amaj for cello and piano. Fiona played Debussy and Bartok. A varied program in time although with several songs of historical or geographical interest. Anthony is a master and always on form. Fiona and Katherine were each excellent in commitment, interpretation, dynamics. I think the Beethoven was my favourite, although the Debussy was airy and playful, even if some related to tombs or rattlesnake dancers. The invocation of Pan at the start must have carried over to the rest. It's a great pleasure to have Wesley and lunchtime concert like this on the doorstep and this was a notable example.

Fiona Dickson (flute), Katherine Wilkinson (cello) performed duets with Anthony Smith (piano) at Wesley Music Centre.

Havana to Buenos Aires

The concert was called Dancing through the seasons. The dancing was Habanera (meaning from Havana, Cuba) and tango, a double time with dotted first beat, developed from the European Contradanse and the local black African influences. Tango was a further development, and Piazzolla is probably its greatest exponent. So, various combinations of piano, flute and cello playing Habaneras and Tangos, and so nicely played. The music was infectious from the first notes. Emily opened with two piano solo pieces, and I could feel the incipient thrills from the very first note, followed by those understated but necessarily precise followers. First up, Bizet with his Habanera form Carmen. Everyone knows it. I loved how she played with a wonderful stolidity. Stolid is a frequent pejorative, but not here. This stolid wrung passion and dignified despair in firm and determined emotions. Lovely. Then Albeniz Tango in D. Another pop tango hit: relatively playful and pensive rather than emotive. Fiona came for Ravel Piece en forme de Habanera, a more complex piece with a modernist lilt and pastoral reflection. Then the major work, Piazzolla Four seasons of Buenos Aires. These are four pieces brought together as one wokr by arranger and friend Jose Bragato. I'm seldom clear in matching the outside world to music and this is not much different, but nonetheless this music is a huge pleasure. Four seasons, starting with Summer, all sudden changes and clearly repeating chords and enigmatic melodies and dense passion and that underlying tango groove (even if the frequent changes make dancing implausible). I've heard Buenos Aires' Maria and seasons and various other Piazzolla and I can only hear it as a massive seduction for the city. Seduction: that seems right for the tango and habanera. This concert was that, in performance and surely in the music. A great pleasure.

Fiona Dickson (flute), Katherine Wilkinson (cello) and Emily Buckley (piano) performed habaneras and tangos of Bizet, Albeniz, Ravel and Piazzolla at Wesley.