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British Music Society

The disc provides a set of world premiere recordings from some of the finest of the UK’s contemporary composers and performers. In Rhapsody by Geoffrey Poole, virtuosity shines throughout this work tempered with emotional intensity yet equally balanced against movements of song like quality and stillness. Throughout its challenges Madeline Mitchell’s tone is balanced by the wonderful accompaniment of Nigel Clayton on piano. It seems a truly inspired work and totally convincing performance of it.

The Violin Concerto – Soft stillness by Guto Puw is set in two movements, instead of the usual three. What a beautiful, tense, beginning there is to this work, the solo violin, drawing the listener in, before we’re taken into the 1st movement proper. Inspired by lines from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (famous from Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music) the compositional result is a tremendously effective work. The terrific orchestral playing from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Edwin Outwater, provides a powerful accompaniment to the virtuosic, intense power of the soloist. The orchestration is truly wonderful; at times open and spare, allowing the violin to weave its way in and out of the texture, whilst at other times, taut with psychological tension. The slow orchestral intro to the 2nd movement, with some beautifully toned solo playing, takes us to a completely different tonal world. This one, haunting in reflective beauty, with once again, inspired scoring, melodic and harmonic invention which is brought to a gentle close, by a long drawn out note, dying away, thus leaving us, well, leaving us to reflect and breath once more.

David Matthews’ Romanza was commissioned and premiered by Mitchell and Clayton and it is truly a composition where both players are almost equal partners, in their musical exploits! Even from the outset, the two instruments, discuss, parry each other in a musical dual, also, sharing each other’s melodic and harmonic feelings. In the dance, a waltz, which a major part of the work holds a number of surprises and absolutely magnificent it is too.

Aurea Luce by Sadie Harrison is based on a plainsong melody, sung for the Feast of St Peter’s chair, in Rome, where the actual premiere took place. From the beautiful entrance of the violin, we enter a musical space of thoughtful reflection. The violin spins its mystical magic, by stating the melody, whilst bare chordal piano supports it. This work is totally convincing as a work of musical art, as it is taking us into an intense, but also intimate imagination. Atlantic Drift by Judith Weir is a set of three short pieces for two violins in which Mitchell is joined by Cerys Jones. All have the sound of Scotland in them though all are not authentic tunes. Michael Berkeley’s Veilleuse (Nightwatch) was written in 1997 for Madeleine Mitchell. It is a somewhat melancholic work, but also quite restless too, with passages of such intense power bursting out, sometimes catching the listener off guard completely – terrific stuff!

The final work on this recording is Taking it as Read by Michael Nyman. Composed in two short movements is a truly delightful work, and a pleasure for one’s auditory nerves and heart, in equal measure. Both Mitchell and Clayton are totally in tune – no pun intended – with the composers’ thoughts and inspirational expression. With these two short movements, they bring the listener to a conclusion of a really expressive and creative project – 7 composers works written for superb violinist Madeleine Mitchell; throughout her playing is a total wonder.
Peter Byrom-Smith