Music Chamber

 

In a letter to Sir Henry Wood, John Ireland once described himself as "England's most laborious composer." More likely than not this was a typical Ireland exaggeration, and yet there is no denying the fact that, compared to some of his contemporaries, his output is relatively small. There are just ten chamber works in his catalogue. Always conscious of what he called the irrevocability of publication, he was known to have destroyed much early work. "A self-critical, introspective man, haunted by memories of a sad childhood".

 

 

“Hats off gentleman! A Genius!” So Robert Schumann hailed the young Chopin in 1831, the young Polish composer of an altogether new style of romantic piano music. Chopin is of course remembered for his exquisite polonaises, waltzes and mazurkas for solo piano. Yet Chopin’s creative spark was fostered in the private salons of Europe, where chamber music had its principal Patron. Here the virtuoso vocalists, violinists, cellists and pianists of the day made their reputations and honed their solo careers for the public concert platform. Chopin, together with Liszt, was the darling of the salon scene and the small number of chamber music pieces written for his friends offer the listener many fine examples of his genius. Chopin’s Piano Trio in g minor dates from the period preceding his first Viennese concert tour of 1829, while he was still a teenager. A neglected gem, its four movements have all the flavor of the mature composer and of course showcase the prowess of the pianist to full advantage. The first movement has a dramatic opening worthy of Beethoven but with the romantic yearning of Schumann. The piano, as it does throughout the work, dominates the discussion of this sonata Allegro movement allowing the cello and violin to color the music. The third movement Adagio presents a special moment in the work – a freely evolving cantabile spiced with the exotic flavors of Chopinesque ornamentation. The piano, violin and cello achieve an equal status, each daring to stretch the listener’s attention as they take turn to decorate the melody in ever more complex metrical variations. The daring of the Adagio is offset by a gentle Allegretto finale. It is filled with characteristic dance tunes that displace the beat and offer a folksy glimpse at Chopin’s Polish background.

 

Eulalie Charland is a violinist with an international performance and teaching profile. Eulalie’s great love is chamber music, and in 2002, she founded the Aquilon Ensemble, incorporating instruments flexibly to facilitate eclectic programming of standard and contemporary repertoire. The ensemble now performs widely throughout the UK and Europe, with a recording for Radio France’s broadcast Le Matin des Musiciens with pianist Maiko Mori in May 2010. Eulalie studied at the RCM with Yossi Zivoni, where she won the Director’s Prize. She now teaches violin at the University of Chichester and is a chamber music coach at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Maiko Mori is a Japanese pianist whose career has steadily grown since her first prize in 2002 at the 23rd Robert William and Florence Amy Brant International Piano Competition. Maiko made her orchestral debut in the UK with the RCM Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko and quickly went on to debut internationally with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra in India. Among her recent performances, she has enjoyed acclaim at prestigious venues such as the Purcell Room at London’s South Bank Centre, Bridgewater Hall, Steinway Hall, St Lawrence Jewry, St James's Piccadilly and St Martin-in-the-Fields. Lawrence Durkin studied at the RCM with Melissa Phelps, Moray Welsh and Leonid Gorokhov, where he was supported by the Constant and Kit Lambert, Jacqueline Ward and Astor Awards. He made his concerto debut in 2003 performing Haydn’s Concerto in C with the London Pro Arte Orchestra. Until 2009 Lawrence was the cellist in the Harpham String Quartet. He now gives recitals with the Janos String Trio who recently performed at the Leeds International Chamber Music Series, St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh and St. James’s Piccadilly. Other highlights include a concert of works by Mark-Anthony Turnage, recorded and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 in 2008. Lawrence currently teaches at St. Georges College in Surrey, Latymer School in Edmonton and Dame Alice Owens School in Hertfordshire. He plays a cello made in Paris by Charles Buthod circa 1880.