[concert] Stravinsky / Ravel, Kettle's Yard, 8th May
Monday, May 11th, 2009 12:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaranthAlexandra Reid (violin), Hester Crombie (piano): Stravinsky's Suite Italienne and Ravel's Sonate pour violon et piano.
Suite Italienne (based on themes from the ballet Pulcinella) is 'Stravinsky at his most neoclassical', says Reid, but still rather too modern for me -- not objectionably so, but choppy and dissonant in places. I much preferred the Ravel, though the three movements didn't seem connected -- the Allegretto reminded me of Debussy, the Blues section of Gershwin's Summertime, and Perpetuum Mobile of Holst or maybe Saint-Saens. Some really interesting passages but the violin and piano didn't always seem to be working together.
My RFH concerts are usually appreciated from seats in the choir, behind the orchestra, so it's a rare treat to see a soloist's face. Reid's sheer surprised joy in the music was marvellous.
Suite Italienne (based on themes from the ballet Pulcinella) is 'Stravinsky at his most neoclassical', says Reid, but still rather too modern for me -- not objectionably so, but choppy and dissonant in places. I much preferred the Ravel, though the three movements didn't seem connected -- the Allegretto reminded me of Debussy, the Blues section of Gershwin's Summertime, and Perpetuum Mobile of Holst or maybe Saint-Saens. Some really interesting passages but the violin and piano didn't always seem to be working together.
My RFH concerts are usually appreciated from seats in the choir, behind the orchestra, so it's a rare treat to see a soloist's face. Reid's sheer surprised joy in the music was marvellous.
