PETWORTH FESTIVAL 2020 / Concert Reviews IV

Thursday 22 October 2020

MILOS KARADAGLIC, Guitar

 

It is amazing to ponder that the Balkan republic of Montenegro, with a population of just over 600 thousand, can boast the talents of pro footballers Mirko Vucinic and Stevan Jovetic, the dear mutual friend of Neil Franks and mine – pianist Boris Kraljevic - and possibly the world’s most popular classical guitarist Milos Karadaglic. He came to Britain as a teenager, studying in the Royal Academy of Music before becoming a recording star and global sensation. His hour-long recital was a world tour of popular guitar repertoire that spanned the entire spectrum of the instrument’s capabilities.

 

Spanish music came first with a set comprising Granados’ Andaluza (Spanish Dance No.5, also known as a piano piece), Tarrega’s Lagrima (Teardrop, a short piece of quiet reflection and melancholy), Falla’s Dance of the Miller’s Wife (from The Three-Cornered Hat), replete with its vigorous orchestral effects. From the greatest Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos came his five famous Preludes, written for Andres Segovia, displaying a kaleidoscopic range of colours and moods which Milos keenly lapped up.

 

Keen in exploring myriad aspects of guitarism, there were two transcriptions by Japanese contemporary great  Toru Takemitsu of popular songs: Harold Arlen’s  Over The Rainbow (from The Wizard of Oz) and Lennon-McCartney’s Yesterday. The melodies may be unforgettable to say the least but the harmonies employed were unusual, even exotic, resounding beautifully in Milos’ hands.

 

The most substantial work on the programme was perhaps the least familiar (except for guitar aficionados), the Italian guitarist-composer Carlo Domeniconi’s Coyunbaba Suite. The work is unusual as it requires special tuning to relive an Oriental mode in the key of C sharp minor, with its four linked movements influenced by Turkish music. Milos cast a hypnotic spell with this mesmerising music, which traversed from quiet contemplation to white-hot passion and ecstacy. The guitar is an instrument which shares the most private and intimate of thoughts, and rarely has it secrets been so trenchantly revealed.  

 

 

Friday 23 October 2020

 

PATTI BOULAYE – ARETHA AND ME

 

Popular music is so ubiquitous that you recognise the songs even if you did not know what they were called. Such were my impressions when tuning in to British-Nigerian singer Patti Boulaye’s personal tribute to legendary American singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin. Aretha’s songs are so well covered that the originals are sometimes forgotten. Patti’s natural ability and enthusiasm is infectious, which translated well for The Queen of Soul’s standards like Think, I Say A Little Prayer, Spanish Harlem, Son of A Preacher Man, I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You and Baby I Love You.

 

Not everything heard this evening was by Aretha. There was Etta James’ I’d Rather Go Blind and At Last, and Bessie Smith’s Kitchen Man, which are of the similar genre. The less said about the cover of Nessun Dorma (from Puccini’s Turandot), the better. Pavarotti she is not, but at least Patti did it her way. Far more convincing was Dat’s Love or the Habanera from Carmen Jones (Bizet’s opera from the hood), which was more her kind of thing. Best of all was Amina from Patti’s musical Sun Dance which simply oozed the African vibe. Patti was ably accompanied by music director Alan Rogers who manned all the keyboards and extra sound effects.

 

The bewitching hour closed with more Aretha: Chain of Fools, Save Me and You Make Feel Like A Natural Woman, familiar favourites sealing an incredibly lively show for someone who’s mighty proud of being a grandma. Did someone say she is 66 years old? That is simply astonishing.  

 

 

Saturday 24 October 2020

 

CHARLES OWEN &

KATYA APEKISHEVA, Piano Duo

 

The final concert is this wonderful week at the Petworth Festival was a piano four hands recital by the duo of Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva. Both pianists are the co-directors of the London Piano Festival at King’s Place, an annual event which I must attend sometime during my lifetime, and I even own a couple of their CD recordings. Their Petworth offering was not Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring or Rachmaninov’s Suites but a Classical-Romantic affair which made more sense in the space of St Mary’s Church.

Charles Owen waxes lyrical about
Beethoven and Schubert.

 

Beethoven’s Sonata in D major (Op.6) is an early work in just two short movements. The vigour and brio stirred in his spirit came immediately to the fore, which made interesting contrasts with Schubert’s Rondo in A major (D.951). This was a late work composed in his final year, one blessed with an unremitting congeniality. As rondos go, this was not the usual jolly dance but a gentle portrait of polite Biedermeier sensibilities. The duo, technically adroit but totally sensitive at every turn, gave a most musical reading which can scarcely be bettered.

 

Then came the substantial Brahms set, opening with his Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann (Op.23, and not Op.9 which is a totally different piece for two hands), based on a late piece written during Schumann’s final throes of insanity. This is the same theme of Schumann’s Geistervariationen (Ghost Variations), but Brahms’ is the far more interesting set, and the duo’s imaginative take sealed the deal. The 16 Waltzes (Op.39) may be considered amateur fodder, but it takes superior musicians to do the myriad subtleties full justice, which was what we got from Charles and Katya.

 

Charles and Katya could not have had a more
sympathetic page-turner than Neil Franks,
pianophile & Chairman of the Petworth Festival.

To close were four popular Hungarian Dances heard in their original form for piano four hands. Brahms was not a striver for authenticity (unlike Bartok and Kodaly) but he fully understood the Magyar gypsy spirit which comes alive in his 21 showpieces. For the record, the duo performed Nos.1, 7, 6 and 5, which are the best-known ones with all the beloved tunes. As they say, all good things must come to an end, but this had been a most enjoyable week of music, and the 2021 Petworth Festival cannot come any sooner!

 

A FEW WORDS WITH NEIL FRANKS, CHAIRMAN OF THE PETWORTH FESTIVAL

SOME WORDS WITH NEIL FRANKS

Chairman of the Petworth Festival

 

Concert life has been severely disrupted by the global Covid-19 pandemic. Yet the Petworth Summer Music Festival goes on, but now in autumn! As they say, Keep Calm and Carry On!  How was this feat made possible?

 

We are in the most capable hands of one of the UK’s foremost Artistic Directors, Stewart Collins. Stewart was able to retain some of the finest names from our Summer festival with their agreement to perform here in October. It is also thanks to the great generosity of our array of individual and corporate sponsors who have so kindly stayed with us to allow us to keep the festival going

 

 

The music programme is now shorter and serves as a prelude to the Petworth Literary Festival. But what a mouth-watering selection of artists your team has gathered. Mitsuko Uchida, the Kanneh-Masons, Howard Shelley, Tasmin Little and the celebrity names goes on. What persuaded them to join the festival?

 

There are obviously very few concerts taking place around the world at the moment, especially in the main concert halls, London being no exception. We are fortunate to be able to hold our concerts in our usual venue which is St Mary’s Church in the historic West Sussex town of Petworth. Our festival is in its 42^nd year and has great regional support and a reputation for presenting some of the finest musicans, and so a combination of our history aswell as our ability to stream the concerts puts us, and consequently our musicians, on the global stage during this time in which musicians are unable to travel to present their performances as they usually do

 

 

Was it difficult to coax them to make the journey to West Sussex?

 

It sounds as though we’re remote, but in fact we’re only a one hour train journey from London!

 

 

There will be live performances at Petworth’s historical venues, such as in St Mary’s Church (above), in addition to a now-ubiquitous online presence. How do live performances move you, as contrasted with streamed online concerts?

 

As a life-long consumer of music, I have missed live performances very much indeed, as has everyone, and so I can’t wait to sit in St Mary’s and listen to these spectacular artists. The church has great acoustics, and we have the benefit of a wonderful Steinway concert grand piano. We have all survived on streamed performances for many months which has been the only option,  but also considering the fact that musicians have also missed live performances, we can be sure that the experience will be as moving for the musicians as it will be for our audiences. That will undoubtedly result in some memorable performances. We have already seen examples of the extraordinary expression and emotion from musicians in the very few concerts they have been able to present this year.  

 

Now here is a tough question: Which concerts would you pick as personal favourites for your global online audience to attend?

 

Indeed this is a hard question to answer, but the opportunity to hear members of Britain’s most famous young musical family, the Kanneh-Masons (below), is a great privilege. They will be performing much of the programme they played at this year’s Proms which was very moving, even in its “virtual” form, and so to hear them perform that programme live (especially the Rachmaninov Cello Sonata!) is going to be very special. I would highly recommend all music lovers to stream this event. I’m also very much looking forward to Mitsuko Uchida’s performance. As I mentioned earlier, the acoustics at St Mary’s, together with the magnificent Steinway Concert grand, is a very special combination. Of course the whole festival will be special but these are two of the highlights for me!

 

But don’t forget that this year, we’re combining with our Literary Festival during which we will be presenting talks from great writers and personalities such as the highly acclaimed journalist, Martin Bell, author Michael Morpurgo, Anthony Horowitz, one of the UK’s most versatile storytellers. So as you can see, we’re cramming in a huge amount into two weeks!

 

 

After your return to UK in 2013 following a long and successful business career in Singapore, how did you get to become the Chairman of the Petworth Festival? Can we in Singapore claim some credit for this?

 

Singapore was very much our home for 30 years and we had no idea where in England we might like to live, but we stumbled across this part of the country by pure chance, and it’s glorious countryside that includes the famous South Downs National Park, and historic towns including Petworth. We then discovered this rather wonderful festival. My predecessor had presided over the festival for ten years and was keen to find a replacement. Somehow he and his colleagues discovered we’d suddenly arrived from far-away places, and that music happened to be my favourite subject!

 

Singapore can most certainly claim significant credit as I had many great musical friends there through my years of singing with the Singapore Symphony Chorus as well as piano lessons with the most excellent teachers, Benjamin Loh and Boris Kraljevic. Singapore is obviously very much on the global stage and the numerous concerts and musical experiences kept me in touch with music at the highest level. I felt very fortunate that we were able to enjoy such great venues, of course especially the wonderful Esplanade!

 

 

I have always regarded the Petworth Music Festival to be one of England’s best kept secrets, but surely this is changing. Your comments?

 

We are a small town, but have a great cultural heritage including the world-famous Turner collection on display at Petworth House, one of the country’s many grand country houses, built in the 17^th Century. The town is also of national repute for its art galleries and antique shops. The festival enjoys the great support of the local communities that fill every concert and so, whilst our long history of great artistic directors has enabled us to invite such marvellous musicians, perhaps we haven’t had to draw people from far and wide. The miracle we’ve discovered this year is that there is now no limit to our audience capacity thanks to the technology of streaming, hence our efforts to let the entire world know about our rather special festival!

 

It is now not just an opportunity to let the world know about our festival, it is also our obligation to do everything we can to support musicians now and into the future. We fully intend to continue to present an array of great and famous names, but at the same time we will do everything we can to offer performance opportunities for young musicians. Our association with The Royal Academy of Music already provides that platform for some very fine young musicians from around the world

 

I must re-iterate that it is very much thanks to the support of our wonderful sponsors that allows us to present a festival of this calibre. Those sponsors consist of local families aswell as companies. As you might imagine, this festival is a year-round task, and so 2021 plans are well underway even before 2020 has taken place

 

The icing on the cake for this year’s festival will be if music and book lovers from Singapore tune into our concerts and talks!

 

TWO GLORIOUS DAYS AT THE PETWORTH FESTIVAL / Part I

TWO GLORIOUS DAYS

AT THE PETWORTH FESTIVAL

Preamble

It all began with my longtime piano-playing, chorus-singing and fellow Lyric Opera board-member Neil Franks retired and headed back to the home countries. Having served his due in Singapore for the previous thirty years, it was a glorious retirement to being a piano student once again, and amongst many other things becoming the Chairman of the Petworth Festival.

Neil Franks in his Aston Martin,
James Bond mobile without the red button!

“You must come!” he almost pleaded and the summer of 2018, which coincided with the festival’s 40^th anniversary, seemed the most opportune moment for me. A trip combining the BBC Proms, several concerts at Wigmore Hall and a weekend in the rolling downs of West Sussex was eminently do-able, and so I came. The Petworth Festival is a two-and-a-half week long summer music festival, held  in various historical venues of a typically English town. The bright lights of London are far away, and there are no McDonalds or Starbucks (or tall buildings for that matter) to be found for miles, it was an ideal setting for great music and the arts within an intimate setting.

For the record, within two all-too-short days, I attended more concerts in the Petworth Festival than in five years of the music-impoverished Singapore Arts Festival or whatever its called these days.

FRIDAY 20 JULY 2018

Parkhurst House, near Lurgashall.

Its only an hour on British southwest rail from Wimbledon to Haslemere, Surrey which was my entry-point into West Sussex. Met by Neil in his James Bond convertible, we made to Parkhurst House, his manor home near Lurgashall, overlooking miles of undulating countryside – and flocks of sheep! Before long, it was time for the first concert, a lunchtime gig held at the 160-seat Leconfield Hall (the old town hall)  in the old market square of Petworth itself.

Leconfield Hall is at the heart
of Petworth town itself.

Bloomsbury Quartet

12 noon, Leconfield Hall

Four young ladies in bright crimson gowns could not have given a more serious programme of music, something that would quite at home at Wigmore Hall itself. Beginning with Beethoven’s Quartet in F major (Op.95), nicknamed “Serioso”, that set the tone for the rest of the hour-long concert. They produced a robust tone and exhibited an immaculate togetherness. This was Beethoven with passion, oozing from every muscle and sinew. Then it switched to Stravinsky’s Three Pieces, alternating rhythmic vigour with strident discords, modernism without apology and a refreshing palate-cleanser from conventional Beethoven.

My first live encounter with Benjamin Britten’s Second String Quartet was an illuminating experience. Whoever thought that the master of dissonance and grit himself could accomodate his idiom to yield music that felt vulnerable and so touchingly human? First on the to do list: listen it on recording again. My last encounter with Britten’s quartets dated to the late 1980s: Quartet No.3 with the Chilingirian Quartet at Victoria Concert Hall, an unforgettable performance. This one came pretty close.

The quartet’s second violinist looked Asian, and she turned out to be Singapore’s Janell Yeo, some ten years after winning the $200K HSBC Youth Excellence Award. I had written about her in these pages ages ago and had wondered what happened with her. As her obviously proud mother regaled, Janell has since graduated from the Royal Academy of Music (the quartet was formed by its alumni) and gone on to philanthropic work alongside a busy music career. Giving back to society is something to be truly proud about.

Stained glass and altar piece
at St Mary The Virgin

Steven Isserlis and Tom Poster

7.30 pm, St Mary’s Church

The parish church of St.Mary the Virgin stands as the consecrated centre of Petworth, just beside the sprawling grounds of Petworth House. Its history date back to the 14^th century, and the faded gravestones littering its yard attest to its antiquity. It is over these gravestones that modern visitors traipse and enjoy drinks before the concert proper, one of the highlights of this festival.

Cellist Steven Isserlis needs no introduction having played many times in Singapore, his salt-and-pepper Rattlesque curls and their movements being almost as memorable as his performances themselves. The Canadian pianist Connie Shih had been replaced by young Briton Tom Poster but that made little difference. The programme of German and French music, headlined by Schumann, Faure and Franck, was to be a enjoyable and melody-filled one.

Notably, the music of two women composers – Clara Schumann and Augusta Holmes – were included. These are, of course, less familiar than those of their male counterparts (and main squeezes) but does gender make them any less worthy? The performances by Isserlis and Poster proved that there is no such thing as male or female music, only good music matters. The programme’s longest work was the Cesar Franck Sonata in A major, and it received a throroughly accomplished reading, not least in its ever-busy piano part. Reminded to self: better start practising!

TWO GLORIOUS DAYS AT THE PETWORTH FESTIVAL / Part II

SATURDAY 21 JULY 2018

Waking to the sound of sheep has to be the best part of living in the country. For the first time in goodness only knows, a late wakening seems no longer a guilty pleasure but something well earned, Looking out through my loft window, for miles as the eye can see, there were no high rise buildings, telephone poles, no sound of railways or flying planes; this must be heaven on earth. Neil and Debbie, this beats Bukit Damai by far, you lucky devils!

Florian Mitrea Piano Recital

12 noon, Leconfield Hall

Neil has been receiving instruction from the young Romanian pianist Florian Mitrea, faculty member at the Royal Academy and multiple prizewinner at many international piano competitions. Despite the travails of the hall’s Boston grand piano (the hall really should invest in a proper Steinway), Florian does not disappoint.

In a programme consisting of all minor key works, Haydn provided a light start. His Sonata in E minor had both wit and seriousness in equal measure. Then came the more heavy-duty Mozart Sonata in A minor (K.310) and Mitrea took it at a less hectic pace which people are more accustomed to, and that was refreshing. The Rondo in A minor (K.511) was slightly faster than expected but in truth, one should not drag out this gem too much. Ironically this “simple” work gave him the most challenges, both technically and interpretively, but this was still a good reading. 

As if to prove his virtuoso credentials, the Prokofiev Third Sonata in A minor showed he could mix it in with the best of them, but here the clattery and less-than-responsive piano let his brilliant fingers down. His encore was marvelous: Schubert’s Hungarian Melody in B minor played with the right lilt and charm.

At lunch we were joined at the historic Angel Inn by the Chinese pianist Ji Liu and his family. Ji had just played a recital two nights ago at St Mary’s Church, and by all accounts, it was brilliant. I had hear his latest CD, titled Fire and Water, and there was much to recommend about it.

The lovely walk on cobbled road to
St Mar's Church in Petworth.

Come Sing With Abba

3 pm, St. Mary’s Church

This was a do-it-yourself Abba song concert featuring community singing, led by chorusmaster Ben Parry and his band. Imagine going to church and be handed a song sheet which had neither Amazing Grace, Abide With Me nor When I Survey The Wondrous Cross on it, but Dancing Queen, Money Money Money and Mamma Mia instead, this is what you get. The chorus, seated in the pews, had been earlier coached by Parry on the parts and this song concert was the result. The irrepressible Parry led the flock, with Freya Parry (his wife or sister?) providing the solo singing and touch of glamour.

So this is what the Church of England has come to. To pack the masses in, drop the liturgy and frocks, bring on the flair and Thank You For The Music. Needless to say, it was lively and upbeated, definitely helped by some sixty-somethings attired in sequinned outfits, bell-bottomed pants and blonde wigs. If you weren’t clapping along and transfixed with a wide smile, you’d be better off attending a Pollini or Perahia concert.

It's true that blondes have more fun!

Min Kym Violin Recital

with Ian Brown, Piano

7.30 pm, Champs Hill Music Room

Now I’ve been a huge fan of Champs Hill Records for some years (and have reviewed more of their recordings in the pages of The Straits Times than any other indie label besides Hyperion), and have always wanted to visit the famous Music Room of Champs Hill estate, which serves as both concert and recording venue. Its a small but intimate venue, with three walls plastered with classic paintings, the perfect setting for the enjoyment of great music. Its spacious grounds and gardens are littered with sculptures, surrounded by flowers and wooded greenery, and it already feelis inspiration by just being there.

Min Kym (or Min Jin Kim) is already well-known, having penned a best-selling book called Gone, about the trials and tribulations of growing up as a Korean child prodigy, and the added stress of having your Stradivarius nicked right under your nose. She produces a lovely sound in Brahms’ First Sonata in G major (Op.78) and truly comes into her own in Bartok’s First Rhapsody where she literally tears into the music without fear or trepidation. In Faure’s soaring First Sonata in A major, her lyricism and agility are in full flow, with pianist Brown scrambling to catch up. The reading was not perfect, but it had lot of heart.

Imagine the surprise when it came to autograph time. I had one CD (Gone the album) for Kym to sign and 23 sleeves for the vastly experienced Brown on those wonderful Nash Ensemble recordings collected over the decades. And I also got to meet Lady Mary Bowerman, the owner of Champs Hill itself. And there is no better place to buy Champs Hill recordings from Champs Hill itself!

Meeting Lady Bowerman,
owner of Champs Hall.

SUNDAY 22 JULY 2018

Les adieux

And there is no better way than to wake up to the sound of migratory geese. And they are right outside in the fields of Parkhurst House together with the sheep. Alas, two days were far too short to do justice to the treasures of the Petworth Festival. I had barely scratched the surface, and have not even stepped into the National Trust listed Petworth House, home of the Leconfields, nor ventured beyond the Petworth itself. More pleasures await. That means another visit, hopefully a longer one, is in order for the near future. As I return to London, my heartfelt thanks go to Neil Franks and his family for his hospitality, generosity and friendship.

SSO @ BBC PROMS / Review, Report and Reactions

Here are The Straits Times reviews and reports of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra's recent BBC Proms debut on 2 September 2014. Needless to say, the national orchestra covered itself with pride and made the nation proud of its achievements. Above is the ST review by fellow music reviewer Mervin Beng on 4 September. By the way, shouldn't the byline read "SSO sizzles" rather than "SSO sizzle"?

Also included is the official report by ST arts writer Lisabel Ting on 5 September, which quotes the Facebook of Minister for Culture, Communications and Youth Lawrence Wong who was in London for the concert.

He had posted this photo of the audience reaction at the end of the concert, which showed a Singapore flag being proudly flown... by a British gentleman Neil Franks Esq. who had lived in Singapore for 30 years before returning to England. 

Here is Neil Franks's letter to The Straits Times forum page on 6 September declaring his pride to have enjoyed and appreciated the Singapore's music scene over the years.

Here's another photo of the Singapore flag
proudly flown at the Royal Albert Hall
(Photo: Courtesy of  Mr Goh Yew Lin)

... and my letter to The Straits Times in the hope that some day, a Singaporean composer's work gets played by the SSO the next time it gets invited to the BBC Proms. This is followed by SSO General Manager Anthony Brice's reply, which does give some hope for the future. Let's hope that the BBC bites!

LAST NIGHT OF THE BUKIT DAMAI PROMS: The End of an Era

All good things have to come to an end sometime. The musical community of Singapore bade a touching farewell to an institution that has come to represent a happy confluence of the professional and amateur piano communities in Singapore. After spending 30 extremely fruitful years in Singapore, Neil Franks and his wife Debbie are returning to England. For the record, Neil has been very active in the amateur music making scene in Singapore, having been a tenor in the International Festival Chorus and Singapore Symphony Chorus (besides being its coach in the Hebrew language for Schoenberg's A Survivor from Warsaw), and a Director of the Singapore Lyric Opera. The Franks have also held fund-raising musical events in aid of the Singapore Lyric Opera in their home. 

The Friday evening of 22 February marked an end to an era of happy music making in 7 Royal Road, the historic black and white mansion on Alexandra Park known as Bukit Damai. There was music-making galore to be sure. The programme below gives an indication to the pain-staking efforts put in by the host Neil Franks in trying to get six pianists together for a musical bash.

The evening began with Neil Franks and his teacher 
Boris Kraljevic in two Slavonic Dances (Op.72)  by Dvorak.

Neil with Etienne Chenevier in Carl Bohm's Brise Printaniere. 
for 8 hands on 2 pianos.

Boris Kraljevic performed the only solo of the evening, 
Debussy's Bruyeres.

The audience's view of the Fantasy on Themes 
from Bizet's Carmen, arranged by Mack Wilberg.

TL and Boris played the second piano part of  
Rossini's William Tell Overture

Silly fun for 6 hands, Godard's Scaramouche 
arranged by John Rippin.

David Mayo and Ed Manser with  The Hippopotamus and 
I Went To a Marvellous  Party by Flanders and Swann, 
accompanied by Neil on the piano.

Truly the Last Night of the Bukit Damai Proms, 
with Elgar's Pomp and Circumcision March No.1 (Neil's title), 
the Land of Hope and Glory.

Pianophiles unite: Boris, Benjamin Loh, Neil and TL.

Till we meet again!