Timothy Ridout in Mozart & Hummel with Academy of St Martin within the Fields plus Rossini & a Weber symphony

We started with Rossini’s String Sonata No. 1 in G main, written when he was simply 12 for the quirky line-up of two violins, cello and bass, initially for his patron and household to play. These stay pleasant works for the best way the younger Rossini was already capable of make the melody line sing, but in addition for his chutzpah in avoiding counterpoint and for giving the contrabass a far greater function than ordinary, resulting in some actual comedy moments.

The opening motion was very a lot primarily based across the singing line of the primary violins, although the cellos had their moments too. Right here and all through the work, the musicians performed with attraction and charm, bringing lightness to the music and making it apparently easy. The lyrical fantastic thing about the sluggish motion was offset by some comedy growling from the contrabass, however then the entire thing acquired remarkably perky as if younger Rossini couldn’t keep critical for too lengthy. We ended with the vigorous bounce of the finale.

Timothy Ridout (Picture courtesy of Academy of St Martin within the Fields)

Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante was his final string concerto. Written in 1779 we do not know that a lot concerning the work because the manuscript has disappeared, however it’s markedly completely different from the Violin Concertos and Mozart appears to have been assimilating influences from the Mannheim college and naturally Karl Stamitz (who educated in Mannheim along with his father) had written a viola concerto earlier within the 1770s.

The opening motion started with actual vitality and impulse from the orchestra, turning into vibrant and pressing because the soloists entered (although that they had each been taking part in the orchestral elements). Keller and Ridout each introduced an identical model and vigour to their efficiency, finishing one another’s phrases in probably the most satisfying means, at occasions nearly falling over one another like an outdated married couple (absolutely one of the best mannequin for this relationship) and there was each vigour and delicacy of their joint cadenza. The sluggish motion started with the affecting violin melody over throbbing wind, earlier than the soloists took it over and there was a stunning distinction between the 2 soloists. Keller’s violin tone was elegant with a fine-grained singing line, while Ridout’s viola was richly mellow, a chestnut high quality to his singing. The programme notes didn’t say whether or not Ridout was taking part in his viola tuned up a semi-tone (to brighten the tone) as was initially carried out, however maybe trendy violas don’t want this. The finale was all vitality and vigour, with the soloists once more answering one another.

All through the efficiency we sensed that each one the performers have been invested within the work, having fun with themselves and also you sensed the ensemble matching the youthful vigour that Ridout dropped at the piece.

After the interval we turned to Hummel’s Potpourri (Fantasy) for viola and orchestra, which was written for the Dresden court docket viola soloist Anton Schmiedl. There gave the impression to be no explicit purpose for stringing collectively ‘Là ci darem la mano’ from Don Giovanni, ‘Se vuol ballare’ from Le nozze di Figaro, ‘O, wie will ich triumphieren’ from Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and ‘Di tanti palpiti’ from Tancredi (and people have been the tunes that I recognised), so maybe we’ve got to imagine that the operas have been standard in Dresden on the time!

Hummel’s strategy was just like that of Chopin in his piano concertos (and Chopin’s first concerto dates from simply ten years later) with massive orchestra tuttis after which discreet accompaniment for the soloist so right here we began with dramatic orchestral chords then Ridout’s mellow, singing viola got here in with ‘Là ci darem la mano’. There was little improvement, every melody was embellished after which we moved on, by no means staying in a single place for lengthy and Hummel utilizing the completely different melodies to vary the temper. Probably the most startling was Osmin’s rage aria from Die Entführung the place the viola made it sound very completely different certainly. We moved from elegant melodies, to delicate viola figurations over swaying strings, to the ultimate relatively perky tune which was the excuse for virtuoso passagework. Ridout and ASMF gave the work a really convincing efficiency, all of the performers have been splendidly engaged with the work while Ridout’s bravura passages had a pleasant combine of fashion and exhibiting off. They have been having enjoyable, but the piece was by no means positioned in citation marks, it was enjoyment for its personal sake.

For the ultimate work within the programme we moved to Dangerous Carlsruhe (which is now Pokój in Poland). This was the seat of the music loving Duke Eugen of Württemberg and 20-year-old Weber was the music director. He wrote his First Symphony for the court docket, and even featured the Duke’s instrument, the oboe. This was 1806, Weber’s cousin by marriage, Mozart, had solely been lifeless 15 years and we are able to hear the affect of the composer on Weber, but we are able to additionally hear the stirrings of the Romantic motion and there have been strategies of early Mendelssohn within the music. The opening Allegro started with a dramatic unison, earlier than the music turned quiet and intense. The efficiency was pressing and important, there was no sense of the orchestra dismissing the music as light-weight. There was a restlessness to the writing, Weber by no means let issues settle and the event had the texture of an operatic ensemble. The Andante started relatively soberly, earlier than transferring on to a relatively touching melody. Once more there was a restlessness to the fabric, with Weber preserving modifications going and the entire motion felt extra just like the prelude to one thing that didn’t occur. The Scherzo was vigorous and vibrant, the perky vitality contrasting with the singing oboe line within the center part. The finale had the vivid vitality of a dance motion, dashing headlong with lots for the brass to do. Weber solely had two trumpets and two horns, however he actually made them work.

Weber’s Symphony No. 1 is a captivating work that offers us perception into the younger composer. Although he was one thing of a prodigy, it might be a while earlier than he managed to his actual type. The Clarinet Concertos wouldn’t come for an additional 5 years, and it might be 1821 earlier than Der Freischütz premiered.

St Martin within the Fields shouldn’t be a perfect venue, there was some minimal disturbance from the buskers outdoors who have been doing a roaring commerce on the nice night. However it’s suitably intimate, enabling us to listen to the Mozart and Hummel in a venue that was most likely rather a lot nearer in measurement to the unique venues.