Chamber Music Notes Editorial Group: Chris Bradshaw, Leon Levy, Jane Sufian (editor), Walter Rudeloff

TheLCMS ISSUE 6 AUTUMN2012

NewsletterCHAMBER MUSIC NOTES

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Members’ Voices

Suddenly Like NosebleedsRuth Valentine is a poet and long-timeattender at the Sunday-night concerts. Hereshe reflects on the experience of listening tomusic.

The Shostakovich second piano triobegins very quietly, the high notes of thecello like someone gasping for breath. I firstheard it last year, in the LCMS series; Iremember holding my breath myself as thefugue opened out. A few days later I was inthe wonderful Harold Moore’s in GreatMarlborough Street, having the kind ofdiscussion you can have in very few musicshops now; and I came home with the CD(the Kempf Trio).

In fact I haven’t listened to it that often; it’s too painful for an ordinaryevening’s relaxation. But just three days ago, I heard the trio at Kings Placeagain, this time with the Shaham-Erez-Wallfisch Trio. Knowing already that apiece has an astonishing beginning means by definition that you can’t beastonished again, or not for the same reasons. This time I was far moreaware of the structure; there was the quite different pleasure of understanding the workings.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about live music, and recorded music, andwhat I really want to hear. My first take on the question was: I want to besurprised. In fact, I think that’s not the right word; what I want is to bestartled out of my everyday attitude. So the first hearing of the Shostakovichtrio counts, and so does the second; but after that?

In February 1927, Virginia Woolf, a great lover of music, wrote in her journal:

How we protect ourselves from the elements! Coming back last night Ithought, owing to civilisation, I, who am now cold, wet & hungry, can bewarm & satisfied & listening to a Mozart 4tet in 15 minutes. And so I was.

Few of us now would have her grateful astonishment. And as forShostakovich, finishing his trio in 1944: he would have been – what?astonished? pleased? appalled? – to learn how easily and how often we canhear it now.

I’m not complaining, or wanting a return to the wind-up gramophone ofmy childhood. But I do find that the ubiquity of music, the ease of access,makes me less rather than more open to it. I want to be startled, and amharder to startle. There are pieces that I simply don’t want to hear, becausethere’s no startle left in them for me. I don’t want to be charmed; I don’twant to be thinking that some piece is amazing considering that thecomposer was only three, or had already written 20 quartets that week, orwas dying of a surfeit of lampreys. Or, to be less flippant, I don’t want tohear something I’ve worn out by over-listening.

In the past week, as well as hearing the Shostakovich, I took the decisionto stop writing poetry, at least until I’m writing because I want to, notbecause I always have, or because it’s become a civic duty, like recycling thenewspaper. I’m not entirely sure what the connection is. I’ve written poetryseriously since 1986, though with some barren periods. It may be that beingtetchy about both my own bad poems and other people’s un-startling music is a symptom of age. I may be using both stopping writing and being fussyabout concerts as a paradoxical injunction: what you forbid yourself becomes more tempting.

What has all this to do with LCMS? I hope for the Society’s sake that I’mnot its typical member. I’m not a weekly attender. I never have been. AtConway Hall I turned up arbitrarily, when I’d decided to half an hour before, or because I knew I’d meet friends, or once because I’d just that afternoonhad a melodramatic break-up with a man in New Cross Gate. I loved theramshackleness of Conway Hall, and the sense of the audience as the(diminishing) Communist Party at prayer. I miss how readily I wasoverwhelmed by what I heard, just as I miss having poems come on mesuddenly like nosebleeds.

Kings Place is wonderful. Ideally the weather’s mildenough for a stroll onto the terrace and a gaze at thenarrow-boats, as a kind of preparatory meditation. I likerushing into the building just in time to get a bagel orsome soup to sustain me till the 259 gets me home.There are usually friends (the same Conway Hall friends) tocatch up with. And then the somehow calming sight ofthe wood panelling; the smell of the wood; the faintsounds of tuning up from back-stage; the alwaysenigmatic sight of apparently ordinary people, though inposh clothes, coming in holding their instruments in thatdelicate, casual way. A pause; the thin, high, strange notes of a cello….

Ruth Valentine’s book of poetry ‘On the Saltmarsh’ will be published inOctober 2012 (Smokestack Books).

Drawn to Music

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Welcome!The Brodsky Quartet’s stirring Shostakovichfinale to our past season is still fresh in my mind as I introduce this latest issue of ChamberMusic Notes and contemplate what’s to come in the autumn.

As always, Peter Fribbins, our ArtisticDirector, sets the scene in ‘Behind the Notes’with highlights of the programme. It will includethe Rosamunde Trio, whose violinist BenSayevich has contributed a thoughtful articlelaunching a Chamber Music Notes series onmusicians and their instruments. Musicalinstruments feature in another article. In thelatest ‘Leon Levy Meets…’ series, Sarah-JaneBradley reveals her love for her George Adolph Chanot viola.

A number of items in this issue illustrate a link between music and other arts.Composer Simon Holt, whose ‘Two movements for the string quartet’ we heard inMarch, is inspired by literature and, potentially, ‘everything I come across’! ChrisBradshaw considers a recent book, ‘Music for Silenced Voices’, one writer’s responseto Shostakovich’s string quartets. And Chris’ article is illuminated by the artist AdamBirtwistle’s portrait of Shostakovich, a haunting presence when it was projectedonto the wall of Hall One during the Brodsky Quartet’s performances. In ‘Drawn toMusic’ Ronald Stein describes his passion for sketching performing musicians.

Of course, there are other gems to be found here, such as an interview withRobin Ashwell, violist of the Sacconi Quartet; a member’s reflections on theexperience of listening to music; an informative piece by the author of our concertprogramme notes; and introductions to two fascinating members of the LCMS/Kings Place community.

Finally, I am delighted to call attention to a momentous milestone: this yearmarks the 40th anniversary of the Chilingirian Quartet. Levon Chilingirian, our LCMSPresident, and Philip de Groote, cello, are the original founder members, and arejoined by Ronald Birks, violin, and Susie Mészáros, viola. Together they havethrilled and entertained us with their vibrant interpretations of both the traditionalrepertoire and less-heard pieces, and have introduced us to completely new worksby new composers. Apart from playing in concert halls around the world they arethe Quartet in Residence at the Royal College of Music, and also coach youngplayers through their connection with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra inVenezuela, pioneers of the El Sistema programme. Warm congratulations!

Neil JohnsonExecutive Chairman

My Story

The violinist Ben Sayevich launchesChamber Music Notes’ new series inwhich musicians talk about theirinstrument. LCMS looks forward tohearing Ben and the rest of theRosamunde Trio playing Concert 1 oftheir complete Beethoven Piano Trioseries at Kings Place in November 2012.

Did I choose the violin, or did itchoose me? My parents took me to hearDavid Oistrakh when I was just six yearsold. He played the KhachaturianConcerto, and after the concert I wassleepless for three nights. The soundkept resonating in my ears, andeventually I asked my father, who was adance choreographer, to take me to amusic school where I could study theviolin. There were other musicians inthe family. My older brother was a jazzpianist, and I had tried to imitate histunes on the piano. But after theOistrakh concert, that all changed.

The school, Churlionis Art Schooland Performing Arts, was located inVilnius, in Lithuania (then part of theSoviet Union). It was the onlyprofessional training school in the artsin Lithuania, and very competitive. I wasonly seven years old. The curriculumembraced a wide spectrum of the artsand sciences, so I had to studymathematics and literature, as well asall musical subjects, including thehistory of instruments and theirperformance. My supervisor demandedthat I spend several hours of eachmorning in practice. Woe to anyonewho shirked that responsibility!

I played a quarter-size violin untilthe age of 13 or so, when I took up afull-size instrument. I have played manyviolins since then, but only now at theage of 52 have I found a perfect matchfor me. I have been very finicky, but Ifound my Carlo Giuseppe AntonioTestore, dating from 1697, Milano, inChicago just within the last year.Purchasing it demanded a greatsacrifice, but it is now indispensable tome. It produces a wonderful palette ofsounds whose variability best matchesmy own imagination. It is my partner inmusic. I have it with me now, and Iwould not part with it. It makes greatdemands on me, and I have toconstantly adjust the sound post andthe bridge according to the weather andhumidity conditions. This requires myattention every day. The resin from thestrings accumulates, and I have to be

very careful to make sure that thevarnish is not damaged.

Since my early studies, I realized Ihad an attraction and affinity to thevirtuosic repertoire, such as Paganini,Sarasate and Wieniawsky; however, Ihave also enjoyed with the passingyears music that displays a moresensitive and profound depth, what Ifind in Mozart, Bach, Beethoven,Brahms, Berg, and Stravinsky. In otherwords, I have very catholic tastes, and it is difficult to single out individualpieces. But I can say that as I growolder, music of this kind of subtlety and sophistication—music that does not only curry immediate favour withthe public—has a greater and lastingvalue to me.

The important thing is that music—particularly music played by the violin—is a universal expression, whether itoriginates from folk traditions or, morespecifically, kletzmer traditions.

I am fortunate to enjoy manyspecial memories of my performances.One in particular stands out. In 1985 inBoston with the New EnglandConservatory Orchestra I performed theBerg Concerto. It was a special event,since it was part of the Alban BergCentennial. I studied it for that event,under the recommendation and tutelageof Louis Krasner, who was the dedicatee of the work (and the first to perform it publicly).

As an educator at severalinstitutions, including the University ofKansas and, at present, Park University,I have found many challenges incultivating the students’ general feelingof music and, at the same time,respecting and encouraging theirindividual expression—both inperformance and in their conceptualisingthe music. I emphasise and encouragethem to study chamber music as acrucial element in their journey toward awell-rounded career. I like to think thatmy own participation in chamber musicplaying serves as an example to them.Although I do both, I have found in thelast few years more opportunities forchamber rather than solo performance.

In conclusion, I recall something mymother once told me, which I havenever forgotten. “Only the violin,” shesaid, “of all the instruments, can shed atear. It can sigh like an angel, or it canrage like a demon—all within the spaceof a few seconds.”

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Recently, Raphael Wallfisch gaveRonald Stein permission to sketch himduring a rehearsal for a LCMS concert.Leon Levy asked Ronald to tell ussomething about himself, hisinfluences and his sketching career.

Born in London’s Soho, I wasdrawing on the pavement outside myparents’ shop aged three. Inside theshop I was serving customers such asConstant Lambert and Augustus John,whose portrait of Madame Suggialater influenced one of my cello

sketches. Another client was Horace de Vere Cole, Master PracticalJoker, whose only pupil I still am. Subsequently, I attended St.Martins School of Art, where I was advised either to become a pupilof Henry Moore, as my drawings were sculptural in nature, or tojoin his Studio, which I did, becoming his Personal Assistant.

At the same time, having been influenced by the drawings ofRaymond Kapp, who was sketching the LPO members, I started myown part-time career, mainly recording musical activities in Londonin the 1940s. I sketched the two resident orchestras at theCambridge Theatre, together with international soloists. I alsoattended rehearsals of their opera productions, with Carl Ebertdirecting such stars as Mariano Stabile in ‘Falstaff’, and met anumber of composers including Francis Poulenc, who comparednotes with me about Indian ink.

Besides all these riches, my mother’s cousin was Sidney Torch,founder of the BBC Concert Orchestra. I sketched him and hisQueens Hall Light Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios, with famousplayers, such as Dennis Brain, in his orchestral line-up.

I also sketched the LSO at rehearsals at the Royal Albert Hall. Iattended the broadcasts of the BBC Concert Orchestra, sketchingmany famous soloists, including Bryn Turfel, Julian Lloyd-Webber,Juan Diego Flóres, Andrea Bocelli and Arturo Pizarro. I have beengiven a special Gallery section of the BBC Concert OrchestraSupporters’ Club website, which is filled with many of my sketches.At the BBC Maida Vale Studios, I sketched the BBC SymphonyOrchestra and leading artists such as Kiri te Kanawa.

I was commissioned to record the rehearsal of the LSO with300-strong choir and soloists in Berlioz ‘Grande Messe des Morts‘at St. Paul’s Cathedral by my friend Jan Pascal Tortelier, whosefather I sketched in 1948 on his 34thbirthday. The Choirmaster of MagdalenCollege, Oxford, Bill Ives, alsocommissioned me to sketch the choir fromthe organ loft.

From a long list of choirs, orchestrasand soloists I have also sketchedPiatigorsky, Segovia, Ginnette Neveau,Albert Coates, Isaac Stern, BarryWordsworth (who has my sketch of him andArturo Pizarro on his office wall in theROH), and recently, Lang Lang (at amasterclass) and Alfred Brendel (at a lecture/recital), plus, ofcourse, various LCMS artists at Kings Place.

I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to sketch allthese superb artistes, but I sometimes need two or three sessionsto get a person’s movements and expressions ‘right’. I findviolinists are usually the most difficult, as they tend to move allover the place, and I have to build up a position that I think ismost representative of that particular performer.

I would still like to sketch Lang Lang actually playing. Havingsketched Isaac Stern, I would like to add Itzhak Perlman or PinchasZukerman to my ‘collection’. I am still haunted by not having takenthe opportunity of sketching Sir Malcolm Sargent and Sir CliffordCurzon at the Royal Albert Hall. I seem to remember that Curzonwas humming to himself off-key, and that might have put me off.

Illuminating NotesIt’s been my privilege to write the concert programmenotes for LCMS since they were introduced in 2008/09.Not only do I get to write about the classics of thechamber repertory, but I also discover lesser-knowngems I wouldn’t otherwise think to seek out.

Looking back over the past four seasons (and the359 works for which I’ve written notes), I’m particularlyglad to have encountered several pieces and

composers: the beautiful if challenging music of Wolfgang Rihm; GraceRossiter’s mesmeric setting of ‘The Angel Gabriel’; Leo Brouwer’s Afro-Cuban-tinged ‘Guitar Quintet’; George Antheil’s Third String Quartet; andany of Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s chamber arrangements of thesymphonies of Mozart and Beethoven. It’s an eclectic list, thanks to theSociety’s enterprising artistic direction and, of course, the ensembles thatperform for it each week.

For me, the best programme note illuminates a work’s structure so itcan be followed on the first listen. I also like to learn something, be itsome insight into what else the composer was doing at the time oranother anecdotal detail from their biography. The genre or medium ofthe piece being performed nearly always merits some attention, too. (Thisthird aspect is something of a fixation of mine, being related to my

research into the heritage of musical types: Arnold Schoenberg’s ‘Pierrot’ensemble and John Field’s invention of the nocturne, for example.)

I try to strike a balance between these areas. Naturally, it’s easier toachieve this with some works than others. Indeed, at the earliest stage ofresearch, the availability of recordings and even scores is not alwaysguaranteed, despite the marvels of Naxos Music Library, Oxford MusicOnline, and a certain rainforest-themed e-retailer. At other times, thechallenge is instead to sift through, and dare not to be overwhelmed by,the wealth of scholarship that already exists.

Surprisingly, perhaps, only one concertgoer has ever taken me totask—an avid fan of Schubert whose knowledge of the prolific Austrianfar exceeded mine (I welcome such correspondence). Looking ahead tofuture seasons, I’m hopeful for the programming of further Shostakovichquartets (after this season’s marvelous Beethoven/Shostakovich cycle),any of the quartets of Beethoven, Haydn, Dvor̆ák and Bartók I haven’t yet written about, or the reoccurrence of composers I’d probably countamong my favourites: Chopin, Paul Hindemith, Schoenberg and Peter Maxwell Davies.

Dr. Christopher DromeySenior Lecturer in Music, Middlesex University, whose most recent book‘The Pierrot Ensembles: Chronicle and Catalogue, 1912-2012’ will bepublished by Plumbago later this year.

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Rosamunde Trio (L to R: Ben Sayevich, Martino Tirimo, Daniel Veis)

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Our 2012/13 series, the fifth in our new venue of KingsPlace (where does the time go?), opens on October 7 withthe wonderful Emperor Quartet performing Haydn andBritten, and also Schubert’s dramatic ‘Death and theMaiden’ quartet. Other quartets in the autumn include theAllegri Quartet in the penultimate concert of their epicsurvey of the Beethoven and Shostakovich quartets –preceded by another of Robert Hanson’s invaluable pre-concert talks, illustrated live by the quartet – and theCarducci Quartet, who feature Malcolm Lipkin’s impressive‘Variations on a theme of Bartók’ to celebrate Malcolm’s80th birthday this year.

We also have some quartets ‘plus one’: the BarbirolliQuartet return after their marvelous premiere in the LCMSseries last year, this time joined by clarinetist Janet Hiltonin a programme of clarinet quintets. In addition, theChilingirian Quartet continue their Romantic piano quintetseries, on this occasion with famous French pianistPhilippe Cassard in the sublime César Franck quintet, in a programme that also includes Hugh Wood’sintriguingly named ‘Quartet No. 0’ – an early work fromthe 1950s that he has recently re-worked and added to his quartet oeuvre.

Our autumn alsoincludes three internationalpiano trios, beginning withthe excellent RosamundeTrio on November 11, whoare starting what is likely tobe a memorable four-concert series ofBeethoven’s piano trios. Ontour from Austria, theVienna Mozart Trio willperform Schubert’s heavenlyEb trio, and in December the impressive Sitkovetsky PianoTrio return to the LCMS with a programme of Mozart,Brahms and Dvor

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ák’s mighty F minor trio.Continuing the Russian theme, we are lucky to have

the celebrated cellist Leonid Gorokhov (now based inHanover) and wonderful pianist Olga Vinokur (now basedin New York) in a wide-ranging programme to includeRachmaninov’s Cello Sonata.

We also welcome back the Frith Piano Quartet, whoseprogramme will include Mozart, Brahms’ passionate Cminor Piano Quartet, and the beautiful ‘Four Lullabies’ bythe British composer Matthew Taylor.

It’s going to be a great autumn of Sunday concerts.

Peter Fribbins, Artistic Director

Leon Levy Meets Sarah-Jane Bradley

In a recentconversation with Robin Iasked him what plans theQuartet had for theiranniversary year. “We’reperforming the programmethat we performed forLCMS throughout the year.This encapsulates threepillars of the quartetrepertoire, three pieces thatare particularly special tous. We have alwaysenjoyed performing Haydn– he is so witty andinventive, and there aresurprises around every turnof phrase. Bartók’s stringquartets have alwaysspoken to us on a verydeep level. And Schubert’s‘Death and the Maiden’ isthe ultimate all-powerfulpiece of writing for anygenre.”

The Quartet also has awell-established SacconiChamber Music Festival inFolkestone each year overa long weekend in May,forming a central part oftheir season. This year itpromises to be a focal partof the anniversarycelebration. As Robindescribes: “We get toinvite our favouritemusician colleagues toperform with us, and intheir own right. The rest ofthe season is all plannedaround that weekend ofconcerts. We have afantastic, lively audience,who come down toFolkestone for the wholeweekend, making it a reallysocial as well as musical

experience for performersand audience membersalike. Creating both thefestival and our own recordlabel are two of the thingsI am most proud of.”

Looking back over theirten years the Quartet canidentify some significantlandmarks, but oneparticular concert standsout for them – a 2011concert at WestminsterSchool with Guy Johnston(cello) performing Schubert‘Quartett-Statz’, Beethovenfirst Rasumovsky andSchubert Quintet. Inaddition, there have beennearly 20 world and UKpremieres over their tenyears, most recently byJohn McCabe, PaulPatterson, Timothy Salterand Stephen Deazley.

The Sacconi’s Wigmoredebut was in 2004, whenthey performed Bartók’sfirst quartet. Robinremembers the full houseand electric atmosphere,and likens it to thedynamic feel of the LCMSconcert this year. Indeed,Kings Place and WigmoreHall are the Quartet’sfavourite performingvenues. “Each has avibrant and warm soundthat lifts our spirits asperformers, which thenfeeds back into theperformance itself. Wehave performed in theBrahms-Saal in Vienna’sMusikverein, and also theLiceo de Cámara in Madridand l’Auditori in Barcelona,all of which were superb.Holywell Music Room inOxford is incredibly special,and the new concert hall atSevenoaks School isspectacular.”

The Quartet’s firstlessons were with theChilingirian Quartet and AniSchnarch at the RCM, andthey also studied with theWihan Quartet, SimonRowland-Jones and PaavoPohjola in Finland. Perhapsthe greatest influence overthe last eight years hasbeen Gábor Takács-Nagy:Robin describes him as“one of the finest, mostcreative musicians on the

planet, and he alwaysunlocks us and lifts ourperformance.”

Musicians spend vastamounts of time inrehearsal to reach the highstandard expected ininternational venues, andthe Sacconi are alsogenerous with their timegiven to education work,workshops, and schoolsand family concerts. TheQuartet meets four to fivedays a week to rehearseand perform, usuallyrehearsing together in theafternoon and practisingindividually in the morning.When the concert diary isbusy, it is hard to fit inenough time together andindividually, but they feelthey have a good balancebetween concerts andrehearsal/practice time.And Robin at least is aLake District walker to off-set all those notes!

Having just read abook about another, mucholder quartet, I wasinterested in how ayounger ensemble solvesdifference of interpretation:“All ideas must be triedout, with conviction, by thegroup. After that, it is acase of deciding whatworks best and what wethink is closest to thecomposer’s intentions.Sometimes you have to beprepared to accept thingsin a different way to howyou would interpret themyourself. However, we arealways questioning ourinterpretations and themusical decisions we havetaken, so even if a decisiongoes against yourpreference one day, it mayhave swung back to yoursa week later.”

Of favourite composers,Beethoven is “the king” forRobin, but VaughanWilliams is another firmchoice, and the Sacconihope that the SecondQuartet will beprogrammed in the future.We look forward to that!

Our best wishes toBen, Hannah, Robin andCara for the next ten yearsof music making.

Chris Bradshaw Talks to Robin Ashwell

After my recent excursions to the wilds ofSouth London, I ventured due north toSouth Mimms to interview Sarah-JaneBradley, viola player par excellence.

Sarah-Jane was born in Bristol into aneminent and cultured family ofPolish/Russian/Jewish origins. Hergrandfather was a psychiatrist whopioneered group therapy and was knownas an authority on Wagner. Although hedied when she was 12, he provided herwith her first contacts with music, and shehas inherited his collection of records.

She moved at an early age to London,where her father was a senior lecturer inphysiology. Her mother was aschoolteacher—first of languages and thenpiano. Her home was always full of music,and when she was seven she started toplay the piano and dreamed of becominga concert pianist. The violin followed ayear later; and at the age of 12, Sarah-Janemet her future viola teacher John White ata county music course, and switched tothe viola, together with piano andcomposition.

Why the viola? The simple answer isthat her school orchestra needed a violaplayer, and this enabled her to discoverwhat she considers to be the deeper andmore mellow sound of that instrument.Also, she was attracted by the noveltyfactor: as no one else was playing it atschool, it had the appeal of being “a bitdifferent”. She found playing with theNational Youth Orchestra at this stage ofher career a very formative experience,and went on to study viola at the RoyalAcademy of Music followed by two yearsin Salzburg with Thomas Riebl.

Her first entry into the commercialworld came in 1992 with the LeopoldString Trio, and her career took off withtours to Europe, the USA and SouthAmerica. She then joined another all-female group, the Sorrel Quartet, and, as aprize-winner at the Lionel Tertis violacompetition, launched her solo career atSt. John’s, Smith Square. This wasfollowed by the Wigmore Hall and manyother concerts and recitals, notably inSpain, where she became a firm favourite.

Sarah-Jane is becoming increasinglywell known as a pioneer of 20th- centurymusic and is passionate about Britishcomposers. David Matthews has dedicatedhis viola concerto to her, ‘WinterRemembered’; and part of our interviewwas conducted against the atmospheric

background of her recording of ArthurBenjamin’s ‘Elegy, Waltz and Toccata’ forviola and orchestra, which was composedin 1945 and reflects the dark days of thewar.

She is not drawn to avant-gardemusic, which she finds too undisciplined,preferring a more lyrical approach and towork within boundaries set by thecomposer. This enables her to identifywith the intentions of the composer andcommunicate them to the audience.

We discussed the different venues shehas played in. The important thing is torespond to the environment of a particularconcert hall and perhaps take more risks,which leads to a more excitingperformance. She is a great fan of KingsPlace. The artists’ facilities are excellentbut it is the hall itself which attracts hermost with the caveat that the clearacoustic can sometimes be disconnectingfor string players.

I asked about her interests outsidethe viola, and Richard Strauss operas wasan immediate reply. Also, a love oflanguages, especially French, and ofcourse her two young children (bothmusical) take up much of her time. Shealso likes old-fashioned chivalry in a man.A busy life certainly, such that practisingand learning new works have sometimesbecome a small-hours occupation.

And what about dislikes?Confrontation figures high on her list, asdoes snobbishness, which she has oftencome across in the world of music. Shehas no time for pure effect or showinessin performance. The performer’s job is tointerpret and communicate the music tothe listener without self-indulgence and todraw the audience in.

She acquired her current instrument in1993. Made by the English luthier GeorgeAdolph Chanot in 1896, it follows in theFrench tradition and is modelled onRuggerius. She fell in love with itimmediately, and she prefers it to thesmaller Amati instrument that was lent toher two years ago. The Chanot has a bigstop and a dark quality and variabletemperament, which bring it alive and addto its attraction.

I took the plunge and mentioned violajokes, but Sarah-Jane was unperturbed. Itappears that in Mozart’s day, the violinwas the top-notch instrument at court andthe viola a mere runner-up. Notablecomposers who played the viola includeMozart (it was his favourite instrument!),Dvor

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ák and Smetana, and her repertoireand discography attest to the fact that it isby no means neglected, especially thesedays, by composers and performers alike.It is not to be underestimated, and inSarah-Jane’s hands it certainly holds itsown.

South Mimms is an area blighted bymotorway networks, but Sarah-JaneBradley’s house is a haven of culture,thoughtfulness, the practice andenjoyment of music and of life in general,and I was happy to continue our interviewbeyond the allotted time. It was a greatpleasure to hear Sarah-Jane play at arecent LCMS concert. It was an evengreater pleasure to talk to this vibrantyoung musician, surely destined for agreat career.

London Chamber Music Society, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG. Tel: 020 7014 2813 Registered Charity No. 1075787 www.londonchambermusic.org.uk e:karolina@londonchambermusic.org.uk

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Behind the Notes

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Getting to Know YouIntroducing members of the LCMS/Kings Place community.

Emrah TokalacMarketing Manager, KPMFWith a BA in Management, diploma invoice training (baritone), MA inMusicology, and five years’ experienceas an advertising account executiveand copywriter, Emrah Tokalac left hishometown, Istanbul, in 2004 forfurther studies in the UK. His researchon the solo songs of Finnish composerJean Sibelius resulted in a Ph.D. in

Musicology in 2010. Aiming for a career change, Emrah joined Kings Place as PrintAssistant in 2009, following an internship in the marketingdepartment, and was promoted to Marketing Executive, andthen recently to Marketing Manager. Coordination of the LCMSprogramme handbills and seasonal leaflets are two of Emrah’smany responsibilities, seeing him liaise with the LCMSadministrative team on a regular basis. Although art song is his favourite genre in music, when itcomes to performance, Emrah prefers choral music. He hasbeen a singing member of the Royal Choral Society since 2005, and since 2007 also serves as a Director on theExecutive Board. For Emrah, studying has always been something to cherish, andnowadays he fills in the gap by learning Italian and supportinghis wife in further studies in history. He enjoys Nordic music,maps and atlases, European city breaks (when he’s got thetime and the resources), and, last but not least, culinaryactivities as a true Mediterranean. Come and say “Merhaba!”* if you spot him in the concert foyer on a Sunday.*”Hello!”

Helen JonesFront of House Team, Kings PlaceYou can often see Helen Jonesworking on the doors to Hall One on aSunday night. She particularly enjoysworking at the LCMS concerts becausethe regular customers are so friendlyand for the very high standard of theperformances that LCMS always bringsto Kings Place. Helen hasoccasionally become a member of the

audience on the odd night off from work.Helen enjoys a wide variety of music. Her love of classicalbegan at a very early age, when her parents took her to see amemorable production of ‘The Magic Flute’ at Ilford Town Hall.She has children herself and believes that youngsters willenjoy, understand and empathise more with music if they aregiven the chance to attend age-appropriate performances andrecitals with their families. Helen belongs to a Friends association that supports theHavering Music School, and most Saturday mornings she takesher youngest daughter for lessons there. The Saturday Schoolcurrently has about 320 pupils, and Havering Music Servicesteach music to about 3,500 children across the borough. In2011 at least nine students from the music school went on tostudy music full time at universities and conservatoires.Helen feels very strongly that more support should be availablefor children from all backgrounds who show an interest inlearning to play an instrument: it goes a long way to enhancingtheir education across the curriculum and, more important, thelove of music stays with them throughout their lives. She believes that music should be for everyone. One of thelong-term ambitions of her Friends association is to bringclassical ensembles to members of the community living inplaces such as hospices and care homes.The opportunity to learn an instrument never arose for Helenas a child, but she took up piano lessons in her 40s. She nolonger has lessons, but still tries to make time to play a littleevery day. Although Helen is happy to play in the privacy ofher home, she would rather leave the public performances tothe amazingly talented musicians she sees on the stage atKings Place on Sunday nights.

Walter Rudeloff As a starter, whatwould you say have been the majorinfluences that played a part inyour becoming a composer?Simon Holt I always find this verydifficult to answer as I feel thatwhatever I come across has somekind of influence on me. I’m toosponge-like in many ways and tooeasily seduced by all areas of thearts. I spend long periods reallyquestioning what I’m getting myselfinto when it comes to new ideas.Certainly studying art at school(musically speaking, I only studiedthe organ at school, but with aninspirational teacher, NormanHarper, who had been a student ofGillian Weir’s. I did neither ‘O’ nor‘A’ level music) was a major,enriching and focusing period in myearly life. I have always listened toas much music from all areas ofmusical life as I could possibly getmy hands on.WR Have literary influences been ofmore importance in your chamberworks?SH Mostly, yes, but I’m open to allkinds of possibilities and will take‘inspiration’ from wherever I can getit. Everything I come across hassome kind of potential, and I feelthat it’s only through lack ofimagination that it can gounnoticed. So eyes and ears openat all times, please; you might miss a trick!WR In the case of the ‘Twomovements for string quartet’,there was the poetry of EmilyDickinson. Was the poem the basisof inspiration for this composition?SH Without any doubt at all, yes. Itwas never far away from my sidewhen writing the piece. If I gotstuck, I would return to it, alwaystrying to find a clue as to where to go next.WR Many of your pieces appear tohave literary connections. Does the reading of a poem (or otherliterary work) inform the impetusfor composition or is it morecomplicated? SH It can definitely be an impetus,but I find the next step, the actual(usually improvised) notes form themain impetus for the piece. WR Could you say something aboutother composers or ‘schools’ that

you are fond of or that have beeninfluential?SH I have quite a few yardsticks asregards quality control more thaninfluence. Xenakis and Feldman areimportant figures, but I doubt thatwhat I do sounds in any way likethem. I also think of Giacomettiwhen I’m worrying if something isgood enough. He aimedspectacularly high, and I try to, butfeel like an ant in comparison, as ifI’m playing at it, whereas he trulylived his work in a very profoundway. Aiming for the stars is aprerequisite for anybody thinkingabout writing music; otherwise,what’s the point?WR The Tippett Quartet haspremiered some pieces by you?SH No, they haven’t actuallypremiered anything ...yet. But, theyhave picked up on the ‘Twomovements for string quartet’ and,in many ways, made the piece their own. WR Could you say anything abouttheir style or character that youtake into account when composinga quartet?SH In fact, I wrote the piece for theBelcea Quartet, and it waspremiered in Cheltenham at thefestival there when MichaelBerkeley was the artistic director.He was a great support to meduring his tenure. I just wrote thepiece I had to write. I was verymuch enthralled by EmilyDickinson’s poetry at that time, andthe piece became part of a largecycle of pieces based on her work.WR By way of contrast with othergenres, what does chamber musicmean for you as a composer?SH It’s a place where I cancompletely be my private self. It’s alonely place in many ways, but anessential place to nurture ideas andexperiment with the obsession ofthe moment, whatever that may be.WR Is it a medium for projectingideas, emotions, states of being,that other genres just cannot reach?SH In a word, yes. I still find theorchestra relatively unwieldy, butthat is slowly changing for thebetter, and I’m gaining inconfidence there, also. Verydifferent place, but not without itschallenges. No challenge, no piece!

A Lonely But Essential PlaceSimon Holt’s ‘Two movements forstring quartet’ was played by theTippett Quartet in an LCMS concert on11 March 2012. Walter Rudeloffquestions Simon about his influencesand inspirations and his feelingsabout composing chamber music.

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In January this year LCMS’s first concert of 2012 was given by the Sacconi Quartet—Ben Hancox(violin), Hannah Dawson (violin), Robin Ashwell (viola) and Cara Berridge (cello)—playingHaydn’s ‘Lobkowitz’ quartet, Bartok’s Quartet No. 3 and Schubert’s ‘Death and the Maiden’quartet. This wonderful programme heralded the anniversary of their tenth year playingtogether (their first concert was in January 2002), and we want to congratulate them on thismilestone. I personally remember them playing at the RCM in the early years and wondering,somewhat expectantly, what their future might be… and here they are. Congratulations!

I don’t normally readmuch about music – reviewsand articles maybe and ofcourse our excellent LCMSprogramme notes, but ingeneral I prefer to listen to it.However, I was introduced lastyear to an absorbing bookthat perhaps will prompt meto branch out further!

This book, aboutShostakovich and his quartets,ties in well with the BrodskyQuartet series earlier thisseason: ‘The Musical Diaries ofShostakovich’.* His widowthought of the quartets asShostakovich’s diary entries,reflecting the historical,political, artistic and personalevents of his life.

Lesser tracks thebiography of Shostakovich andshows us how these eventsmay have impacted on thisamazing body of work, the 15string quartets, writtenbetween 1938 and 1970. Eachquartet is dealt withindividually andchronologically against abackdrop of his life at thetime of composition andperformance.

Life during thiscomposition period coveredpivotal moments andmovements in Russia – theStalinist regime, therestrictions of work and travel,the fear of detention, theobligation to follow the partyline. Shostakovich’s healthalso fluctuated, and in lateryears he was virtuallybedridden for lengthy periods.

He seems to have beensomething of a maverick, aman of opposites: hated andloved in his country; a veryprivate person living a verypublic life; music that pleasedmany but was largely just forhimself. His symphonies andoperas were often influencedby Soviet governmentdemands, but his quartetswent largely unnoticed.Lesser investigatesShostakovich’s life throughconversations with friends,family and musicians, andthrough his life comes to thequartets.

Lesser warns of the“search-for-meaning” trap,whereby the music can bealmost narrative or has to“mean” something. Letters,dedications and familycomments support many ofher inferences, but I wonderedabout a couple: No. 3, largely

written at his summer dacha(supplied by Stalin), is anambitious five-movementwork, and probably doesreflect his stability at the time;but No.6, written after hisbeloved Nina died, has anunexpected, certain playful,hopeful quality, which perhapsdoesn’t match hisbereavement. Lesser suggeststhat No. 8 is the leastautobiographical of thequartets; yet Shostakovichcalled it a “memorial tohimself.”

It is difficult to appreciatefully the restrictions underwhich Shostakovich wrote,with concerts cancelled by theauthorities, new works shelvedas being too unconventional,and frequent domestichardships. Lesser depicts thisbackground very well. Theauthorities were prying, andintercepted letters andmeetings. Shostakovich’ssense of humour, sometimeslabelled ‘ironic’, means thatmusical jokes and puns wereoccasionally included in hiswork, or he included musicalcoded references. In a sense, Ifeel it doesn’t matter if youdon’t recognise the musicalquotations and allusions butjust respond to the music. Thebiographical details will thencomplete the picture at a laterdate, adding depth to one’sappreciation.

Lesser mostly keeps herpersonal analysis of thequartets rather apart from thebiography; yet it allinterweaves in a very readableformat.

*Adam Birtwistle produced theShostakovich painting shownhere—his latest in a line ofcomposer paintings—to markthe Brodsky’s Shostakovichseries. Information on theartist is available from RobertTravers, Piano Nobile Gallery,www.piano-nobile.com

Books‘Music for Silenced Voices: Shostakovich and His FifteenQuartets’ by Wendy Lesser. Yale University Press.

Chris Bradshaw has read an ‘absorbing’ book about thecomposer’s life and quartets. Chamber Music Notes invites readers to send us their own responses to booksabout music.

ADAM BIRTWISTLE (b.1959)Shostakovich, 2012 (Tempera and gouache on linenpaper 120 x 110 cm)