Saturday 16th May 2009
Review of this concert by Philip Worth:
The central item of this DSO concert was undoubtedly Chris Crawley’s extraordinary tone poem “Aspects of Eden”, inspired by the unique Eden Project in the countryside of Cornwall. Chris, who is principal horn in the DSO, is what the Scots used to describe as a “lad o’ pairts.” His inventive spirit has clearly driven his many incarnations throughout a varied career, including academic distinction in English Language and Literature, teaching, self-taught expertise with the French horn, high-calibre musicianship generally – and reflexology! (what next, one wonders!) It comes as no surprise that this restless creative personality should home in on one of the outstanding ecological and engineering projects of the modern age. Chris, displaying remarkable powers of orchestration, has composed a piece of symphonic proportions, containing a kaleidoscope of moods responding to every aspect of this amazing construct. The result is complex music of great depth which merits several hearings to absorb its basic message. Hopefully good recording will facilitate this – and what rare publicity for the Eden Project!
One might suppose that Chris Crawley’s piece pushed the other classics on the programme into an unwonted subordinate role. Not so – they held their own, bless ‘em! The Prelude to Act 3 of “Lohengrin” blew like a fierce Nordic wind through the Centenary Hall. The reflective and lyrical beauty of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings made one wonder again at the composer’s prolific melodic invention; while Brahms’ Piano Concerto no.1 reached into the depths of the human soul, expressing the turmoil, the longing and the despair of recent bereavement (his friend and inspiration, Robert Schumann). And who better to express this musically than virtuoso Viv McLean. Viv’s unfailing rapport with the DSO and Tom Loten’s leadership needs no further comment.
The central item of this DSO concert was undoubtedly Chris Crawley’s extraordinary tone poem “Aspects of Eden”, inspired by the unique Eden Project in the countryside of Cornwall. Chris, who is principal horn in the DSO, is what the Scots used to describe as a “lad o’ pairts.” His inventive spirit has clearly driven his many incarnations throughout a varied career, including academic distinction in English Language and Literature, teaching, self-taught expertise with the French horn, high-calibre musicianship generally – and reflexology! (what next, one wonders!) It comes as no surprise that this restless creative personality should home in on one of the outstanding ecological and engineering projects of the modern age. Chris, displaying remarkable powers of orchestration, has composed a piece of symphonic proportions, containing a kaleidoscope of moods responding to every aspect of this amazing construct. The result is complex music of great depth which merits several hearings to absorb its basic message. Hopefully good recording will facilitate this – and what rare publicity for the Eden Project!
One might suppose that Chris Crawley’s piece pushed the other classics on the programme into an unwonted subordinate role. Not so – they held their own, bless ‘em! The Prelude to Act 3 of “Lohengrin” blew like a fierce Nordic wind through the Centenary Hall. The reflective and lyrical beauty of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings made one wonder again at the composer’s prolific melodic invention; while Brahms’ Piano Concerto no.1 reached into the depths of the human soul, expressing the turmoil, the longing and the despair of recent bereavement (his friend and inspiration, Robert Schumann). And who better to express this musically than virtuoso Viv McLean. Viv’s unfailing rapport with the DSO and Tom Loten’s leadership needs no further comment.