By |

The words “salon concert” conjure up an image of a beautiful setting in nineteenth-century Paris, London or Vienna where a select few intellectuals and dilettantes gather to enjoy music, poetry, art and conversation – an exclusive event for like-minded individuals.

Today the spirit of the salon concert lives on in venues like the 1901 Arts Club (whose furnishings could have come straight from nineteenth-century Paris), the spacious Marylebone drawing room concerts of the highest order regularly hosted by Bob and Elizabeth Boas, or the more modern vibe of Fidelio Café on Clerkenwell Road, and in series such as …Petits Concerts or 7 Star Arts’ concerts at a convivial little Japanese café in Kew. But whatever the venue, the modern salon concert is about creating a special intimacy and connection between audience and musicians, and an ambiance of shared experience, and venues such as the 1901 Arts Club and Fidelio Arts Café have succeeded in reimagining the salon concert for the 21st century audience. Not only is it a wonderful way to experience live music, the modern salon concert breaks down the barriers normally associated with classical music in a formal concert hall and brings music-lovers together in a convivial, relaxed setting. The experience of enjoying music amongst friends is uplifting and inspiring.

Down in a pretty part of West Sussex, not far from Petworth, another salon concert series takes place, organised and generously hosted by Neil and Debbie Franks. Neil is chairman of The Petworth Festival, a keen amateur pianist, passionate music lover, and supporter of other musicians.

An elegant music room-cum-library, which boasts two fine grand pianos, (including possibly the best Steinway B I’ve ever played!) and seats around 70 people, is the setting for Neil Franks’ salon concerts. Initially, these house concerts were very much “music for friends, with friends” – he’d gather together a few talented piano friends and we’d play solos, duos, 6-hands, 8-hands and more – and mingle with audience during the interval and afterwards. Lately, his house concerts have transformed into a modern salon where young talent is showcased and celebrated. For Neil it is also an opportunity to support musicians in their careers and to recognise the “great value derived by the musicians in performing their own very personalised and precious repertoire to small audiences in intimate settings, and the huge enjoyment realised by audiences. In the right settings, the combination generates some absolutely wonderful and passionate performances. The same was true in the British and European salons of the 19th and early 20th centuries and much was written by composers and musicians at the time about the tremendously important and inspirational value they took from those evenings” (Neil Franks)

For the January concerts, he assembled a group of very talented musical friends, including established as well as up-and-coming, talented young pianists, namely Anthony Hewitt, Emanuil Ivanov, Florian Mitrea, Olga Stezhko and Julian Davis, Neil’s regular piano-duo partner. The jointly-held ambition of the concerts was to promote and re-invigorate the whole idea of salon concerts, to invite friends including local concert series organisers, with the objective of showcasing the talents of these musicians which would hopefully lead to further engagements at other regional concerts (this objective has already been successfully realised as some of the pianists will perform again in West Sussex venues later this year).

“Between us, we very much enjoyed putting the programme together that I think I can say came together quite naturally as each pianist had something special to offer that led to a perfect combination of solos, duets, 2-piano duos, and even 8-hands pieces. The solos were almost mini, individually-curated recitals, and the multi-handed pieces offered contrast to the solos in which the individuals were in the spotlight.

Each pianist also gave short but informally presented introductions to their pieces – a far more welcoming practice than the paper-consuming lengthy, and usually rather dry and inaccessible essays of programme notes. The result was 2 hours of absolutely absorbing music: not just absorbing the notes, but really feeling the very vibrations of the music in the salon environment, something that is a rarity in a concert hall however magnificent the pianos might be. One of the notable advantages of the salon is the total elimination of any physical barrier between performer and audience.” (Neil Franks)

Anthony Hewitt & Emanuil Ivanov
Florian Mitrea
Anthony Hewitt, Emanuil Ivanov & Olga Stezhko
Anthony Hewitt
Of course, one of the added attractions of the salon concert is the opportunity to mingle with friends and other music lovers, and also the musicians, and enjoy drinks and canapés. Debbie and Neil are warm, generous hosts and, as an expert networker, Neil has a knack of bringing people together which encourages new connections and friendships. And at these concerts, there was also a good age range represented amongst the guests – a mix of the “usual” classical music concert-goer and younger people who would have little interest in sitting in a formal concert hall, church or town hall for 2 hours, but who were delighted to be welcomed into Neil and Debbie’s lovely home.

“It is abundantly clear that classical music is in need of a lot of tender loving care, just like so many forms of cultural activities where consumption patterns have changed in recent years – and would have changed even if Covid didn’t happen, but Covid concentrated the disruption in a very short period. We are all very aware of the options available now, very much including the opportunity to “consume” our music online. We are equally aware that the majority of classical music takes place in formal settings of concert halls in major cities, town halls and churches in smaller towns. I think it’s reasonably safe to say that there will always be a hardcore audience of passionate music-lovers who will look for what they want to hear and travel to the concerts of their choice, but music needs to attract new and younger audiences, many of whom are not so likely to be attracted to these formal settings, especially as they may not be fully familiar with what’s on offer. So I think the key is to make music in interesting venues that already go some way to removing the formality barrier. The venues themselves can generate interest in attendance. So let’s all think outside the box and bring new ideas, new and interesting venues to make concert-going an experience for many more. Include art exhibitions, gardens, lovely food and drink and anything else you can imagine! ” (Neil Franks)

By |

Leon McCawley – Schubert piano music (SOMM)

This enjoyable account presents Schubert’s often overlooked Drei Klavierstucke D946 alongside song transcriptions by Liszt and a rollicking Wanderer fantasy. The Klavierstucke (literally, “piano pieces”) were written in 1828 and are impromptus in all but name. They share the same structure as the popular D899 and D935 sets and are works of startling variety, colour and mood. McCawley neatly captures Schubert’s mercurial nature but never dwells too long in the melancholic, reminding us that though these pieces were written the year Schubert died, their composer was still very much alive. This is most clearly demonstrated in the third of the triptych, an energetic scherzo with a hymn-like middle section, and throughout the three works, McCawley highlights their songful qualities and dramatic contrasts.

Schubert’s songs, refracted through Liszt’s genius into wonderfully absorbing pieces for solo piano, are here given warmth, virtuosity and heroism in equal measure – for example in the gradual climatic grandeur of Auf dem Wasser zu singen, beautifully paced by McCawley. Meanwhile, McCawley’s Wanderer is a muscular majestic canter, positive in message but also replete in subtle harmonic shadings and an eloquent sensitivity to Schubert’s shifting emotional landscape.

Olga Stezhko – Et la lune descend: Claude Debussy

Appropriately, I listened to this generous new release from Olga Stezhko while reading a review of the new Pierre Bonnard exhibition which has recently opened at London’s Tate Modern.

Comprising of five suites, the album ‘Et la lune descend’ marks the centenary of Debussy’s death and charts the development of his writing for piano solo from the very first ‘Suite bergamasque’ to the much lesser known last suite ‘Six epigraphes antiques’. – Olga Stezhko

Like Bonnard’s paintings, Olga’s Debussy is vivid and richly-hued, the finer details of the music revealed through sonic clarity combined with a suppleness of pulse and tempo which never feels contrived or forced. Interior voices and details are sensitively highlighted. The piano sound in the upper register is particularly fine, with a harp-like crystalline clarity; one can almost sense the absolutely tautness of those high treble strings.

Anna Szalucka – A Century of Polish Piano Miniatures (Naxos/Grand Piano)

Another album to mark an anniversary, Anna Szalucka’s debut disc was released to coincide with the centenary of Polish independence in 2018. Each work represents a significant moment in the country’s musical and political history and the album pays tribute to the bravery of composers who stood up for freedom in art and culture during politically turbulent times. Appropriately, the album opens with works by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, a passionate advocate for Polish independence and appointed the country’s prime minister in 1919. Miniatures by Szymanowski, Bacewicz, Gorecki, Mykeityn and Panufnik bring us almost to the present day and demonstrate the variety and inventiveness of the heirs to Chopin. While others may dwell on sentimentality, Anna takes a simpler (but never superficial) and more direct approach in her interpretations. Her playing is committed and authoritative with a piano sound that is warm and bright.

Adam Swayne – (Speak To Me): New Music. New Politics (Coviello)

Another musical journey in Adam Swayne’s new album and one which touches on the politics of present-day America in two works reflecting art’s ability to offer commentary on contemporary events and popular culture. Kevin Malone’s ‘The People Protesting Drum Out Bigly Covfefe’ was commissioned by Swayne and integrates popular songs captured live at anti-Trump rallies in the UK and the US – a permanent testament to the circumstances surrounding the piece’s creation. It’s energetic and urgent, and Swayne handles it with an assured aplomb and wit. This work sits well with Rzewski’s North American Ballads, which are based on American folk and work songs, and draw on folk musician and activist Pete Seeger’s work. Meanwhile, Amy Beth Kirsten’s Speak to Me, a work in three parts, includes vocalisations by the performer. Although based on the Echo and Narcissus myth, the political inference is clear in the “censoring” of the performer’s voice in the final movement where we hear the piano alone. Again, Swayne handles this music with assurance, creating an unsettled calm in the last movement. The album is bookended by Gershwin’s Three Preludes and Morton Gould’s Boogie Woogie Etude, and Swayne brings a toe-tapping energy and swagger to the Gould and the first and last of the Gershwin Preludes, while the middle of three is soulful and sensuous, deeply redolent of ‘Summertime’ from Porgy and Bess.

Karim Said – Legacy (Rubicon)

This interesting new release from Karim Said juxtaposes Byrd, Morley, Bull and Tomkins – with piano music by Schoenberg and Webern. Said takes Joseph Kerman’s assertion that William Byrd had a “pervasive” influence on Arnold Schoenberg as the inspiration for the repertoire included on this disc and his fascination with the way composers influence one another, in this case across the distance of 400 years, is demonstrated in the organisation of the works on the disc. The Renaissance pieces take on a new dimension when heard alongside Schoenberg’s Suite for piano, op.25 and Webern’s ‘Kinderstuck’. This thoughtful disc is a wonderful example of how the old can shine a new light on the new, and vice versa, and Said’s tasteful, elegant playing brings the music to life with grace and clarity.

Cordelia Williams – Bach & Part: Piano Works (SOMM)

These two composers are natural companions as both share a deep spirituality and clarity of expression. The works on this disc reveal each composer’s interest in the way musical lines overlap, intertwine and respond to one another. While Bach’s counterpoint is concerned with the interplay of voices and motifs, Part’s explores timbres and intervallic relationships between the melodic lines; both share a striving for essence and economy of expression. Williams’ clarity is complemented by exquisite phrasing and musical sensitivity, a tender intimacy and simplicity in the works by Part, and elegance of expression in the Bach Inventions and Prelude.