Cranleigh’s music lovers who were free at 1-05 on the lunch-time of 23rd November were treated to a rare live performance of Tchaikovsky’s chamber music master-piece ‘Souvenir de Florence.’ Sophie Langdon led her sextet of string players form Cranleigh, Charterhouse and Guildford High in a rapturous half-hour of passionate music-making. A collection was taken after the concert for a local Christian charity based in Farnham (see www.grassroots.org.uk).

 

The tremendous drive of the tempestuous opening movement was balanced by the great clarity of the polyphonic complexity and as well as Sophie’s tasteful portamenti, some superb viola playing stood out. In the slow movement the touching duet of violin and ’cello reminded us that, when in Florence, Tchaikovsky had composed his opera ‘The Queen of Spades’. The nostalgic tone of the scherzo echoed Dvorak’s ‘souvenir’ pieces from America and the melancholy timbre of the viola perfectly evoked this mood. The Finale also starts rather like Dvorak’s ‘Indian’ music but leads to the work’s big tune which has never sounded so irresistibly gorgeous as it did in this performance in the Clive Stevens Recital Hall.

 

PJL