Tag Archives: featured

Musical, Theatre

REVIEW: Hadestown by Sian Thomas

Leave a comment

I had the pleasure of seeing Hadestown live in the West End on March 3rd, 2024. It was in the Lyric Theatre – a beautiful and ornate setting for this play, and thankfully, came equipped with the brilliantly rotating floor that’s perfect for this show. Hadestown is a musical that I’ve been listening to since about 2018, and unfortunately for me – I discovered it right after it had ended its first London debut with its test run of shows, and have been waiting for it to return ever since. Which, in a way, is very relevant and poetic of me. This is a musical that I’ve always found fantastic, either the Broadway or Off-Broadway version, and now the West End version too, since I always knew I’d more than just enjoy seeing the production live.

I would describe Hadestown as one of my favourite musicals of all time, and having the opportunity to see it live was not lost on me. I was emotional from the first few notes (and cried more often during the show than just during the ending – anyone sitting near me was a trooper for sure).

I’ve always loved the way its themes seem to rise above the era. When I first discovered it in 2018, I’d had no idea it had been around and predated Off-Broadway with even earlier versions of the recording by Anais Mitchell, since I had assumed there were implications of the 2016 US election, general poverty, and the Great Depression in there. And, there are, but there’s more than that, too – so much of the story circles all the way back around to love, and trust, and faith in yourself and in each other.

The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is, and remains in this production, a tragedy – which I knew going in, though I still found myself weepy when it happened – and coupled with the mirror of Hades and Persephone, the show is perfect for a Greek mythology enjoyer, as well as anyone who appreciates a good song and dance number, and hands you a good excuse to cry in a theatre from the story.

Softened to the original Broadway recording, I went into the West End production fairly blind to the casting choices.

The acting and singing, and general performance, of each cast member was genuinely incredible. I’d have to pinpoint Gloria Onitiri’s performance of Our Lady of the Underground as my absolute favourite song from the show – which was a surprise for me, as the songs that I tend to gravitate back to the most is Wait for Me, and its reprise. She deserved her flowers and more for that performance, and I’m sure she gives that same energy each night. Genuinely a delight to watch her sing one of the greatest notes in the whole show.

Overall, this show was already near and dear to my heart, but this production was absolutely phenomenal, and worth seeing again and again.

Sian Thomas
Opera & classical

Review, Orchestra of the Swan, Revolutionaries, Renegades & Visionaries, Stratford Play House by James Ellis

Leave a comment
out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

In what would be a trip finally making it to Stratford Upon Avon, I was here for a few days. I caught the eye of an exciting concert. The Orchestra of the Swan offered up a riotous evening of Avant-Garde delights, of both the musical and spoken kind.

It was a hefty programme, spanning almost a Millenia, thanks to narrator Mogali Masuku. She delivered all the spoken material, with a sharpness and attention. Though she did fluff quite a few lines, perhaps a bit more rehearsal would have helped. Saying this, I loved her energy, she sat during the music and was easily lost in her own little ballet. It was highly infectious. Her range of writing saw Dickens, Blake, Dr King, Hildegard von Bingen with plenty more. There may not have been much of a through line between the spoken work, but the emphasis on the radical paired well with the music which followed.

David Le Page as director and lead violin exuded vitality, the whole group of musicians played wonderfully with him. The orchestra has a great air to them, approachable and highly attractive. Amazing how with such breeze they change from one work to another, with little of tonal whiplash. Revolution 9 from John Lennon is a brief affair, recognisable and easily parodied as a meditation on the number and some fluttery notes that follow. Extracts from Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 proved perfectly suited with Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon. Paranoid pangs of being taken in the night by the powers that be are spoken of, were a real worry for the composer also. Perhaps the best pairing of the night, the Shostakovich was alert and wonderfully deary.

Blake’s America a Prophecy, with Mogali reading was wonderfully evocative of the new world and its use of metaphor. Biber’s Battalia is a resounding thrill, proving composers were tinkering with discordant ideas a long time before modernism. The amazing, putty like effect of smearing the notes to create the fermentation of unease, without really being too challenging musically. The piece proves a lot and is always a lot of fun. Jean-Féry Rebel, in an arrangement by Le Page of Choas was another addition to this idea, I found I had goosebumps throughout. Classical in form, though not afraid to shock with further alternative ideas on shape and harmony.

Readings from John Cage and the I Ching, are fascinating views on quietness and the random manner of life. Hearing 4’33 by Cage, we sit in silence, the players at a complete rest. Via a computer, no notes were given to Cage for the pieces and so he famously chose to present it as a piece of music anyway. How sacred a moment to spend in almost silence, the Quakers and others know the value of it and we should to. I found it rather cathartic to be in my own rest state if only for these few minutes. Dare I say…twas life affirming.

Piazzolla’s Four for Tango is another shock and delight, proving you can meddle with convention, this time in the tango genre. Gil Scott-Heron (another Le Page arrangement) and the iconic The Revolution Will Not Be Televised was a jazzy scope, the words of truth ringing out circling the Civil Rights Movement, Mogail coming into her own here, aside a reading of Martin Luther King. Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix (a Le Page arrangement) also went down well, a perfumed, heightened listen. The end featured T. S. Eliot and Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony finale, a stirring sprit to wrap up with, the latter being solidly done, the former abstract yet true.

This sold out concert proved a triumph and would have faired well with a younger audience, as a first experience of concert going.

Theatre

Review, RSC, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Stratford-upon-Avon by James Ellis

Leave a comment

Photo credit: Pamela Raith

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

In this brandnew production of Dream from the RSC comes delight, humour and awe. I first got my teeth in the play in college and fell in love with it ever since.

There is real joy here, director Eleanor Rhode has gone all out with massive scope. Lucy Osborne’s design is multi-coloured filling the stage with ladders, giant hanging orbs and soaring platforms. Another huge element to proceedings is John Bulleid as illusion director and designer. The magic on display is nothing sort of astounding, the video work and little lights in the actors palms are also really nice touches. This all works wonders in the space.

The band are another sensation, thanks to the score of Will Gregory brimming with sass, flair and nods to several genres. The cast are huge and marvellous. Much marketing has been done on Mathew Bayton as Bottom, which is valued (can’t get over the appalling sideburns!) but the rest of the cast are also stars and rising talent. Mathew plays the role with his usual wide eyed mirth, a snapping comic timing and an understated insecurity that Bottom calls for. His donkey transformation sees ears which can move of their own accord, one of many funny moments. From Romeo & Julie and Machinal, Rosie Sheehy as Puck was a familar face. She works mightly well in the role, the image of Heath Leger’s Joker, one of several punk trappings. I love her ornamented accent in the role, brimming with grit, bite, resentment and a wistful endurance.

Many cast members stand out and there is much to shout about. The lovers shine Hermia, Demetrius, Lysander and Helena thanks to the efforts of razor sharp quartet: Dawn Sievewright, Nicholas Armfield, Ryan Hutton and Boadicea Ricketts. There absurd little moments are noteworthy, the lovers should be particularly physical and highly caffeinated. Ryan’s leaping, Nicholas’ marital arts postures, Boadicea’s shrieking and Dawn’s rages are left in the brain. The rest of The Mechanicals shine, the indifference of Emily Cundick’s Snout, Snug from Laurie Jamieson as a lovable dimwit. The Pyramus and Thisbe wrap up should be the funniest scene of the play and here it was. Given a loving send up of Giallo horror films, with plenty of deep red blood and cheap, anxious keyboard chords to boot.

Helen Monks is Peter Quince the flustered director for their little play, not really seen enough in the role. As Starveling, Premi Tamang came into her own as Moon in the outlandish Pyramus set, her smug face and flickering torch is one of my favourite moments. Nitesh Soni as Flute is another adorable addition to the actors group, another comedic discovery. We don’t see as such the Forrest Nymphs, though the light and effects did most of the work here, each of the actors voiced the tiny roles with conviction. Barry Gill as Theseus faired well in delivery, though I found he did little with a straight laced Oberon, though this punk attire was a standout. Airline Saba, as both Titania and Hippolyta exuded a fierce persona for each and a sensusal use of mannerism. Neil McCaul seen for a shortlist while at the start and end is Egeus, outraged over the young lovers actions, as the show starts off with a serious tone.

I’ve left little of the story out of this review, it being pretty well known. I would recommend a trip to Stratford for this gem of a show.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs till 30 March 2024.

Theatre

Review Ben & Imo, RSC Stratford-upon-Avon by James Ellis

Leave a comment

Photo credit: Ellie Kurttz

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

In the centenary year of his birth, I attended Benjamin Britten’s prized creation: the Aldeburgh Festival in Suffolk. Walking to his grave, I spoke in one of my awful poem’s how I “staggered sharply” to pay my respects. His black megalith, is paired with his life partner Peter Pears, singer of renowned who created many of Britten’s tenor roles. Behind them is Imogen Holst.

Daughter to Gustav Holst, renowned for the eternal Planets Suite, Imogen had a gun-ho attitude to her career in music. She kept up morale during WWII, teaching children and amateurs to play instruments and sing. This new play by Mark Ravenhill sees her friendship formulate with Britten, over the terrifying commission of Gloriana, for the Queen’s coronation. With 9 months till the premiere, their relationship is greatly tested through power dynamics, sexual politics, class, position and taste. Though I did not find any great appeal in her compositions, she remains a female composer of note, not just for assisting in an opera and festival planning.

Imo is billed as a musical adviser to the creation of the opera. She dips in and out of the role, notes and advice abound about the score, cast and programming. Ben’s depression, bad arm and composer’s block is what makes the creation so fraught, his cageyness about Imo is another huge barrier about what she is on the project. Ravenhill’s knows his stuff, his work in the operatic form lies in his back catalogue. There is a depth in his characters, who seem to brush aside the total nonsense of the world. It is eloquently written, possibly working better as a one act show around 95 minute mark, like the radio play it is based on.

Director Erica Whyman has created a intimate show in the Swan Theatre. The space may evoke Shakespeare’s Globe, yet the back wall had a feel of Britten’s own Snape Maltings, with beach shingle spread across the floor. The soundscape is of the sea through out, expected due to the setting (Britten’s exposed house gets flooded at Christmas). The score by Conor Mitchell is a dastardly wonder, piano heavy and not heard enough. Connor Fogel playing live offstage was a wonderous addition, adding a live musical elevation to the show. This how ever didn’t stop the actors from both pretend playing the revolving piano on stage, with it spurts of water during the flood scene. Both Conor and Connor have had fun on the music side of things, the references to Britten in the score are there apparently to point out.

As Britten, Samuel Barnett looks the part, the curly, tempered hair, the clothes and glasses. His face does capture something of the composer if only a little. The sensible, then furious mood swings are delivered well. Britten would not have been an all rounded figure to gel with, how easy it was to be excluded at the drop of a hat. There was tenderness too, the love for Imo still there even in roaring insults. Victoria Yeats is chatty, whimsical, yet still grounded as Imogen. She arrives almost like Mary Poppins into the space. Yeats seems to brush off most of the tantrums of her fellow composer, like a mother, sibling and at times a wife. She stands her ground with Barnett in moments of shouty confrontation, all for the good of music making.

The second act sees the most patient driver in existence, as the tense morning before trying out the opera in London is delayed due to Imo’s tardiness. There is much yelling and poison from both, it could have almost turned physical. This is a work of fiction about two recent creative lives, people who knew them both are still around. I wonder just how catty things really got between them…

Though the opera Gloriana itself, does have its fans, it is nowhere Britten’s best. Much is said of a flop at its opening and though it has seen some stagings here and there, there is still life in the show yet. Ben & Imo proves just how intense a process it was to make.

Ben & Imo runs till 6 April 2024

Theatre

Review Murder in the Dark, New Theatre,Cardiff by Jane Bissett

Leave a comment

out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

Murder in the Dark was not exactly what I had expected and I did wonder by the early reaction of other theatre goers close by, if it had been what they had been expecting.

Wonderfully played out, this production had us drawn in by the end of the first scene.  Seldom have I been to any play that has had the ability, so quickly, to engage with an audience where you actually felt as if you are there, as part of the very story itself.

Without giving away any spoilers, the plot centres around Danny (Tom Chambers), a ‘famous’ musician who has been stranded on New Years eve following a car crash.  Mrs Bateman (Susie Blake) offers him an opportunity to stay overnight in her holiday let on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

What transpires next is a revelation into family relationships and the mysteries of the mind.

Brilliantly cast, with Rebecca Charles as Rebecca, Jonny Green as Jake and Owen Oakeshott as Will and Laura White as Sarah.  This tight group of actors certainly took us on a journey where none of us could have predicted the destination or outcome.  

I have never been to play where there was so much audience reaction with audible intakes of breath and laughter when the characters made comments that we could all have made in the circumstances they found themselves with laughter as light relief, or was it really to suppress the fear of the situation?? 

Written by Torben Betts, best known for his dark comedies of social embarrassment with a smattering of political commentary thrown in, this was departure from his usual writing.  

Directed by Philip Frank, this masterpiece of theatre was almost an immersive experience and I think best played in an intimate theatre space. The New Theatre, Cardiff, the ideal venue and assisted in helping create the an atmosphere and mood needed to enjoy this production to its fullest.

The design of the set as both realistic and clever and the designers, Simon Kenny for set and Max Papenheim for sound, created the perfect on stage environment for the telling of this particular tale.

Intrigued? Murder in the Dark Plays at the New Theatre until Saturday 2 March.

Film & TV

Review, The Way, BBC Wales, by Gareth Williams

Leave a comment

out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

Its title is perhaps deceiving. For there are many ways to describe The Way. Realist, certainly, but both magic and social. Incorporating documentary-style shots with archive footage. Alluding constantly to myth and legend. And that fine line between the supernatural and the imagined. All such elements contribute to what feels like something that wants to be epic. But there are so many strands to this drama that sometimes it drowns in its own details instead.

As Michael Sheen’s directorial debut, it isn’t too bad. It is not so disjointed as to be lacking any concept. The problem is that there are too many big and weighty themes being handled. Boil it down to the Driscolls – the family at the centre of this drama – and it becomes understandable. A fractured and broken unit, the four of them are forced to work together when Port Talbot becomes a site of insurrection, for which mam Dee (Mali Harries) and son Owen (Callum Scott Howells) are largely to blame. In this alternate-reality, they have no choice but to flee their country, seeking to cross the border (which is hard and fast here) into England, and on to daughter Thea’s husband Dan in Germany (played by Sophie Melville and Aneurin Barnard respectively). Their journey is strangely perilous, avoiding road blocks and any kind of surveillance in very familiar countryside and townscapes. It is a bit like watching Edgar Wright’s ‘Cornetto’ trilogy but without the humour. Everything is a lot more serious here. As if Sheen wants to create a contemporary version of a Classic tale: a 21st Century Mabinogion, if you will. But this lofty ambition is perhaps pushed too far, with hyperbolic tendencies that create, at worst, confusion, and at best, fascinating melodrama.

Lead actor Steffan Rhodri brings a pathos to dad Geoff that keeps the drama believable. He handles his character’s unresolved grief and melancholic temperament with a natural ease that catches the eye. In contrast to Mark Lewis-Jones’ hammed up performance as Union man Glynn and Luke Evans’ suitably brooding but underwhelming appearance as mercenary Hogwood, Rhodri embodies an everyman persona that keeps The Way grounded in its otherwise flittering state. For amidst the jump cuts, involving security cameras, social media sites, and news flashes, there are also talking teddy bears, Carry On clips, and prophetic dreams. But whilst on one level it could be described as strange, there is also a prescience to it that remains real. None more so than with the threat of job losses at the steel plant. Sheen is not content with just a standard social commentary on this issue though. He incorporates immigration, nationalism, Thatcherism, and nostalgia into a story that also wishes to say something about the nature of story itself. Not self-referentially but in the wider sense of Wales as a land of story and song.

Everything is done with good intention. But it doesn’t always result in translation. There are times when, for example, the life of the steel plant would work better as spoken metaphor, and the final monologue more affective, in the context of theatre. The Way almost shows us too much and, in doing so, doesn’t say enough. It rightly has one family at its core but a tendency to reach wider causes it to lose sight sometimes of this feature. The Way still manages to be entertaining though. Just a shame that it’s Michael Sheen’s name that gives it kudos rather than his direction or the drama itself.

Watch the full series on BBC iPlayer here.

Reviewed by
Gareth Williams

Opera & classical

Review, William Thomas & Florent Mourier, Opera Rara, Lansdowne Club, London by James Ellis

Leave a comment

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Opera Rara are on the prowl for the lesser heard, lesser staged in the operatic world. They have no council funding and have excelled with rarely seen delights. This saloon concert at the Lansdowne Club, a charming membership venue over looking Berkeley Square proved a thrill. I was taking the charm of the older gentlemen’s club, I was warmly welcomed and they were happy to allow me to sit and have a drink before. It was all rather fetching, it was seeing the club’s cat that really did it for me, Harry one of two who live there.

This was a fine opportunity to hear emerging bass singer William Thomas and on piano Florent Mourier. The chance to hear encounter lesser heard Verdi and Donizetti songs was a treat and in such a fine space. We heard many songs on the night, too many to mention. Thomas who is such a talented bass, felt quite special sitting and listening to him. The bass does not always get a lot of love and a fine, young singer like this could break down many barriers. Even in the Italian or the French repertoire (such was the influence of Parisain opera and all things francophile) from the two composers.

Starting with Donizetti’s Troppo é vezzoza la ninfa bella, we couldn’t have had a better start. Thomas plays the odd little characters well in these songs, humour aside great timing also important. My Italian plus one said the language was clear, though not all the time as is the way with words used in opera. Hearing Verdi, In solitaria stanza had a sweet Bellini reference, more influence from the past. Deh, pietoso, oh addolorata had the words of Gothic God Goethe. Mourier had a few rehearsals with Thomas prior, you would think they have played together for years. His piano skills meshed marvellously for these songs, he seems to get these hardly hear song like few do. Together, magic was made between Thomas and Mourier, both at the top of their game. An encore would preview his role in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra coming up in Manchester, wetting mouths. 

Seriousness met fun, romance and tension, in the club saloon setting you couldn’t ask for much more. 

Opera Rara perform the original Verdi Simon Boccanegra from 1857 at Manchester Bridgewater Hall 18 April 2024. 

Musical, Theatre

Review, Hadestown, Lyric Theatre, London by James Ellis

Leave a comment

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

I’ve wanted to see Hadestown for sometime. Anas Mitchell has whipped up a frenzy with this Greek myth inspired musical take on the tale. This being it’s West End premiere, can it live up to the hype?

Whilst it might work better as a concept album, it is Mitchell’s songs which are the pulling power of Hadestown. The familiar story has been on stage and screen in varying styles, yet its the lack of innovation which bores here. This is one of the most famous stories in Western literature, with a real opportunity do something interesting with it. Granted the New Orleans style jazz and hearty folk stylings do meld only to a certain degree. Its the former which is punchy and keeps toes tapping. They could have even pushed the jazz even more from this golden band,

My main gripe is that this story (presented as it is) does not fill 2 hours of a show, this is made clear in the second act when Hades stops and pauses as the Furies sing about his indecisions to free our young couple. Some press night jitters also saw a hanky nearly fall and a few instances of mic scratches. We let this slide, as this press and guest night performance had great energy. The ensemble for the show are very impressive in their energy, their diverse apperance another great thing. Musically, they have the least interesting songs, the Fates might just claim that crown.

As a cast they are top tier. A spirit of a bard, Dónal Finn is Orpheus with piercing falsetto and an all round Irish charm. His love: Eurydice is Grace Hodgett Young who is equally matching Finn in voice and atmosphere. Melaine La Barrie is the wise Hermes, the narrator guide who really loves to belt out numbers and use a novelty train whistle of the underworld. Zachary James is Hades in the vain of the comic baddie, not really songs for a singer, more acting songs. He looks a bit like Wesker from Resident Evil and Robotnik from the Sonic franchise. Not much to the depth of the part other then having some mercy for the couple leading to an atmospheric trial home scene. Gloria Onitiri is an easy favourite as Pesephone, of colour and spring lost to the underworld. Some blazing moments with her, really stirring powerhouse songs and good fun too. The Fates: Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne and Allie Daniel are analysing and wild sparks to the party, their harmonies a revelation. 

Rachel Chavkin could have done more with this show as director. Something about it not filling it’s true potential, yet the show has become a hit. Some costumes and set pieces might not have wowed as much as they should. Steam punk, art noveau and the Wild West all seem to be a part of this, though only in suggestion. If kept shorter this could have worked better, the songs though getting love and the all round gun-ho attitude is what makes this memorable.  

Opera & classical

Review, Emma Roberts, Charles Tam & Jo Ramadan, The Musicians’ Company Concert & Concordia Foundation Artists’ Fund, Wigmore Hall, London by James Ellis

Leave a comment

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Many Prizes to be found here from a wonderful trio of musicians. Mezzo Emma Robert’s has real pulling power, making the most of this fine afternoon at Wigmore. Proving many talents with a selection of Fauré, Brahms and Debussy in the first half. Fleur jette was a lush opener from Fauré, the German from Brahms and his Der Tod, das ist die Kyle Nacht was another treasure, solemn and resplendent. Emma has a warm mezzo and at such a young age. Not always easy to get it right in the ladies lower register, but she pulls off so much with grace and poise. Debussy and his Chansons de Bilitis ended this set with warm heartedness and a vivid palette of colours and poetry.

Charles Tam arrive to wrap up the first half with two of Messiaen’s Vingt Regards sur l’enfant-Jésus. Le baiser dr l’enfant-Jésus started things off for anyone who had never heard this outstanding French composer…you’d be surprised. The main sort of Jesus melody is heard and transposed aside daring chromatic  investigations aside daring expressionistic key play. Leading into the most acclaimed from the two hour piece: Regard de l’Esprit de joie. This tenth movement dazzles with sizzling Indian music, frantic high and low register pounding and an unwavering mastery of melody. Tam leaving this audience impressed, it has such a demand on the player, we too were tired after hearing it. My plus one knew little of Messiaen and was teary eyed by the end. Tam made an excellent choice here and it was a fine way to show his sweeping musicianship.

More of Emma and her companion on piano Jo Ramadam, who played everything with fine fingering and brezze. Schumann’s Myrthen got back to basics, heady Germanic style and sense of romance evaded the space. A choice of Sibelius songs proved Emma multi language skills further, these were fun and wry. Sanglots from Banalités by Poulenc was even more cheer and thrills. Emma really getting into the patter of the song. I want to hear her do more and Wagner!

Tam returned with a final offering, Liszt’s Fantasia quasi Sonata from Aprés une le tur du Dante. Half misery and half hope, the whole piece had the clamour you expect from Liszt. Hell and its layers evade the score effectively thanks to the composer’s cleverness. It didn’t quite complete the concert as an end piece, but I was caught by its passion and Tam’s real vitality, no score needed and his swaying motions throughout noteworthy. 

Opera & classical

Review, Juan Pérez Floristán, LSO St Luke’s, London by James Ellis

Leave a comment

out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

The essence of Spain is alive and well at LSO ,St Luke’s in London. We got a real firestarter concert from Juan Pérez Floristán. Fantasiá bética from Manuel de Falla was the native and justified opener. It was terrific and terrifying in equal measure, flamenco used and keeps the kinetic spirit of the dance. Very contemporary, a commission by Rubinstein, de Falla really shows off here and so does Juan.

Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte is the most famous piece in the programme. Inspired by Spanish Baroque, this endearing if somewhat overdone piano miniatures remains a delight. Juan kept it sincere and totally pianissimo. Three Debussy works, two of which were from the Preludes, perhaps captured the essence of Spain out of the non-native composers. Maintaining the evocative perfume usually attributed to Debussy, aside the dance and heat of Espana really did excite her. Juan doing more Debussy would be an event in and of itself. A longing and lingering mood drifted into the space.

Joaquín Turina is a discovery for me and a real find. His Orgía from Danzas fantásticas was another extreme thrill. We don’t near enough from Spanish composers, a work like this proves why we should. Juan thrives in playing his own country’s canon. He is not afraid to dance and scribble around whilst playing. Captivating would be a nice descriptor.

Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody may lose a feel for the authentic, replaced with virtuosic playing. A delightful melody is heard throughout and is heart warming. Juan scrubs the keys and pounded this justified finale. We were smitten as an audience and an encore of Debussy’s The Girl with the Flaxen Hair was familiar fare and a nice way to end this fine afternoon.

Recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3.