The London Mozart Players were joined by guest soloist guitarist Sean Shibe for ‘Vivaldi reimagined’ at St Martin-in-the-Fields. There was, indeed, Vivaldi with the beautiful Mandolin Concerto in C major and the vibrant Lute Concerto in D major, both here played with guitar as the solo instrument. These were bookended with seven smaller pieces all with Celtic and folk music themes. It was certainly a busy programme, coming in at just over an hour with no breaks.
The intimacy of St Martin-in-the-Fields suited Shibe's playing remarkably well. In this resonant but relatively small space, there was no need for him to force his sound; instead, the finely graded dynamics and clarity of his playing felt very much at home here, although a little more volume and projection would have been welcome in some passages. This was intimate Vivaldi, with the ensemble responding with evident enthusiasm to their soloist.
Directed from the violin by leader Simon Blendis, the LMP played with energy, colour and warmth, and showed a good ear for articulation and balance. Blendis was an expressive presence, and co-leader Sijie Chen was engaging as always. The players really came together, actively ‘in conversation’ with Shibe rather than simply there as accompaniment. In the Lute Concerto their exchanges showed all the character and refinement of chamber music while feeling fresh and modern. The acoustic occasionally threatened to soften the edges of the ensemble’s sound, but the players generally maintained good clarity.
Shibe's playing was precise and refined, if at times a little understated. His restraint worked beautifully in the quieter passages, where the guitar's intimacy of tone could be appreciated, but there were moments when a little more rhetorical force would have enhanced the momentum. The same was true of the overall pacing where a stronger contrast between tempi and character could have produced a bolder sense of progression.
The programme placed Vivaldi alongside a selection of Celtic-inspired pieces including Peter Maxwell Davies” Farewell to Stromness, in an arrangement by Rosemary Furniss; Sally Beamish's The Day Dawn; Jay Capperauld's Schiehallion! (apparently an ode to a Scottish mountain); two traditional works, The Canaries l and ll, both arranged by Shibe; and Stanley Myers’ haunting film music Cavatina from The Deer Hunter to close the concert. Farewell to Stromness was especially effective in the church's acoustic, its spare writing allowing the sound to breathe and its delicate ending hanging in the air. Beamish was in the audience and received warm applause for The Day Dawn. These works offered interesting changes of texture although it was hard to feel the synergy with Vivaldi.
Rather confusingly, the order of play had been rearranged after the programme was printed, making it a little difficult to follow the pieces. Blendis explained this was to give the concert more synergy. Nevertheless, this was an accomplished and engaging concert of Baroque and folk-inspired pieces and a lovely display of musical collaboration.
