A Brahms clarinet feast from Michael Collins at Wigmore Hall

By Mark Pullinger, 07 January 2020

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“Gloomy old Brahms? No, this was Brahms revelling in October sunshine”

Reviewed at Wigmore Hall, London on 6 January 2020

Brahms, Clarinet Sonata no. 1 in F minor, Op.120 no.1

Beethoven, Violin Sonata no. 5 in F major "Fruhling (Spring)", Op.24 (arr. Hough)

Brahms, Clarinet Sonata no. 2 in E flat major, Op.120 no.2

Brahms, Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115

Sir Stephen Hough, Piano

Michael Collins, Clarinet

Castalian String Quartet

A constellation of quartets end the East Neuk Festival

Simon Thompson, 29th June

Sixteen of the finest string players around join forces on one stage to end the East Neuk Festival in a grand finale.

****1

An engaging evening of Haydn with the Castalian Quartet

Mark Pullinger, 17th April

Would Haydn be the perfect dinner party guest? Witty banter and joyful exchanges characterise the three quartets given at Wigmore Hall as part of its Haydn series.

****1

British Quartets: The Castalian Quartet at the Cheltenham Music Festival

Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres, 8th July

This Cheltenham Festival concert featured three British string quartets by Hugh Wood, Michael Nyman and Giles Swayne. Swayne and Wood were both present at the concert and gave an introductory talk providing context for their works. Swayne said in the talk that ‘music should be unpredictable to keep the listener interested’.

****1

Hindoyan and Hough bring a new dream team to Liverpool

Glyn Mon Hughes, 27th November

Rachmaninov’s First Piano Concerto comes alive as Stephen Hough joins Domingo Hindoyan and the RLPO in an explosive performance of this dramatic work.

*****

Majestic Brahms from Sir Stephen Hough and Elim Chan in Sydney

Zoltán Szabó, 17th May

Elim Chan expertly conducts the SSO through a varied programme featuring an Australian fanfare, Russian ballet music and Brahms' First Piano Concerto with Sir Stephen Hough.

****1

A knight-errant on the road: Sir Stephen Hough at the Barbican

Christopher Woodley, 4th December

Sir Stephen Hough continues his advocacy of Chaminade with three of her miniatures and gives passionate performances of Schumann' and Chopin.

****1

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

A Brahms clarinet feast from Michael Collins and friends at Wigmore Hall