Stocken's Archangels fly over Woodford; Icknield Ensemble delight with Dvorak Quintet

By Ken Ward, 07 November 2011

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Reviewed at St Mary's Church, South Woodford, London on 5 November 2011

Works by Various

Smetana, From My Homeland: two duos for violin and piano, T 128

Stocken, Archangels

Chabrier, 10 Pièces pittoresques (Scherzo Valse)

Dvořák, Piano Quintet no. 2 in A major, Op.81

Anna Le Hair, Piano

Arwen Newband, Violin

Frederick Stocken, Organ, Conductor

Icknield Ensemble

Choir of St Mary's Woodford

Black American music finds a new voice at the Concertgebouw

Clare Varney, 18th June

Dutch premieres, new faces and new arrangements result in a concert quite unlike any other from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under Antony Hermus.

****1

Apollonian radiance and women scorned: the Britten Sinfonia at Snape

Roy Westbrook, 18th June

Hell holds no fury like a woman scorned, and it was certainly so in Greek mythology, celebrated in this outstanding Aldeburgh Festival performance by the Britten Sinfonia and Helen Charlston.

*****

A perfect landing with Harding and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra

Mengguang Huang, 17th June

Håkan Hardenberger joins the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Harding for a thrilling night concluding with a breathtaking, high-energy Beethoven Four.

****1

Improvisatory Gershwin from Ryan Wang with Chromatica Orchestra

Nick Boston, 17th June

Energetic yet atmospheric performances from Chromatica Orchestra, with Ingunn Korsgård Hagen providing firm yet spirited direction.

****1

Poise over fire: McGegan, Chen and the Orchestra of St Luke’s

Edward Sava-Segal, 16th June

A late substitution turns a violinist-led showcase into a polished, orchestra-centred Bach Festival evening at Carnegie Hall.

***11

Quatuor Diotima and Stéphane Degout haunt Wigmore Hall

Christopher Woodley, 15th June

An enterprising trio of works by Ligeti, Respighi and Schoeck leave a lasting impression of oppression, alienation and dark nights of the soul.

*****

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Ken Ward

Ken Ward spent most of his working life driving buses for Eastern National and London Buses. With a life-long enthusiasm for the works of Bruckner, he became editor of The Bruckner Journal in 2005 and was awarded The Bruckner Society of America 'Kilenyi' Medal of Honor in 2011.