Moving intimacy in Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason’s Chamber Prom

By Nick Boston, 14 September 2020

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“Its lush, sweeping arcs and flowing, lyrical lines felt like a warm bath”

Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 11 September 2020

Beethoven, Cello Sonata no. 4 in C major, Op.102 no.1

Barber, Sonata for cello and piano in C minor, Op.6

Bridge, Mélodie in C sharp minor, for cello and piano

Rachmaninov, Cello Sonata in G minor, Op.19

Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Cello

Isata Kanneh-Mason, Piano

Exciting but inconsistent playing from the EUYO at Carnegie Hall

Cameron Kelsall, 6th August

Under Iván Fischer's direction, Mahler's First Symphony is notable more for bombastic passion than subtle artistry.

***11

The Kanneh-Masons and friends at the Aldeburgh Festival

Roy Westbrook, 21st June

Some chamber concerts, like this one at Snape Maltings, can turn a public hall into a large drawing room.

***11

Expressive, virtuosic cello sonatas from Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason

Nick Boston, 28th May

An impressive evening at the Barbican from two rapidly maturing performers, unafraid to bring chamber music to audiences more familiar with standard virtuosic concerto displays.

****1

Isata Kanneh-Mason makes a glittering Proms debut in Prokofiev

Dominic Lowe, 1st August

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Ryan Bancroft joined Kanneh-Mason as she tackled Prokofiev's most popular piano concerto with easy dexterity, then delivering a powerful performance of Tchaikovsky.

***11

Colour and thrills from Hindoyan, Kanneh-Mason and the RLPO

Peter Connors, 27th April

Isata Kanneh-Mason thrills with sparking fingerwork in Prokofiev, while the RLPO and Domingo Hindoyan are just as dazzling in Falla and Stravinsky.

****1

Hiding in plain sight: Ilan Volkov steals the show at Symphony Hall

Simon Cummings, 22nd February

A self-effacing, literal approach from conductor Ilan Volkov brings marvellous transparency to works by Sibelius and Prokofiev, while highlighting the flaws in a new work by Freya Waley-Cohen.

****1

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Nick Boston

Nick has an MA in Music, specialising in performance and repertoire. His particular passions are choral music, chamber music and opera, with a particular interest in early music. He sings in a number of choirs in the south east of England, plays the piano and occasionally dusts off the violin. He writes about music here.

Moving intimacy in Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason’s impressive Chamber Prom