Perth Chamber Music Society review

Jan 26 2010 Ian Stuart-Hunter, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

FOR their first concert of the new decade Perth Chamber Music were again in St Ninian’s Cathedral, Perth. In a change to the advertised concert their guests were clarinetist Jean Johnson and popular Perth-born pianist Scott Mitchell.

Jean’s husband, noted Scottish pianist Steven Osborne had been announced, but in the recent poor weather had broken a finger. Scott had previously partnered Jean in concert and was able to step in with a largely unchanged programme.

They began with a performance of Schumann’s Three Romances which went straight to their romantic soul. The sound of both players was so right for these pieces from the very first notes where clarinet and piano converse intimately, at first wistfully then more movingly. The second piece showed great charm in its storytelling style and the folk-song influence was to the fore in the darker ballad style of the third piece.

Debussy’s La cathédrale engloutie was Scott Mitchell’s first solo piece. A little too halting at the start his playing was magisterial where the cathedral rises from the waters. Next came Philip Glass’s Wichita Vortex Sutra. As he said in his audience friendly introduction to minimalism, it has a heady title to start with! Dare I say, gaining from not having the Ginsburg poem recited over it, the piece was both more melodic and emotional than much of Glass. Scott put it over with such feeling and conviction that it garnered much applause from the large audience in St Ninian’s.

Returning to Debussy as arranged for clarinet and piano the first Arabasque now gave over its liquid line to the clarinet. The three pieces from Children’s Corner were enjoyable: the delicately personified plaint of The Little Shepherd, then Jimbo’s Lullaby with the clarinet as a small, personable, young elephant and Scott bringing out his part most characterfully, finally The Golliwog’s Cakewalk made its effect, but could have been more jaunty.

Miklos Rozsa’s Sonatina for solo clarinet began the second half in fine Hungarian style. Jean Johnson’s breath control and technical facility were outstanding in this piece. Saint-Saens’ Clarinet Sonata had long breathed melodic phrases of balanced quality. Second came a slightly dotty fast movement, separated by a Lento from the final Allegro which begins with virtuoso excitement, before a calming reference back to the work’s opening.

Pierné’s Canzonetta started with delightful insouciance, before a central section then a varied, slower return to opening material.

This was followed by an arrangement of Gershwin’s Preludes, by turn jazzy, bluesy and sassy. More Greshwin followed with I Loves You, Porgy as a most well received encore.