Henry Purcell
– 3 Parts upon a Ground, Z.731
– Z. 632, Timon of Athens, Curtain Tune on a Ground
Alexi Kenney, Maria Wloszczowska, Tim Crawford (violin), Lilli Maijalla (viola), Martijn Vink (cello), Philippe Thuriot (accordion)
John Dowland
– If my complaints could passions move
– Flow my tears
Mark Padmore (voice), Philippe Thuriot (accordion)
Benjamin Britten – Lachrymae for Viola and Piano, Op. 48 (1950), Reflections on a song of Dowland
Hélène Clémént (viola), Alasdair Beatson (piano)
Rebecca Clarke – 3 Irish country songs for violin and tenor
Mark Padmore (voice), Maria Wloszczowska (violin)
Benjamin Britten – Élégie from the Serenade Op. 31: No. 4, for tenor, horn and strings
Mark Padmore (voice), Jean-Pierre Dassonville (horn), Katharine Gowers, Sylvia Huang (violin), Lilli Maijalla, Hélène Clément (viola), Martijn Vink, Raphaël Feye (cello)
Ralph Vaughan Williams – On Wenlock Edge, for tenor, piano and string quartet
Mark Padmore (voice), Alasdair Beatson (piano), Sylvia Huang, Alice Van Leuven (violin), Lilli Maijalla (viola) Amy Norrington (cello)
A concert with music from the rich English tradition full of connections between the centuries.
In the early seventeenth century, Purcell and Dowland wrote music that continued to influence and inspire many composers from the twentieth century. Two rousing pieces by Purcell open the programme: fasten your seatbelts! Benjamin Britten based his viola piece Lachrimae on the popular vocal music of Dowland and in this concert we hear both of them. In a unique reduction of the Elegy for tenor and strings, not only the singer, but especially the horn has a beautiful solo part!
Ralph Vaughan Williams composed the song cycle “On Wenlock Edge” in 1909, setting poems from A.E. Housman’s collection A Shropshire Lad. The cycle uses an unusual combination of piano and string quartet. It explores themes of nostalgia, loss of innocence, and the insignificance of humanity against the backdrop of the English landscape. The melodies are modal and folk-influenced, inspired by English folk music and its traditions.
