Simon Crawford-Phillips and SCO Friends
Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, 9/3/25
Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano); Afonso Fesch & Gordon Bragg (violins), André Cebrián (flute), Maximiliano Martín (clarinet), Philip Higham (cello)
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We have been dealing with some ‘editorial indisposition’ at the EMR in the last 2-3 weeks, all happily now resolved. Unfortunately a group of reviews fell through our ‘safety net’ and have been posted late. Our apologies to the companies and performers affected.
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Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall was the venue on the afternoon of 9th March for an eclectic programme of duo and trio chamber works presented by pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips with members of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. The originally planned and advertised programme had featured violinist Pekka Kuusisto with SCO Friends, but Pekka was unable to make the engagement for personal reasons. This was no privation. The programme of works by Robert and Clara Schumann, Fauré, Schmitt, Stravinsky and Shostakovich showcased excellence in chamber interpretation and performance with an enjoyable mix of familiar and unfamiliar repertoire. Simon Crawford-Phillips introduced the programme with informative details of the composers, genres and styles and the rationale behind the programming.
Robert Schumann’s 3 Fantasiestücke Op.73 is a celebrated and versatile 3-movement sonata, originally conceived for clarinet and piano, but Schumann approved adaptations for violin or cello (and I feel sure I have heard it played on horn). SCO Principal First Violin Afonso Fesch performed the violin version with Simon to open the concert. Lyricism and a subtle sense of flow in the phrasing characterised the first movement, with initially understated dynamics that allowed room for romantic expressiveness when needed. The more light-hearted middle piece received a cantabile outing, no less shaped with elegant and expressive phrasing and subtle dynamic contrasts. The exuberant final piece swept the listener along with its optimism to a rush of joy. Super. Both players played from tablets.
Principal cellist Philip Higham introduced Faure’s Cello Sonata No.2, extolling the composer’s chamber music (no argument from me), in particular the equal prominence in the scoring given to the parts. The first movement’s two main themes, the first romantically expressive, the second more lyrical, were beautifully contrasted, while the fluidity of the tonality in the development reminded the listener that it dates from 1921. The elegiac slow movement was very lovely, though issues with the spike of Philip’s cello slipping did present challenges to the intonation once or twice. Very French urban bustle was the prominent mood of the finale, with another lyrical second theme and a series of scurrying episodes with contrasting calmer idylls. More tonal fluidity in the emphatic reprise of the second subject before an energetic and thrilling triumphant coda. Another great piece in possibly a first hearing for me.
In a slight change to the timing of the interval, Clara Schumann’s ‘3 Romances’ of 1853 opened the second half, 3 delightful character pieces for violin and piano played by Afonso and Simon, the former playing from sheet music, the latter still on tablet. The first piece was barcarolle-like, lyrical and chromatic, with a melody that reminded of the second theme of the first movement of her husband’s Piano Quintet (which, in turn, prefigures ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’). Exquisite. The second Romance was more pensive but with capricious moments, settling to a less anxious conclusion with a cheeky pizzicato cadence. The concluding Romance was a song of devotion reminiscent of her husband’s ‘Widmung’. A schmaltzy cadenza brought the piece to a close. These were delightful and, as I am sure I would remember them if I had heard them before, were another first hearing for me.
A change of mood and instrumentation followed for the next three pieces. Principal Flute André Cebrián and Principal Clarinet Maximiliano Martín were accompanied by Simon Crawford-Phillips in Florent French composer Schmidt’s 1935 ‘Sonatine en trio’, flanked by arrangements by Levon Atovmyan of two Shostakovich waltzes, both from film scores, a light music genre in which Shostakovich was surprisingly prolific. The first, from the 1937 film ‘The Return of Maxim’ was unknown to me, a pleasant short ternary form piece. The second, the ‘Barrel Organ Waltz’ from the 1955 film ‘The Gadfly’, I know well from an LP of the orchestral version of the suite from the score, which I’ve owned since the early 1980s. Both were delightful. The ‘meat’ in this sandwich was equally whimsical, but with elements of neoclassicism tinged with 20th-centrury French urban swagger. The Sonatine’s 4 movements might be characterised as ‘ribald street song’, ‘coy waltz with lots of rubato and often indeterminate tonality’, ‘slow menuet like that in Ravel’s Tombeau de Couperin’, and ‘another street song with elements of cakewalk and birdsong and a cheeky conclusion’. A super piece, beautifully performed.
The familiar trope in novels, drama and operas of a pact with the devil is brought to the ballet stage by Stravinsky’s 1918 ‘The Soldier’s Tale’ and the concert closed with the composer’s own reduction for violin, clarinet and piano of the suite, an instrumentation that allowed the production to still tour even as the Spanish Flu epidemic raged across Europe. I confess to missing the trumpet (or cornet) from the 7-instrument original, but the trio version lacks none of its quirky charm and Principal Second Violinist Gordon Bragg, Maximiliano Martín and Simon Crawford-Phillips gave it a spirited and characterful outing. The 5 movements may be characterised as ‘swaggering march’, ‘conversation between the soldier’s stylish double-stopping and the Devil’s clarinet arabesques’, ‘jazzy dance’, ‘tango-waltz-ragtime’ and ‘Devil’s jazzy dance of triumph’. Fabulous. A great end to an enjoyable matinee.
Photo Credit: Nikolaj-Lund